to enfold in the arms · verb — aorist middle deponent imperative, 2nd person plural
brethren
ἀδελφοὺςadelphous
G80
a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (m… · noun — accusative plural masculine
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
Laodicea
ΛαοδικείᾳLaodikeia
G2993
Laodicia · noun — dative singular feminine, a place
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
Nymphas
ΝύμφανNumphan
G3564
nymph-given (i.e. -born) · noun — accusative singular feminine, a proper name
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
church
ἐκκλησίαν.ekklēsian
G1577
a calling out · noun — accusative singular feminine
in
κατ᾽kat᾽
G2596
(prepositionally) down (in place or time) · preposition
his
αὐτῆςautēs
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular feminine
house
οἶκονoikon
G3624
a dwelling (more or less extensive · noun — accusative singular masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Romans 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
1 Corinthians 16:9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
Philemon 1:2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Colossians 4:7–end
In the close of this epistle the apostle does several of his friends the honour to leave their names upon record, with some testimony of his respect, which will be spoken of wherever the gospel comes, and last to the end of the world.
I. Concerning Tychicus, Col 4:7. By him this epistle was sent; and he does not give them an account in writing of his present state, because Tychicus would do it by word of mouth more fully and particularly. He knew they would be glad to hear how it fared with him. The churches cannot but be concerned for good ministers and desirous to know their state. He gives him this character, A beloved brother and faithful minister. Paul, though a great apostle, owns a fa…
Nymphas--of Laodicea.
church . . . in his house--So old manuscripts and Vulgate read. The oldest read, "THEIR house"; and one manuscript, "HER house," which makes Nymphas a woman.
Adam Clarke on Colossians 4:15
Salute - Nymphas, and the Church - in his house - This person, and his whole family, which probably was very numerous, appear to have received the Gospel; and it seems that, for their benefit and that of his neighbors, he had opened his house for the worship of God. In those primitive times there were no consecrated places, for it was supposed that the simple setting apart of any place for the worship of God was a sufficient consecration. See of those domestic churches, Rom 16:5 (note); Co1 16:19 (note)
John Gill on Colossians 4:15
Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea,.... Where there was a church mentioned in the following verse, of which see on Gill Revelation 2:10.
And Nymphas; which some, unskilful in the Greek language, have took for a woman; whereas it is the name of a man, as the following words show; and is a contraction of Nymphios, or Nymphidios, or Nymphodoros:
and the church which is in his house. This man seems to have been an inhabitant of Laodicea, and that the church there met at his house to worship God, to pray unto him, sing his praise, hear his word, and attend on all ordinances: or his own family was brought up so strictly to the observance of these things, that they looked like a little ch…
The Church Fathers
"Salute the brethren that are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the Church that is in their house." See how he cements, and knits them together with one another, not by salutation only, but also by interchanging his Epistles. Then again he pays a compliment by addressing him individually. And this he doth not without a reason, but in order to lead the others also to emulate his zeal. For it is not a small thing not to be numbered with the rest. Mark further how he shows the man to be great, seeing his house was a church.
Salute Cassian, my host, and his most serious-minded partner in life, and their very dear children, to whom may "God grant that they find mercy of the Lord in that day," on account of their ministrations to us, whom also I commend to thee in Christ. Salute by name all the faithful in Christ that are at Laodicea. Do not neglect those at Tarsus, but look after them steadily, confirming them in the Gospel. I salute in the Lord, Maris the bishop of Neapolis, near Anazarbus. Salute thou also Mary my daughter, distinguished both for gravity and erudition, as also "the Church which is in her house." May my soul be in place of hers: she is the very pattern of pious women. May the Father of Christ, by His only-begotten Son, preserve thee in good health, and of high repute in all things, to a very old age, for the benefit of the Church of God! Farewell in the Lord, and pray thou that I may be perfected.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Church — Derived probably from the Greek kuriakon (i.e., “the Lord’s house”), which was used by ancient authors for the place of worship. In the New Testament it is the translation of the Greek word ecclesia,…
Colosse — more properly Colos’sae, was a city of Phrygia in Asia Minor, in the upper part of the basin of the Maeander, on the Lycus. Hierapolis and Laodicea were in its immediate neighborhood. (Colossians…
Laodicea — The city of this name mentioned in Scripture lay on the confines of Phrygia and Lydia, about 40 miles east of Ephesus (Rev. 3:14), on the banks of the Lycus. It was originally called Diospolis and…
Nym Phas — (bridegroom), a wealthy and zealous Christian in Laodicea. (Colossians 4:15) (A.D. 60.)
Nymphas — Nymph, saluted by Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians as a member of the church of Laodicea (Col. 4:15).
House · Used for worship — Used for worship
Laodicea · Epistle to the Colossians to be read in — Epistle to the Colossians to be read in
Nymphas · House of, used as a place of worship — House of, used as a place of worship
Worship · In private homes — In private homes
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Colossians 4:14-18
14. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
14. Salutat vos Lucas medicus dilectus, et Demas.
15. Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
15. Salutate fratres qui sunt Laodiceae, et Nympham, et Ecclesiam quae est domi ipsius;
16. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
16. Et quum lecta fuerit apud vos epistola, facite ut etiam in Laodicensium Ecclesia legatur: et eam quae ex Laodicea est ut vos legatis.
17. And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lor…
Nympha and the church that meets in her house: In the first two centuries of the Christian church, almost all believers met for worship in private homes. Nothing else is known of Nympha.
