Nymphas or Nympha

There is a verse in Colossians Chapter 4 verse 15 that causes some debate.
"Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house". (King James Version)
Paul writing from Rome to a group of believers in Colossae gives greetings to the brethren at Laodicea “and to Nymphas or Nympha and the church in “his or her” house.
The debate arises from the different translations of the name “Nymphas or Nympha”.

The translations that refer to “ her house”
New International Version: Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
New Living Translation: Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
English Standard Version: Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
Berean Study Bible: Greet the brothers in Laodicea, as well as Nympha and the church that meets at her house.
Berean Literal Bible: Greet the brothers in Laodicea, and also Nympha and the church in her house.
New American Standard Bible 
Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.
Holman Christian Standard Bible: Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her home.
International Standard Version: Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that is in her house.
NET Bible: Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters who are in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house
New Heart English Bible: Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that is in her house.
GOD'S WORD® Translation: Greet our brothers and sisters in Laodicea, especially Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
New American Standard 1977 ; Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

The Translations that render it “ his house”

Jubilee Bible 2000: Salute the brethren who are in Laodicea and Nymphas and the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} which is in his house.
King James 2000 Bible: Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
American King James Version: Salute the brothers which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
Douay-Rheims Bible: Salute the brethren who are at Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is in his house. 
Darby Bible Translation: Salute the brethren in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the assembly which [is] in his house.
Webster's Bible Translation: Salute the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
World English Bible: Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the assembly that is in his house.
Young's Literal Translation: salute ye those in Laodicea -- brethren, and Nymphas, and the assembly in his house;

There are a few that render the verse “their house”.
American Standard Version: Salute the brethren that are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is in their house.
English Revised Version: Salute the brethren that are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that is in their house.
Weymouth New Testament: Christian greetings to the brethren at Laodicea, especially to Nymphas, and to the Church that meets at their house.

If we look at the original Greek word in Strong’s Concordance, the word is G3564

3564. Numpha

Numpha: Nympha, a Christian of Laodicea

Original Word: Νυμφᾶς, ᾶ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Numpha
Phonetic Spelling: (noom-fas')
Short Definition: Nymphas
Definition: Nymphas, a proper name.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Nymphas meaning nymph. A man or a woman, depending on accenting of the Greek text, in the New Testament saluted by Paul of Tarsus in his Epistle to the Colossians as a member of the church of Laodicea (Colossians 4:15). Possibly a contraction of Nymphodorus.

The oldest and best manuscripts we have differ and whether translators go with the masculine or the feminine mostly comes down to taste. The KJV, Darby and Young spoke of Nymphas and his house. The NAS and NIV go with Nympha and her house.
But whether Paul meant to greet a man or a woman, neither the name Nympha nor Nymphas occurs in antiquity. There are scores of folks named Nymphaeus, Nymphodorus and Nymphius (names formed from the joyful wedding procedure at large), but nobody at any time was named Bride or Bridegroom.
The name Nympha would be the common word for bride and the name Nymphas would be the common word for bridegroom:

In Greek the feminine noun νυμφη (numphe), meaning bride, and the masculine noun νυμφιος (numphios), meaning bridegroom and in Latin it's nupto, hence our English adjective "nuptial". Our English word "nymph" is a direct transliteration of our Greek word for bride.

The feminine noun νυμφη (numphe), meaning bride, occurs 8 times in the New Testament;. In MATTHEW 10:35 and LUKE 12:53 it's used in the sense of daughter-in-law.
Four times in Revelation our word denotes the people of God. The masculine noun νυμφιος (numphios), meaning bridegroom, occurs 16 times.

The Bible also uses the noun νυμφων (numphon), meaning bridal chamber; the designated room of the house in which the marriage was to be consummated. This word occurs in the phrase "sons of the numphon", which refers to attendants of the groom. Jesus refers to His disciples as his "sons of the numphon" (MATTHEW 9:15, MARK 2:19 and LUKE 5:34 only). The bride also had her attendants, but they are not mentioned in the New Testament.

The truth of the matter is that Paul knew who he was referring to, as did the believers at Colossae.

If someone were writing a letter today to the church at Bryn, they could write the letter like this.
Give my greetings to Robert, also to Brenda and the group that meets in Jesse’s house.
In fifty years time, someone reading this letter would not be able to determine who Jesse was.
Whether it were a man or a woman. The believers at Bryn would know at the time of writing.

 

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