Colossians 3:23

Colossians 3:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
• New International Version (NIV)Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
• New Living Translation (NLT)Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Context of Colossians 3:23

21Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Colossians 3:23 word by word

ὃ ἐὰν ποιῆτε, ἐκ ψυχῆς ἐργάζεσθε ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whatsoeverπᾶςpas · allG3956
• whatsoeverὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• whatsoeverτιςtis · oneG5100
• whatsoeverἐάνean · ifG1437
• ye doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• doἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• ·ἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• heartilyψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• to the Lordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• to the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• notοὐou · noG3756
• unto menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444

Cross-references for Colossians 3:23

• Colossians 3:17And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
• 2 Chronicles 31:21And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
• Psalms 47:6Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
• Psalms 103:1Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
• Psalms 119:10With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
• Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
• Jeremiah 3:10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.
• 1 Peter 1:22Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
• Zechariah 7:5“Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me?
• Matthew 6:16“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
• Romans 14:6He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
• Ephesians 5:22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
• Ephesians 6:6not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
• 1 Peter 2:13Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,

Commentaries on Colossians 3:23

• 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. 2323. And--omitted in the oldest manuscripts (compare Ep 6:7, 8). Compare the same principle in the case of all men, Hezekiah (2Ch 31:21; Ro 12:11). do, do it--two distinct Greek verbs, "Whatsoever ye do, work at it" (or "labor at" it). heartily--not from servile constraint, but with hearty good will.Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 3:23

• Commandments
• Integrity
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• Admonish
• Bond
• Charity
• Covetousness
• Discourage
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Fit
• Lord
• Member
• Mortify

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