Βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς ἔσται ὁ συλαγωγῶν διὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης, κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου καὶ οὐ κατὰ Χριστόν· (Colossians 2:8)
Paul warns the Colossians with a vivid grammatical construction: a present imperative “watch out” followed by a complex chain of noun phrases, each in a declension form that reveals the anatomy of the threat. The verse is not merely a doctrinal caution; its very morphology shapes its urgency.
Declension Analysis Table
| Form | Morphology | Syntactic Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| τις | Indefinite pronoun, nominative masculine singular | Subject of ἔσται | General, undefined agent—anyone who might ensnare. |
| ὑμᾶς | 2nd person pronoun, accusative plural | Object of συλαγωγῶν | The intended victims of the deceptive capture. |
| ὁ συλαγωγῶν | Present active participle, nominative masculine singular with article | Predicate nominative with ἔσται | Lit. “the one who carries off as booty”; evokes imagery of plunder. |
| τῆς φιλοσοφίας | Genitive feminine singular | Object of preposition διά (means) | Not “philosophy” in general but the specific system opposed to Christ. |
| κενῆς ἀπάτης | Adjective + noun, genitive feminine singular | Co-object of διά | “Empty deceit”; genitive coordinates with φιλοσοφίας. |
| τὴν παράδοσιν | Accusative feminine singular with article | Object of κατά | Refers to human tradition as a standard or norm. |
| τῶν ἀνθρώπων | Genitive masculine plural | Possessive genitive modifying παράδοσιν | Tradition belonging to or originating from humans. |
| τὰ στοιχεῖα | Accusative neuter plural with article | Object of κατά | Basic principles/elements—possibly cosmic powers or ritual fundamentals. |
| τοῦ κόσμου | Genitive masculine singular | Possessive genitive modifying στοιχεῖα | Locates these principles within the fallen world order. |
| Χριστόν | Accusative masculine singular | Object of κατά in the final contrast | The measure and source of true teaching, set against human systems. |
Case Functions as Rhetorical Weapons
Nominatives introduce the danger—an indefinite “someone” who might plunder.
Accusatives point to the victims and the false standards by which the plundering is carried out.
Genitives identify the origins and nature of the threat, grounding it in human and worldly sources rather than Christ.
Theological Force in Morphology
The syntax builds a contrast: worldly systems (φιλοσοφία, ἀπάτη, παράδοσις, στοιχεῖα) are all embedded in genitive chains pointing away from the divine. The final accusative Χριστόν closes the warning with the true standard for discernment.
Guarding the Gates of the Mind
Colossians 2:8 teaches that declensions are not just grammatical—they define allegiances. The nominatives set the actors, the genitives expose the source, and the accusatives set the direction of influence. In Paul’s warning, morphology itself becomes a watchtower.
