Κολοσσαί G2857
Colossae, city in Phrygia where Paul's letter was addressed
This Phrygian city in the Lycus valley received one of Paul's prison epistles. Though once prominent, by the first century Colossae was overshadowed by nearby Laodicea and Hierapolis. The church there apparently began through Epaphras rather than Paul's direct ministry. The city's name appears only in the letter's address (Colossians 1:2). Archaeological evidence remains limited, as the site was never extensively excavated.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The dative plural form addresses 'the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae.' Paul writes to a congregation he had not personally visited, combating an early Christological heresy. The multilingual witnesses preserve the Greek name with slight variations reflecting each language's phonetic conventions. The city's subsequent decline and destruction mean Christian tradition focuses on the letter rather than the location. 1×
AR["كولوسّي"]·ben["কলসীয়"]·DE["Kolossae"]·EN["Kolossai"]·FR["Κολοσσαῖς"]·heb["קוֹלוֹסַי"]·HI["कोलोस्सै"]·ID["Kolose"]·IT["kolossais"]·jav["Kolosé"]·KO["골로새"]·PT["Colossos"]·RU["Колоссах"]·ES["Kolossaîs"]·SW["Kolosai"]·TR["Kolose'de"]·urd["کلسیوں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
Κολοσσαί (so in cl.; -ασσαί, Rec., LTr.), -ῶν, αἰ Colossæ, a city on the Lycus in Phrygia: Col.1:2.† (From Abbott-Smith. LSJ has no entry)