New English Translation
Colossians 1:17
17He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.
Colossians 1:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
- New International Version (NIV)He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Context of Colossians 1:17
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. 18He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son
Read all of Colossians 1Colossians 1:17 word by word
καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν πρὸ πάντων, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκεν,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Colossians 1:17
- Colossians 1:15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,
- Proverbs 8:22The Lord created me as the beginning of his works, before his deeds of long ago.
- Isaiah 43:11I, I am the Lord, and there is no deliverer besides me.
- Isaiah 44:6This is what the Lord, Israel’s king, says, their protector, the Lord who commands armies: “I am the first and I am the last, there is no God but me.
- Micah 5:2(5:1) As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah – from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past.
- John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God.
- John 8:58Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!”
- John 17:5And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created.
- 1 Corinthians 8:6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we live, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we live.
- Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!
- Revelation 1:8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God – the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the All-Powerful!
- Revelation 2:8“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but came to life:
- 1 Samuel 2:8He lifts the weak from the dust; he raises the poor from the ash heap to seat them with princes and to bestow on them an honored position. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the world on them.
- Psalms 75:3When the earth and all its inhabitants dissolve in fear, I make its pillars secure.” (Selah)
- John 5:17So he told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.”
- Acts 17:28For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’
Commentaries on Colossians 1:17
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17And he is before all things - As he must be, if he created all things. Those who regard this as referring to a moral creation, interpret it as meaning that he has the pre-eminence over all things; not as referring to his pre-existence. But the fair and proper meaning of the word “before” ( ̀ pro) is, that he was before all things in the order of existence; compare Matthew 8:29; John 11:55; John 13:1; Acts 5:36; Acts 21:38; 2 Corinthians 12:2. It is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 Christ in his human nature, is the visible discovery of the invisible God, and he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father. Let us adore these mysteries in humble faith, and behold the glory of the Lord in Christ Jesus. He was born or begotten before all the creation, before any creature was made; which is the Scripture way of representing eternity, and by which the eternity of God is represented to us. All things being created by Him, were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-20Paul describes Jesus as the ultimate creator and redeemer (1:15–17; 1:18–20). Three main things suggest these verses quote an early Christian hymn about Jesus: These verses are brief statements. These verses have contain high praise and special honor for Christ (he is exalted). These verses use similar language and ideas. Paul applied this hymn to the situation of the church in Colossae.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. (Joh 8:58.) Translate as Greek, "And He Himself (the great He) is (implying divine essential being) before all things," in time, as well as in dignity. Since He is before all things, He is before even time, that is, from eternity. Compare "the first-born of every creature" (Col 1:15). by him--Greek, "IN Him" (as the conditional element of existence, Col 1:16) [Alford]. consist--"subsist." Not only are called into being from nothing, but are maintained…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 1:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Colossians 1
- 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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries