Colossians 3:12

Colossians 3:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

Context of Colossians 3:12

10Now you have received a new nature. It is God who made it for you so that you can become more and more like him. You will learn to know him better and better. 11People have this new nature only because they belong to Christ. That is the important thing. Jews are not different from Gentiles. It does not matter whether someone has circumcised you or not. It does not matter which country you come from or how clever you are. It does not matter whether you are a slave or a free person. Christ is all that matters. He lives in every believer. God has chosen you to be his own special people. You belong to him and he loves you very much. So this is how you should live: Be kind to other people and help them. Do not think that you are better than other people. Instead, respect them and be patient with them. 13Do not become angry with each other. If you think that someone has done something wrong against you, forgive them. Remember that the Lord has forgiven you. So you should also forgive other people. 14And you must also love each other. That is the most important thing that you should do. Love holds all these good things completely together.

Colossians 3:12 word by word

Ἐνδύσασθε οὖν, ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιοι καὶ ἠγαπημένοι, σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ, χρηστότητα, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πραΰτητα, μακροθυμίαν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Put onἐνδύωenduō · to put onG1746
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• the electἐκλεκτόςeklektos · selectG1588
• of Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• belovedἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• bowelsσπλάγχνονsplagchnon · affection/entrailsG4698
• of merciesοἰκτιρμόςoiktirmos · compassionG3628
• kindnessχρηστότηςchrēstotēs · kindnessG5544
• humbleness of mindταπεινοφροσύνηtapeinophrosunē · humilityG5012
• meeknessπραΰτηςprautēs · gentlenessG4240
• longsufferingμακροθυμίαmakrothumia · patienceG3115

Cross-references for Colossians 3:12

• Colossians 3:10Now you have received a new nature. It is God who made it for you so that you can become more and more like him. You will learn to know him better and better.
• Ephesians 4:24Take up the new nature that God has prepared for you. That nature is like God's own nature. Then you will live in a truly good way that pleases God.
• Isaiah 42:1‘Here is my servant. I give him strength. I have chosen him. He makes me very happy. I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
• Isaiah 45:4I have called you on behalf of my people, to help my servant, Jacob's descendants. They are Israel's people, that I have chosen for myself. You do not know me as your God, but I have given to you an important name.
• Isaiah 65:9I will cause Jacob's family to have descendants. There will be people of Judah's family who will live on my mountains. The land will belong to the people that I have chosen. My servants will live there.
• Matthew 24:22God will cause those days of great trouble to be not so many. If he did not do that, there would be nobody still alive. But God will cause those days to come to an end. He will do that to help the people that he has chosen.
• Mark 13:20The Lord God will cause those days of very bad trouble to come to an end. If he did not do that, there would be nobody still alive. But God will cause those days to be not too many. He will do that to help the people that he has chosen.
• Luke 18:7But as for God, he always helps those that he has chosen to be his children. When they continue to ask him for help, in the day and in the night, he will answer them. He will not wait.
• Romans 8:29God already had those people in his thoughts from the beginning. He decided that they should become like his Son. So then, his Son would have many younger brothers and sisters.
• Romans 9:11And God spoke to Rebekah before her sons were born. God spoke before the boys had done anything either good or bad. God did this to show clearly that he himself was choosing one child. He was not choosing someone because of what that person had done. He himself decided who he would choose.
• Romans 11:5It is the same at this time too. There is a small number of Israel's people that God has chosen to trust him. He has chosen them because he is very kind.
• 2 Timothy 2:10So I continue to be patient and brave during all these troubles. I do that so that I can help the people that God has chosen to belong to him. I want God to save them too, because of what Christ Jesus has done for them. As a result, they will live with God for ever, in the beautiful place where he lives.
• 1 Peter 1:2God, the Father, already decided that you should be his people. God's Spirit has made you special people who would obey Jesus Christ. God chose you so that Jesus Christ's blood would make you really clean. I pray that God will help you and give you peace in your minds more and more.
• 2 Peter 1:10So, my friends, try very much to live in a way that pleases God. God has chosen you to be his own people. Show that you really do belong to him! If you do these things, you will never turn away from God.
• 2 John 1:13The believers here say ‘hello’ to you. They are the children of your sister that God has chosen.
• Revelation 17:14Together they will fight a war against the Lamb. But the Lamb will win against them. He is the Lord above all lords. He is the King who rules over all kings. And God's people will be with him. They are the people that the Lamb has chosen to belong to him. They are the people who have continued to trust him.’

Commentaries on Colossians 3:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Put on - as the elect of God - As the principal design of the apostle was to show that God had chosen the Gentiles, and called them to the same privileges as the Jews, and intended to make them as truly his people as the Jews ever were, he calls them the elect or chosen of God; and as the Jews, who were formerly the elect, were still beloved, and called to be holy, so he calls the Colossians beloved, and shows them that they are called with the same holy…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Put on, therefore, as the elect of God - The fact that you thus belong to one and the same church; that you have been redeemed by the sameblood, and chosen by the same grace, and that you are all brethren, should lead you to manifest a spirit of kindness, gentleness, and love. Bowels of mercies - Notes, Philemon 2:1. Kindness … - See the notes at Ephesians 4:32. The language here is a little different from what it is there, but the sentiment is the same.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 We must not only do no hurt to any, but do what good we can to all. Those who are the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to be lowly and compassionate towards all. While in this world, where there is so much corruption in our hearts, quarrels will sometimes arise. But it is our duty to forgive one another, imitating the forgiveness through which we are saved. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; it is of his working in all who are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-17Paul explains the new life of those who have been raised with Christ (3:1). Their good qualities and actions contribute to the peace and strength of the Christian community.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. the elect of God--There is no "the" in the Greek, "God's elect" (compare Ro 8:3; 1Th 1:4). The order of the words "elect, holy, beloved," answers to the order of the things. Election from eternity precedes sanctification in time; the sanctified, feeling God's love, imitate it [Bengel]. bowels of mercies--Some of the oldest manuscripts read singular, "mercy." Bowels express the yearning compassion, which has its seat in the heart, and which we feel to…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 3:12

• Bowels
• Catholicity
• Character
• Commandments
• God Continued...
• Holiness
• Humility
• Kindness
• Longsuffering
• Love
• Meekness
• Mercy
• Patience
• Predestination
• Righteousness
• Works

In the dictionaries

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