New English Translation
Colossians 2:19
19He has not held fast to the head from whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.
Colossians 2:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
- New International Version (NIV)They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
- English Standard Version (ESV)and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
Context of Colossians 2:19
17these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ! 18Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind. He has not held fast to the head from whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. 20If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world? 21“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”
Read all of Colossians 2Colossians 2:19 word by word
καὶ οὐ κρατῶν τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐξ οὗ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα διὰ τῶν ἁφῶν καὶ συνδέσμων ἐπιχορηγούμενον καὶ συμβιβαζόμενον αὔξει τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ θεοῦ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- notοὐou · noG3756
- holdingκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
- the Headὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the Headκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
- fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- the bodyσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- jointsἁφήhaphē · jointG860
- bandsσύνδεσμοςsundesmos · bond(age)G4886
- having nourishment ministeredἐπιχορηγέωepichorēgeō · to supplyG2023
- knit togetherσυμβιβάζωsumbibazō · to join withG4822
- increaseth withαὐξάνωauxanō · to growG837
- the increaseαὔξησιςauxēsis · growthG838
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for Colossians 2:19
- Colossians 2:6Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
- Colossians 1:18He 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.
- Galatians 1:6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel –
- Galatians 5:2Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all!
- 1 Timothy 2:4since he wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
- Ephesians 4:15But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head.
- Job 19:9He has stripped me of my honor and has taken the crown off my head.
- Psalms 139:15my bones were not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and sewed together in the depths of the earth.
- John 15:4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
- Romans 11:17Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root,
- Ephesians 5:29For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church,
- Colossians 2:2My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
- John 17:21that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me.
- Acts 4:32The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common.
- Romans 12:4For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function,
- 1 Corinthians 1:10I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree together, to end your divisions, and to be united by the same mind and purpose.
Commentaries on Colossians 2:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19And not holding the Head - Not acknowledging Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind, and the only Head or chief of the Christian Church, on whom every member of it depends, and from whom each derives both light and life. For a farther explanation of these words see the notes on Ephesians 4:16, where the figures and phraseology are the same.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19And not holding the Head - Not holding the true doctrine respecting the Great Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ; Notes, Ephesians 1:22. This is regarded here as essential to the maintenance of all the other doctrines of religion. He who has just views of the Redeemer will not be in much danger of erring respecting the other points of religious belief. From which all the body - This passage is almost word for word the same as in Ephesians…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 It looked like humility to apply to angels, as if men were conscious of their unworthiness to speak directly to God. But it is not warrantable; it is taking that honour which is due to Christ only, and giving it to a creature. There really was pride in this seeming humility. Those who worship angels, disclaim Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man. It is an insult to Christ, who is the Head of the church, to use any intercessors…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-23Paul rejects the false teachers and their demands, explaining that their ideas come from human teachings (see 2:8). They advocated various rules of conduct that had no basis in Christ.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Translate, "Not holding fast the Head." He who does not hold Christ solely and supremely above all others, does not hold Him at all [Bengel]. The want of firm holding of Christ has set him loose to (pry into, and so) "tread haughtily on (pride himself on) things which he hath seen." Each must hold fast the Head for himself, not merely be attached to the other members, however high in the body [Alford]. from which--rather, "from whom." the body--that…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 2:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Colossians 2
- 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
- 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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