God’s Word Translation
Colossians 3:20
20Children, always obey your parents. This is pleasing to the Lord.
Colossians 3:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
Context of Colossians 3:20
18Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority. This is appropriate behavior for the Lord’s people. 19Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be harsh with them. Children, always obey your parents. This is pleasing to the Lord. 21Fathers, don’t make your children resentful, or they will become discouraged. 22Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master.
Read all of Colossians 3Colossians 3:20 word by word
Τὰ τέκνα, ὑπακούετε τοῖς γονεῦσιν κατὰ πάντα· τοῦτο γὰρ εὐάρεστόν ἐστιν ἐν κυρίῳ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Childrenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
- obeyὑπακούωhupakouō · to obeyG5219
- parentsγονεύςgoneus · parentG1118
- inκατάkata · according toG2596
- all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- well pleasingεὐάρεστοςeuarestos · well-pleasingG2101
- unto the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
Cross-references for Colossians 3:20
- Genesis 28:7He also learned that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had left for Paddan Aram.
- Exodus 20:12“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live for a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
- Leviticus 19:3“Respect your mother and father. Observe my days of rest as holy days. I am the Lord your God.
- Deuteronomy 21:18Parents might have a stubborn and rebellious son who doesn’t obey them. Even though they punish him, he still won’t listen to them.
- Deuteronomy 27:16“Whoever curses his father or mother will himself be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
- Proverbs 6:20My son, obey the command of your father, and do not disregard the teachings of your mother.
- Proverbs 20:20The lamp of the person who curses his father and mother will be snuffed out in total darkness.
- Proverbs 30:11A certain kind of person curses his father and does not bless his mother.
- Ezekiel 22:7People in you hate their fathers and mothers. They oppress foreigners in you. They oppress orphans and widows in you.
- Malachi 1:6“This is what the Lord of Armies says: A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is my respect? You priests despise my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’
- Matthew 15:4For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’
- Matthew 19:19Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
- Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents because you are Christians. This is the right thing to do.
- Colossians 3:22Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master.
- Ephesians 5:24As the church is under Christ’s authority, so wives are under their husbands’ authority in everything.
- Colossians 1:10We ask this so that you will live the kind of lives that prove you belong to the Lord. Then you will want to please him in every way as you grow in producing every kind of good work by this knowledge about God.
Commentaries on Colossians 3:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Children, obey - in all things - That is, in the Lord - in every thing that your parents command you, which is not contrary to the will or word of God.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Children, obey your parents - Notes, Ephesians 6:1-4.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. 18-25This series of teachings is called a household code. Paul instructs wives (3:18), husbands (3:19), children (3:20), fathers (3:21), slaves (3:22–25), and masters (4:1). Similar codes are found in Greco-Roman writings and other parts of the New Testament (see Ephesians 5:22–6:9; 1 Peter 2:18–3:7).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. (Ep 6:1.) unto the Lord--The oldest manuscripts read, "IN the Lord," that is, this is acceptable to God when it is done in the Lord, namely, from the principle of faith, and as disciples in union with the Lord.Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 3:20
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
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