The first "n" [eta] of Col. 2:16 should be translated as "either" according to the following lexicons and Greek dictionary: Liddell and Scott,1 Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich,2 Woodhouse,3 Dana and Mantey,4 Thayer,5 and the Barclay-Newman Greek Dictionary (BibleWorks 4.0). To date, the only translation that I know of that has translated the Greek that way is the Nazarene Standard English Version by Daniel Gregg.
Lohse indicates that "[t]he Greek phrase [en merei] has a technical meaning: "in the matter of," or, "with regard to."6 Barth suggests: "respectively, because of, concerning."7 Lightfoot makes the following suggestions: "in the division or category,"8 "in the capacity of," "with respect to," "by reason of."9 One online writer who created "An Understandable Version" mis-interprets this as "your non-observance of".10 See, also Yates' use of "as well as the observance of ..." in his commentary on Colossians.11 Or, Wuest's "in the matter of."12 Muaroka defines the word as "part of a whole" citing Zec. 13:8 (LXX) in support.12a
Eadie notes that this "gives a specialty to the theme or sphere of judgment, by individualizing the topic or occasion."13 He goes on to claim that Chrysostom and Theophylact "take it as denoting a partial observance". Could this indicate that it was some portion of these days that was being judged? That is, could it be the feasting/fasting on those days that was being judged? This was noted by De Lacey:
The most natural way of taking the rest of the passage is not that he [the ascetic judge] also imposes a ritual of feast days, but rather that he objects to certain elements of such observation.14
Armstrong has aptly noted the use of this phrase proves that the believers at Colossae were keeping the days that are mentioned. He then asks: "How could they be criticized "with regard to" days they were not keeping?"15
Walker notes since the words for festival, new moon, and Sabbath days have a genitive case ending and that "meros" (a noun and not a preposition as in: "with regards to {objects of the preposition}") is the object of the preposition "en" ("in") this means that Paul was talking about some "portion of" the days. He also notes that since the nouns are anarthrous; this implies that it was the "quality or nature [of the days] rather than the identity" of the days that was in question.16 It is disappointing to see that high-powered professional scholars like Melick and others could ignore either of these points.17 What is obviously worse is when they ignore the words altogether!18
The combined effect of these two points is that Paul is not condemning the keeping of the holy days; but is, rather referring to the "how" they were being kept.19 Another, possibility is that Paul is talking about the "why" these days are kept. Or, maybe even both? It thus seems most likely to me that what the ascetic is objecting to is the feasting (or even just the acting of eating) on these specific days of verse 16 and not the days themselves.
Other verses in which "meros" is used are: Mark 8:10; Luke 15:12, 24:42; John 19:23; Acts 2:10, 5:2, 20:2, 23:6; Rom. 11:25; 1 Cor. 13:9, 10, 12; 2 Cor. 1:14, 2:5, 3:10; Eph. 4:9; Rev. 20:6, 21:8, 22:19. It is obvious then that when Paul used the word "meros" his readers knew that he was talking about a "part" of the days that then follow and not simply the days themselves.
1. Liddell, Henry George and Scott, Robert A Greek-English Lexicon. (Oxford, 1992 impression): page 761. Back to text
2. Bauer, Walter, Ardnt, William F. and Gingrich, F. Wilbur A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Second Edition, revised and augmented by F. Wilbur Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker (University of Chicago, 1979): page 342. Back to text
3. Woodhouse, Sidney C. English-Greek Dictionary. (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971 reprint): page 263. Back to text
4. Dana, H. E. and Mantey, Julius R. A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. (Macmillan, 1955): page 248. Back to text
5. Thayer, Joseph Henry A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. 4th Edition (T. & T. Clark, 1951): page 275. Back to text
6. Lohse, Eduard Colossians and Philemon. Hermenia Series. Translated by William R. Poehlmann and Robert J. Karris (Fortress Press, ET 1971): page 115, footnote #8. Back to text
7. Barth [ibid., page 338]. Back to text
8. This is the only definition given in Vincent's Word Studies. Back to text
9. Lightfoot [ibid., page 191]. Back to text
10. Paul, William E. "The New Testament: An Understandable Version,". See also Penton, Glen "How to Apply the Torah of Freedom," page 2 - "or however [you may or may not observe]". Or, Cannata, [ibid., page 5] who has "or whether or not you observe special days." Back to text
11. Yates [ibid., page 58]. Back to text
12. Wuest [ibid., page 472]. Back to text
12a. Muraoka, page 152. Back to text
13. Eadie, [ibid., page 176]. Back to text
14. De Lacey [ibid., page 182]. Back to text
15. Armstrong, Herbert W. "Chapter Inset: Colossian 2:16," page 1. Back to text
16. Walker [ibid., page 5-6]; Barth [ibid., page 339] disagrees thinking that it is "without contextual significance." Back to text
17. Melick [ibid., page 268]. Back to text
18. Yeager, [Randolph O. The Renaissance New Testament. Vol. 15 (Pelican Publishing, 1985)] drops it completely in his translation of the verse. Bowman [ibid., page 3] quotes the verse as "in eating and drinking or in a festival or a new moon or sabbaths" and yet on the next page correctly notes that "en merei" "may be paraphrased 'in taking part in'." Back to text
19. contra Thornton [ibid., page 99]. Back to text
Back to Colossians 2:16-17 Main Study Page (introduction)
