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How ἐξουσίας Works in Colossians 2:15
A focused form insight on Noun Accusative Plural Feminine in Colossians 2:15.
Colossians 2:15 - BSB
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
The Question
How does ἐξουσίας function in Colossians 2:15?
Short Answer
ἐξουσίας is a Noun Accusative Plural Feminine in Colossians 2:15. The form sharpens the verse's portrayal of Christ's victory by naming the authorities as a plural object of his triumph, while leaving their precise identity to the context.
What the Form Is Doing
ἐξουσίας appears in Colossians 2:15 as a Noun Accusative Plural Feminine. It functions as part of the coordinated object phrase naming the hostile powers in view, so the wording highlights them as acted upon in the victory scene.
Its accusative plural form aligns with the participial phrase about stripping and public display, so the grammar supports viewing these authorities as objects in the victory scene.
Why It Matters for Interpretation
The form sharpens the verse's portrayal of Christ's victory by naming the authorities as a plural object of his triumph, while leaving their precise identity to the context.
The accusative plural noun names the authorities as part of the object phrase in the victory scene.
Translation Effect
The form directly supports authorities as part of the object phrase in English.
The form guide should support the public Bible reading, not replace it with a private rendering.
What It Does Not Prove
Do not derive a claim that the form alone proves the exact identity, rank, or total number of these authorities, or that grammatical gender carries a spiritual meaning.
Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
Accusative plural here indicates a role in the sentence, but it does not by itself settle every interpretive question.
Evidence from the Form Guide
The witness reads ἐξουσίας in Colossians 2:15 within the phrase ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, so the form is tied to a plural list of powers in the verse.
In teaching and translation, the form helps readers hear a coordinated list of powers rather than a vague abstraction, but the passage itself supplies the decisive negative or victory sense.
What It Does Not Prove
- Do not derive a claim that the form alone proves the exact identity, rank, or total number of these authorities, or that grammatical gender carries a spiritual meaning.
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- Accusative plural here indicates a role in the sentence, but it does not by itself settle every interpretive question.
- Grammatical gender is a feature of the noun form and should not be turned into a theological gender claim.