The Greek noun entalma refers to a commandment, precept, or injunction — specifically used in the New Testament for human-made religious rules and traditions that have been elevated to the status of divine commands.
Entalma carries a critical edge in its New Testament usage. Matthew 15:9 (= Mark 7:7) quotes Isaiah 29:13: 'They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules (entalma).' Jesus deploys this word against the Pharisees who have made human traditions equal to God's commands. Colossians 2:22 uses entalma similarly: the ascetic rules ('do not handle, do not taste, do not touch') are 'based on merely human commands and teachings (entalma).' The distinction being drawn is crucial: God's genuine commands lead to life; human-manufactured religious rules lead to a form of godliness that lacks power. Entalma warns against the perennial religious temptation to replace divine freedom with human control systems dressed in theological language.