Bible Dictionaries
Spoil, Spoiling

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

used in the plural, denotes "arms stripped from a foe;" "spoils" in Luke 11:22 .

primarily "the top of a heap" (akros, "highest, top," and this, "a heap"), hence "firstfruit offerings," and in war "the choicest spoils," Hebrews 7:4 .

"pillage," is rendered "spoiling" in Hebrews 10:34 . See EXTORT , B, No. 1.

"to plunder," is found in Matthew 12:29,2 nd part (the 1st has harpazo, in the best texts), lit., "(then) he will completely (dia, intensive) spoil (his house);" Mark 3:27 (twice).

"to seize, snatch away," is rendered "spoil" in Matthew 12:29 (see No. 1). See CATCH , No. 1.

"to carry off as spoil, lead captive" (sule, "spoil," ago, "to lead"), is rendered "maketh spoil of" in Colossians 2:8 , RV (AV, "spoil"), rather "carry you off as spoil." The false teacher, through his "philosophy and vain deceit," would carry them off as so much booty.

in the Middle Voice is translated "having spoiled" in Colossians 2:15 , AV, RV, "having put off from Himself (the principalities and the powers)." These are regarded by some as the unsinning angels, because they are mentioned twice before in the Epistle (Colossians 1:6; 2:10 ). It is also argued that the verb apekduo, rendered "having put off from Himself," in Colossians 2:15 , is used in a somewhat different sense in Colossians 3:9 . Such representations do not form a sufficiently cogent reason for regarding the principalities and the powers here mentioned as those of light, rather than those of darkness.

Others think that the reference is to the holy angels, which were in attendance at the giving of the Law (Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19 ), and that Christ wrought His work on the cross, without any such attendance; or, again, that, even apart from the Law and its circumstances, the Lord stripped Himself of those who usually ministered to Him, as, e.g., in the wilderness and in the garden of Gethsemane.

The exposition given by Lightfoot and others seems to be the right one. There is no doubt that Satan and his hosts gathered together to attack the soul of Christ, while He was enduring, in propitiatory sacrifice, the judgment due to our sins, and fulfilling the great work of redemption. There is an intimation of this in Psalm 22:21 , "Save Me from the lion's mouth; yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen" (cp. Psalm 22:12,13 ). Doubtless the powers of darkness gathered against the Lord at that time, fiercely assaulting Him to the utmost of their power. He Himself had said, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Luke 22:53 ). The metaphor of putting off from Himself these powers need not be pressed to the extent of regarding them as a garment clinging about Him. It seems to stand simply as a vivid description of His repulsion of their attack and of the power by which He completely overthrew them.