Christian Standard Bible
Colossians 2:19
19He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.
Colossians 2:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
- New International Version (NIV)They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
Context of Colossians 2:19
17These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ. 18Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God. 20If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21“Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”?
Read all of Colossians 2Colossians 2:19 word by word
καὶ οὐ κρατῶν τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα διὰ τῶν ἁφῶν καὶ συνδέσμων ἐπιχορηγούμενον καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον αὔξει τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ θεοῦ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- notοὐou · noG3756
- holdingκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
- the Headὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the Headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
- fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- jointsἁφήhaphē · jointG860
- bandsσύνδεσμοςsundesmos · bond(age)G4886
- having nourishment ministeredἐπιχορηγέωepichorēgeō · to supplyG2023
- knit togetherσυμβιβάζωsumbibazō · to join withG4822
- increaseth withαὐξάνωauxanō · to growG837
- the increaseαὔξησιςauxēsis · growthG838
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for Colossians 2:19
- Colossians 2:6So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him,
- Colossians 1:18He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
- Galatians 1:6I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel —
- Galatians 5:2Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all.
- 1 Timothy 2:4who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- Ephesians 4:15But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head — Christ.
- Job 19:9He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head.
- Psalms 139:15My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
- John 15:4Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.
- Romans 11:17Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree,
- Ephesians 5:29For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church,
- Colossians 2:2I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery — Christ.
- John 17:21May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me.
- Acts 4:32Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.
- Romans 12:4Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function,
- 1 Corinthians 1:10Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.
Commentaries on Colossians 2:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19And not holding the Head - Not acknowledging Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind, and the only Head or chief of the Christian Church, on whom every member of it depends, and from whom each derives both light and life. For a farther explanation of these words see the notes on Ephesians 4:16, where the figures and phraseology are the same.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19And not holding the Head - Not holding the true doctrine respecting the Great Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ; Notes, Ephesians 1:22. This is regarded here as essential to the maintenance of all the other doctrines of religion. He who has just views of the Redeemer will not be in much danger of erring respecting the other points of religious belief. From which all the body - This passage is almost word for word the same as in Ephesians…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 It looked like humility to apply to angels, as if men were conscious of their unworthiness to speak directly to God. But it is not warrantable; it is taking that honour which is due to Christ only, and giving it to a creature. There really was pride in this seeming humility. Those who worship angels, disclaim Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man. It is an insult to Christ, who is the Head of the church, to use any intercessors…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-23Paul rejects the false teachers and their demands, explaining that their ideas come from human teachings (see 2:8). They advocated various rules of conduct that had no basis in Christ.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Translate, "Not holding fast the Head." He who does not hold Christ solely and supremely above all others, does not hold Him at all [Bengel]. The want of firm holding of Christ has set him loose to (pry into, and so) "tread haughtily on (pride himself on) things which he hath seen." Each must hold fast the Head for himself, not merely be attached to the other members, however high in the body [Alford]. from which--rather, "from whom." the body--that…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 2:19
In the dictionaries
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
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