Colossians 3:22

Colossians 3:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
• New International Version (NIV)Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.

Context of Colossians 3:22

20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men, 24because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:22 word by word

Οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε κατὰ πάντα τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα κυρίοις, μὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοδουλίᾳ ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἁπλότητι καρδίας φοβούμενοι τὸν κύριον.Read the interlinear

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Slavesδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• obeyὑπακούωhupakouō · to obeyG5219
• earthlyκατάkata · according toG2596
• earthlyσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• mastersκύριοςkurios · lord: masterG2962
• everythingπᾶςpas · allG3956
• notμήmē · notG3361
• to please themὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• to please themἀνθρωπάρεσκοςanthrōpareskos · people-pleaserG441
• while they are watchingἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• while they are watchingὀφθαλμοδουλείαophthalmodouleia · eye-serviceG3787
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• sincerityἁπλότηςhaplotēs · opennessG572
• of heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• fearφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
• Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962

Cross-references for Colossians 3:22

• Colossians 3:20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
• Psalms 123:2As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.
• Malachi 1:6“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
• Matthew 8:9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”
• Luke 6:46Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?
• Luke 7:8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”
• Ephesians 6:5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
• 1 Timothy 6:1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited.
• Philemon 1:16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.
• 1 Peter 2:18Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.
• Galatians 1:10Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:4Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.
• Matthew 6:22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
• Acts 2:46With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart,
• Genesis 42:18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
• Nehemiah 5:9So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?

Commentaries on Colossians 3:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Servants, obey - See on Ephesians 6:5-8; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22-25Verses 22-25 Servants, obey in all things … - ; see the notes at Ephesians 6:5-8.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 18-25 The epistles most taken up in displaying the glory of the Divine grace, and magnifying the Lord Jesus, are the most particular in pressing the duties of the Christian life. We must never separate the privileges and duties of the gospel. Submission is the duty of wives. But it is submission, not to a severe lord or stern tyrant, but to her own husband, who is engaged to affectionate duty. And husbands must love their wives with tender and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-24Slaves have masters on earth they must obey. Slavery was central to life and the economy in the ancient world. The New Testament does not directly oppose slavery. Yet, Christian faith creates relationships that change the nature of the social structure (see Philemon 1:15–16). It is the Lord Christ you are serving: All Christians, whether slave or free, serve a higher Master. His will is most important.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. (Ep 6:5, 6.) This is to fear God, when, though none sees us, we do no evil: but if we do evil, it is not God, but men, whom we fear. singleness--"simplicity of heart." fearing God--The oldest manuscripts read, "the Lord."Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 3:22

• Fear of God
• Heart
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Admonish
• Bond
• Charity
• Covetousness
• Discourage
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Eye
• Fit

Commentaries on Colossians 3

• 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
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• 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