Passage

Colossians 2.8

Book: Colossians · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"6. As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7. rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

"8. Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:"

"9. for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, 10. and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:" (Colossians 2:6-10, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"6. As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, 7. rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving."

"8. Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ."

"9. For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, 10. and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power;" (Colossians 2:6-10, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7. Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."

"8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ^{rudiments: or, elements} ^{make a prey: or, seduce you, or, lead you astray}"

"9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:" (Colossians 2:6-10, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"6. as, then, ye did receive Christ Jesus the Lord, in him walk ye, 7. being rooted and built up in him, and confirmed in the faith, as ye were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving."

"8. See that no one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,"

"9. because in him doth tabernacle all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, 10. and ye are in him made full, who is the head of all principality and authority," (Colossians 2:6-10, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: Paul the Apostle (imprisonment) + Timothy
Audience: Christian believers in Colossae (Asia Minor)
Location: composed during Roman imprisonment
Time period: composed c. AD 60-62

Theological reading

Key words

G2889 - kosmos, kosmos (Strong's G2889). Also appears in: Mark 14, John 1.1-14, John 1.10.
G5547 - christos, christos (Strong's G5547). Also appears in: Matthew 1.1, Matthew 1.16, Matthew 1.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.