God’s Word Translation
Colossians 3:16
16Let Christ’s word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about ⌞God’s⌟ kindness. Sing to God in your hearts.
Colossians 3:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Context of Colossians 3:16
14Above all, be loving. This ties everything together perfectly. 15Also, let Christ’s peace control you. God has called you into this peace by bringing you into one body. Be thankful. Let Christ’s word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about ⌞God’s⌟ kindness. Sing to God in your hearts. 17Everything you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority. This is appropriate behavior for the Lord’s people.
Read all of Colossians 3Colossians 3:16 word by word
Ὁ λόγος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐνοικείτω ἐν ὑμῖν πλουσίως, ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ, διδάσκοντες καὶ νουθετοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ψαλμοῖς, ὕμνοις, ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς ἐν τῇ χάριτι ᾄδοντες ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν τῷ θεῷ·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Letἐνοικέωenoikeō · to dwell in/withG1774
- the wordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
- of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- youσύsu · youG4771
- richlyπλουσίωςplousiōs · richlyG4146
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
- teachingδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- admonishingνουθετέωnoutheteō · to admonishG3560
- one anotherἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- in psalmsψαλμόςpsalmos · psalmG5568
- hymnsὕμνοςhumnos · hymnG5215
- spiritualπνευματικόςpneumatikos · spiritualG4152
- songsᾠδήōdē · songG5603
- singingᾄδωadō · to singG103
- graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
- heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- to the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
Cross-references for Colossians 3:16
- John 5:39You study the Scriptures in detail because you think you have the source of eternal life in them. These Scriptures testify on my behalf.
- 2 Timothy 3:15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. They have the power to give you wisdom so that you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 4:12God’s word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God’s word judges a person’s thoughts and intentions.
- 1 Peter 1:11So they tried to find out what time or situation the Spirit of Christ kept referring to whenever he predicted Christ’s sufferings and the glory that would follow.
- Revelation 19:10I bowed at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Don’t do that! I am your coworker and a coworker of the Christians who hold on to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy!”
- Deuteronomy 6:6Take to heart these words that I give you today.
- Deuteronomy 11:18Take these words of mine to heart and keep them in mind. ⌞Write them down,⌟ tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder.
- Job 23:12I have not left his commands behind. I have treasured his words in my heart.
- Psalms 119:11I have treasured your promise in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
- Jeremiah 15:16Your words were found, and I devoured them. Your words are my joy and my heart’s delight, because I am called by your name, O Lord God of Armies.
- Luke 2:51Then he returned with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
- John 15:7If you live in me and what I say lives in you, then ask for anything you want, and it will be yours.
- 1 John 2:14I’ve written to you, children, because you know the Father. I’ve written to you, fathers, because you know Christ, who has existed from the beginning. I’ve written to you, young people, because you are strong and God’s word lives in you. You have won the victory over the evil one.
- 2 John 1:2We love you because of the truth which lives in us and will be with us forever.
- 1 Timothy 6:17Tell those who have the riches of this world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, they should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
- Colossians 1:9For this reason we have not stopped praying for you since the day we heard about you. We ask ⌞God⌟ to fill you with the knowledge of his will through every kind of spiritual wisdom and insight.
Commentaries on Colossians 3:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly - I believe the apostle means that the Colossians should be well instructed in the doctrine of Christ; that it should be their constant study; that it should be frequently preached, explained, and enforced among them; and that all the wisdom comprised in it should be well understood. Thus the doctrine of God would dwell richly, that is, abundantly, among them. But there appears to be here an allusion to the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Let the word of Christ - The doctrine of Christ. Dwell in you richly in all wisdom - Abundantly, producing the spirit of true wisdom. That doctrine is adapted to make you wise. The meaning is, that they were to lay up the doctrines of the gospel in their hearts, to meditate upon them; to allow them to be their guide, and to endearor wisely to improve them to the best purpose. Teaching and admonishing - See this explained in the notes at Ephesians…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. 16Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs are for praise and worship (see 1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:19). The book of Psalms serves as the original example.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. The form which "thankfulness" (Col 3:15) ought to take. Let the word of Christ--the Gospel word by which ye have been called. richly--(Col 2:2; Ro 15:14). in all wisdom--Alford joins this clause with "teaching," &c., not with "dwell in you," as English Version, for so we find in Col 1:28, "teaching in all wisdom," and the two clauses will thus correspond, "In all wisdom teaching," and "in grace singing in your hears" (so the Greek order). and…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 3:16
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
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