God’s Word Translation
Colossians 3:11
11Where this happens, there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, uncivilized person, slave, or free person. Instead, Christ is everything and in everything.
Colossians 3:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
- New International Version (NIV)Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
- New King James Version (NKJV)where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Context of Colossians 3:11
9Don’t lie to each other. You’ve gotten rid of the person you used to be and the life you used to live, 10and you’ve become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like its Creator. Where this happens, there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, uncivilized person, slave, or free person. Instead, Christ is everything and in everything. 12As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13Put up with each other, and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Read all of Colossians 3Colossians 3:11 word by word
ὅπου οὐκ ἔνι Ἕλλην καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, περιτομὴ καὶ ἀκροβυστία, βάρβαρος, Σκύθης, δοῦλος, ἐλεύθερος, ἀλλὰ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν Χριστός.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Whereὅπουhopou · where(-ever)G3699
- there isἔνιeni · there isG1762
- neitherοὐou · noG3756
- GreekἝλλην=ἝλληνHellēn · Greek, GentileG1672
- norκαίkai · andG2532
- JewἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
- circumcisionπεριτομήperitomē · circumcisionG4061
- uncircumcisionἀκροβυστίαakrobustia · uncircumcisionG203
- Barbarianβάρβαροςbarbaros · barbarianG915
- ScythianΣκύθηςSkuthēs · ScythianG4658
- bondδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- freeἐλεύθεροςeleutheros · free/freedomG1658
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
Cross-references for Colossians 3:11
- Psalms 117:2His mercy toward us is powerful. The Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!
- Isaiah 19:23When that day comes, a highway will run from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will come to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.
- Isaiah 49:6Now, the Lord says, “You are not just my servant who restores the tribes of Jacob and brings back those in Israel whom I have preserved. I have also made you a light for the nations so that you would save people all over the world.”
- Isaiah 52:10The Lord will show his holy power to all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
- Isaiah 66:18Because of their actions and their thoughts, I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They will come and see my glory.
- Jeremiah 16:19The Lord is my strength and my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Nations come to you from the most distant parts of the world and say, “Our ancestors have inherited lies, worthless and unprofitable gods.”
- Hosea 2:23I will plant my people in the land. Those who are not loved I will call my loved ones. Those who are not my people I will call my people. Then they will say, ‘You are our God!’ ”
- Amos 9:12They will capture the few survivors of Edom and all the other nations that were under my authority, declares the Lord, who will do these things.
- Micah 4:2Then many nations will come and say, “Let’s go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them.” The teachings will go out from Zion. The Lord’s word will go out from Jerusalem.
- Zechariah 2:11On that day many nations will join the Lord and become my people. I will live among you. Then you will know that the Lord of Armies has sent me to you.
- Zechariah 8:20This is what the Lord of Armies says: People and citizens from many cities are going to come.
- Malachi 1:11“From the nations where the sun rises to the nations where the sun sets, my name will be great. Incense and pure offerings will be offered everywhere in my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of Armies.
- Matthew 12:18“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, whom I love, and in whom I delight. I will put my Spirit on him, and he will announce justice to the nations.
- Acts 10:34Then Peter said, “Now I understand that God doesn’t play favorites.
- Acts 13:46Paul and Barnabas told them boldly, “We had to speak God’s word to you first. Since you reject the word and consider yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, we are now going to turn to people of other nations.
- Acts 15:17so that the survivors and all the people who aren’t Jewish over whom my name is spoken, may search for the Lord, declares the Lord.
Commentaries on Colossians 3:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew - In which new creation no inquiry is made what nation the persons belonged to, or from what ancestry they had sprung, whether in Judea or Greece. Circumcision nor uncircumcision - Nor is their peculiar form of religion of any consideration, whether circumcised like the Jews, or uncircumcised like the heathens. Barbarian, Scythian - Nor whether of the more or less tractable of the nations of the world; for although…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew - See this fully explained in the notes at Galatians 3:28. The meaning here is, that all are on a level; that there is no distinction of nation in the church; that all are to be regarded and treated as brethren, and that therefore no one should be false to another, or lie to another. Circumcision nor uncircumcision - No one is admitted into that blessed society because he is circumcised; no one is excluded because he…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 It is our duty to mortify our members which incline to the things of the world. Mortify them, kill them, suppress them, as weeds or vermin which spread and destroy all about them. Continual opposition must be made to all corrupt workings, and no provision made for carnal indulgences. Occasions of sin must be avoided: the lusts of the flesh, and the love of the world; and covetousness, which is idolatry; love of present good, and of outward…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11barbarian, Scythian: The Greeks mocked people from other cultures for their inability to speak Greek well. They claimed those people could only say “bar bar” (which is where the word barbarian comes from). The Scythians were tribes on the north coast of the Black Sea, known for being fierce and crude (see Josephus, Against Apion 2.38). In the Christian faith, these kinds of differences between people groups do not matter. The Bible teaches that our…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Where--Translate, "Wherein," namely, in the sphere of the renewed man. neither ... nor ... nor ... nor--Translate as Greek, "There is no such thing as Greek and Jew (the difference of privilege between those born of the natural seed of Abraham and those not, is abolished), circumcision and uncircumcision (the difference of legal standing between the circumcised and uncircumcised is done away, Ga 6:15)--bondman, freeman." The present Church is one…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 3:11
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries