Colossians 3:22

Colossians 3:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
• New International Version (NIV)Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.

Context of Colossians 3:22

20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. 23Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, 24because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:22 word by word

Οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε κατὰ πάντα τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα κυρίοις, μὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοδουλίᾳ ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἁπλότητι καρδίας φοβούμενοι τὸν κύριον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• obeyὑπακούωhupakouō · to obeyG5219
• inκατάkata · according toG2596
• all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• mastersκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• notμήmē · notG3361
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• eyeserviceὀφθαλμοδουλείαophthalmodouleia · eye-serviceG3787
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• menpleasersἀνθρωπάρεσκοςanthrōpareskos · people-pleaserG441
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• singlenessἁπλότηςhaplotēs · opennessG572
• of heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• fearingφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Colossians 3:22

• Colossians 3:20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord.
• Psalms 123:2Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
• Malachi 1:6“A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The Lord who rules over all asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply, ‘How have we made light of your name?’
• Matthew 8:9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes, and to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my slave ‘Do this’ and he does it.”
• Luke 6:46“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you?
• Luke 7:8For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
• Ephesians 6:5Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ,
• 1 Timothy 6:1Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited.
• Philemon 1:16no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a dear brother. He is especially so to me, and even more so to you now, both humanly speaking and in the Lord.
• 1 Peter 2:18Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse.
• Galatians 1:10Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!
• 1 Thessalonians 2:4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.
• Matthew 6:22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
• Acts 2:46Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts,
• Genesis 42:18On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say and you will live, for I fear God.
• Nehemiah 5:9Then I said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! Should you not conduct yourselves in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?

Commentaries on Colossians 3:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Servants, obey - See on Ephesians 6:5-8; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22-25Verses 22-25 Servants, obey in all things … - ; see the notes at Ephesians 6:5-8.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. 22-24Slaves have masters on earth they must obey. Slavery was central to life and the economy in the ancient world. The New Testament does not directly oppose slavery. Yet, Christian faith creates relationships that change the nature of the social structure (see Philemon 1:15–16). It is the Lord Christ you are serving: All Christians, whether slave or free, serve a higher Master. His will is most important.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. (Ep 6:5, 6.) This is to fear God, when, though none sees us, we do no evil: but if we do evil, it is not God, but men, whom we fear. singleness--"simplicity of heart." fearing God--The oldest manuscripts read, "the Lord."Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 3:22

• Fear of God
• Heart
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Admonish
• Bond
• Charity
• Covetousness
• Discourage
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Eye
• Fit

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