Colossians 2:11

Colossians 2:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
• New International Version (NIV)In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,
• English Standard Version (ESV)In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
• New King James Version (NKJV)In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

Context of Colossians 2:11

9For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of God]. 10And in Him you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power]. In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but by the [spiritual] circumcision of Christ in the stripping off of the body of the flesh [the sinful carnal nature], 12having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God, [as displayed] when He raised Christ from the dead. 13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (worldliness, manner of life), God made you alive together with Christ, having [freely] forgiven us all our sins,

Colossians 2:11 word by word

ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετμήθητε περιτομῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος τῆς σαρκός, ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• ye are circumcisedπεριτέμνωperitemnō · to circumciseG4059
• with the circumcisionπεριτομήperitomē · circumcisionG4061
• made without handsἀχειροποίητοςacheiropoiētos · not man-madeG886
• putting offὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• putting offἀπέκδυσιςapekdusis · removalG555
• the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
• of the sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• of the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Cross-references for Colossians 2:11

• Deuteronomy 10:16So circumcise [that is, remove sin from] your heart, and be stiff-necked (stubborn, obstinate) no longer.
• Deuteronomy 30:6“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants [that is, He will remove the desire to sin from your heart], so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live [as a recipient of His blessing].
• Jeremiah 4:4Circumcise (dedicate, sanctify) yourselves to the Lord And remove the foreskin [sins] of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire [consuming all that gets in its way] And burn and there will be no one to quench it, Because of the evil of your acts.”
• Romans 2:29But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and [true] circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by [the fulfillment of] the letter [of the Law]. His praise is not from men, but from God.
• Philippians 3:3for we [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose and] are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence [in what we have or who we are] in the flesh—
• Mark 14:58“We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple (sanctuary) that was made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”
• Acts 7:48However, the Most High [the One infinitely exalted above humanity] does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet [Isaiah] says,
• Acts 17:24The God who created the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;
• 2 Corinthians 5:1For we know that if the earthly tent [our physical body] which is our house is torn down [through death], we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
• Ephesians 2:11Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, who are called “Uncircumcision” by those who called themselves “Circumcision,” [itself a mere mark] which is made in the flesh by human hands—
• Hebrews 9:11But when Christ appeared as a High Priest of the good things to come [that is, true spiritual worship], He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not a part of this [material] creation.
• Colossians 3:8But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.
• Romans 6:6We know that our old self [our human nature without the Holy Spirit] was nailed to the cross with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.
• Ephesians 4:22that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires,
• Luke 2:21At the end of eight days, when He was to be circumcised, He was named Jesus, the name given [to Him] by the angel [Gabriel] before He was conceived in the womb.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].

Commentaries on Colossians 2:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11In whom also ye are circumcised - All that was designed by circumcision, literally performed, is accomplished in them that believe through the Spirit and power of Christ. It is not a cutting off of a part of the flesh, but a putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ; he having undergone and performed this, and all other rites necessary to qualify him to be a mediator between God and man; for, being made under the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11In whom - In connection with whom, or in virtue of whose religion. Ye are circumcised - You have received that which was designed to be represented by circumcision - the putting away of sin; Notes, Philemon 3:3. With the circumcision made without hands - That made in the heart by the renunciation of all sin. The Jewish teachers insisted on the necessity of the literal circumcision in order to salvation (compare Ephesians 2:11); and hence, this subject is…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-17Verses 8-17 There is a philosophy which rightly exercises our reasonable faculties; a study of the works of God, which leads us to the knowledge of God, and confirms our faith in him. But there is a philosophy which is vain and deceitful; and while it pleases men's fancies, hinders their faith: such are curious speculations about things above us, or no concern to us. Those who walk in the way of the world, are turned from following Christ. We have in Him…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11the circumcision performed by Christ: Spiritual conversion to Christ is equivalent to physical circumcision to the body. the putting off of your sinful nature (literally the cutting away of the body of the flesh): Just as Jewish boys have their foreskin removed to join the people of God, believers have their metaphorical flesh (translated sinful nature) removed when they become Christians.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Implying that they did not need, as the Judaizers taught, the outward rite of circumcision, since they had already the inward spiritual reality of it. are--rather, as the Greek, "Ye were (once for all) circumcised (spiritually, at your conversion and baptism, Ro 2:28, 29; Php 3:3) with a (so the Greek) circumcision made without hands"; opposed to "the circumcision in the flesh made by hands" (Ep 2:11). Christ's own body, by which the believer is…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 2:11

• Circumcision
• Perfection
• Regeneration
• Sanctification

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Circumcision
• Complete
• Conflict
• Subject
• Treasure
• Trespass
• Apostolic Age
• Astrology

Commentaries on Colossians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings