Lexical Summary embateuó: To enter into, to invade, to set foot in Original Word: ἐμβατεύω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance intrude into. From en and a presumed derivative of the base of basis; equivalent to embaino; to intrude on (figuratively) -- intrude into. see GREEK en see GREEK basis see GREEK embaino NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originperhaps from embainó Definition to set foot upon NASB Translation taking...stand (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1687: ἐμβατεύωἐμβατεύω (see ἐν, III. 3); (ἐμβάτης stepping in, going in); to enter; 1. properly: πόλιν, Euripides, El. 595; πατρίδος, Sophocles O. T. 825; εἰς τό ὄρος, Josephus, Antiquities 2, 12, 1; to frequent, haunt, often of gods frequenting favorite spots, as νῆσον, Aeschylus Pers. 449; τῷ χωρίῳ, Dionysius Halicarnassus, Antiquities 1, 77; often to come into possession of a thing; thus εἰς ναῦν, Demosthenes, p. 894, 7 (6 Dindorf); τήν γῆν, Joshua 19:51 the Sept.; to invade, make a hostile incursion into, εἰς with accusative of place, 1 Macc. 12:25, etc. 2. tropically (cf. German eingehen); a. to go into details in narrating: absolutely 2 Macc. 2:30. b. to investigate, search into, scrutinize minutely: ταῖς ἐπιστημαις, Philo, plant. Noë § 19; ἅ μή ἑώρακε ἐμβατεύων, things which he has not seen, i. e. things denied to the sight (cf. 1 John 4:20), Colossians 2:18 — where, if with G L (in the small edition, but in the major edition it was reinserted, yet in brackets) T Tr WH Huther, Meyer, we expunge μή, we must render, going into curious and subtile speculation about things which he has seen in visions granted him; but cf. Baumg.-Crusius at the passage and Winer's Grammar, § 55, 3 e.; (also Reiche (critical commentary), Bleek, Hofm., others, defend the μή. But see Tdf. and WH. ad loc., and Lightfoots 'detached note'; cf. Buttmann, 349 (300). Some interpret (conceitedly) taking his stand on the things which etc.; see under 1); Phavorinus ἐμβατεῦσαι. ἐπιβῆναι τά ἔνδον ἐξερευνησαι ἤ σκοπησαι; (similarly Hesychius 2293, vol. ii., p. 73, Schmidt edition, cf. his note; further see references in Suidas, col. 1213 d.). Strong’s Greek 1687 appears once in the New Testament—Colossians 2:18—where Paul warns the Colossian believers against teachers who “inflate themselves without cause by their unspiritual mind” and “delight in false humility and the worship of angels.” The word paints a picture of a person stepping into spiritual territory that is neither assigned nor authorized, claiming privileged access to heavenly mysteries while bypassing the sufficiency of Christ. First-Century Context and the Colossian Heresy Colossae was a crossroads of Phrygian folk religion, Greek mystery cults, and Jewish ritualism. False teachers blended these elements into a system that prized ecstatic visions, angelic intermediaries, and ascetic disciplines. By employing ἐμβατεύω, Paul exposes such mystics as spiritual trespassers—people who swagger into the throne room on the basis of self-fabricated experiences rather than the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:9-10, 15). Old Testament Background In the Septuagint the verb often describes entering fortified cities or occupying land (for example, 1 Samuel 5:5; 2 Kings 19:24; 2 Maccabees 12:3). The nuance is one of intrusion or unauthorized advance. Paul borrows this military-sounding term to depict self-appointed gurus mounting an invasion of realms reserved for divine revelation, paralleling Old Testament warnings against visionaries who “follow their own spirit” (Ezekiel 13:3). Theological Significance 1. Supremacy of Christ. By branding the mystics’ approach as ἐμβατεύων, Paul underscores that Christ alone grants legitimate access to the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 10:19-22). Implications for Ministry Today • Discernment: Leaders must evaluate visions, prophecies, and “new revelations” by the canonical Scriptures (Acts 17:11). Related Biblical Themes and References Visions divorced from God’s Word: Jeremiah 23:16; Ezekiel 13:6-7 Angel worship opposed: Revelation 22:8-9 False humility unmasked: Matthew 6:1-5 Sound growth in Christ: Ephesians 4:15-16; 2 Peter 3:18 Warnings against ascetic legalism: 1 Timothy 4:1-5 Summary ἐμβατεύω highlights the danger of spiritual trespass—entering realms of supposed revelation without divine sanction. Paul’s lone employment of the term in Colossians 2:18 challenges every generation to prize Christ’s all-sufficiency, submit to the authority of Scripture, and guard the flock from teachings that promise deeper knowledge while leading souls away from the Head. |
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