Colossians 2:16

Colossians 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
• New International Version (NIV)Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,

Context of Colossians 2:16

14He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. 18Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,

Colossians 2:16 word by word

Μὴ οὖν τις ὑμᾶς κρινέτω ἐν βρώσει καὶ ἐν πόσει ἢ ἐν μέρει ἑορτῆς ἢ νεομηνίας ἢ σαββάτων,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Letκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• noμήmē · notG3361
• manτιςtis · oneG5100
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• youσύsu · youG4771
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• meatβρῶσιςbrōsis · eatingG1035
• orἤē · orG2228
• drinkπόσιςposis · drinkG4213
• respectμέροςmeros · partG3313
• of an holydayἑορτήheortē · festivalG1859
• of the new moonνουμηνίαnoumēnia · New MoonG3561
• of the sabbathσάββατονsabbaton · SabbathG4521

Cross-references for Colossians 2:16

• Romans 14:3Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.
• 1 Corinthians 10:28(But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you.
• Galatians 2:12When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.
• James 4:11Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.
• Leviticus 11:2“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “Of all the land animals, these are the ones you may use for food.
• Leviticus 17:10“And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people,
• Deuteronomy 14:3“You must not eat any detestable animals that are ceremonially unclean.
• Ezekiel 4:14Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, must I be defiled by using human dung? For I have never been defiled before. From the time I was a child until now I have never eaten any animal that died of sickness or was killed by other animals. I have never eaten any meat forbidden by the law.”
• Matthew 15:11It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”
• Acts 11:3“You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.
• Acts 15:20Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.
• Romans 14:2For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.
• 1 Corinthians 8:7However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated.
• 1 Timothy 4:3They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.
• Hebrews 9:10For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.
• Hebrews 13:9So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

Commentaries on Colossians 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Let no man - judge you in meat, or in drink - The apostle speaks here in reference to some particulars of the hand-writing of ordinances, which had been taken away, viz., the distinction of meats and drinks, what was clean and what unclean, according to the law; and the necessity of observing certain holydays or festivals, such as the new moons and particular sabbaths, or those which should be observed with more than ordinary solemnity; all these had been…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Let no man, therefore, judge you - compare Romans 14:10, note, 13, note. The word judge here is used in the sense of pronouncing a sentence. The meaning is, “since you have thus been delivered by Christ from the evils which surrounded you: since you have been freed from the observances of the law, let no one sit in judgment on you, or claim the right to decide for you in those matters. You are not responsible to man for your conduct, but to Christ; and no…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-17Verses 8-17 There is a philosophy which rightly exercises our reasonable faculties; a study of the works of God, which leads us to the knowledge of God, and confirms our faith in him. But there is a philosophy which is vain and deceitful; and while it pleases men's fancies, hinders their faith: such are curious speculations about things above us, or no concern to us. Those who walk in the way of the world, are turned from following Christ. We have in Him…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16what you eat or drink: Many ancient religions had rules about what foods and drinks they allowed. The Old Testament does not prohibit alcohol, but some devout Jews chose not to drink it, especially those who lived in non-Jewish cultures (see Daniel 1:8–16). Many ancient religious groups, including Jews, held ceremonies to celebrate the new moon (see Numbers 10:10; Psalm 81:3; Isaiah 1:13). The Jewish Sabbath was part of the law of Moses and essential in…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. therefore--because ye are complete in Christ, and God in Him has dispensed with all subordinate means as essential to acceptance with Him. meat ... drink--Greek, "eating ... drinking" (Ro 14:1-17). Pay no regard to any one who sits in judgment on you as to legal observances in respect to foods. holyday--a feast yearly. Compare the three, 1Ch 23:31. new moon--monthly. the sabbath--Omit "THE," which is not in the Greek (compare Note, see on Ga 4:10)…Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 2:16

• Commandments
• Law
• Philosophy
• Sabbath
• Types

In the dictionaries

• New Moon
• Complete
• Conflict
• Subject
• Treasure
• Trespass
• Apostolic Age
• Astrology
• Colossians, Epistle to the
• Fable

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