New Living Translation
Colossians 3:12
12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Colossians 3:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
- New International Version (NIV)Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
Context of Colossians 3:12
10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Read all of Colossians 3Colossians 3:12 word by word
Ἐνδύσασθε οὖν, ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιοι καὶ ἠγαπημένοι, σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ, χρηστότητα, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πραΰτητα, μακροθυμίαν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Put onἐνδύωenduō · to put onG1746
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- the electἐκλεκτόςeklektos · selectG1588
- of Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- belovedἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
- bowelsσπλάγχνονsplagchnon · affection/entrailsG4698
- of merciesοἰκτιρμόςoiktirmos · compassionG3628
- kindnessχρηστότηςchrēstotēs · kindnessG5544
- humbleness of mindταπεινοφροσύνηtapeinophrosunē · humilityG5012
- meeknessπραΰτηςprautēs · gentlenessG4240
- longsufferingμακροθυμίαmakrothumia · patienceG3115
Cross-references for Colossians 3:12
- Colossians 3:10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
- Ephesians 4:24Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
- Isaiah 42:1“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations.
- Isaiah 45:4“And why have I called you for this work? Why did I call you by name when you did not know me? It is for the sake of Jacob my servant, Israel my chosen one.
- Isaiah 65:9I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it, and my servants will live there.
- Matthew 24:22In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
- Mark 13:20In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.
- Luke 18:7Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?
- Romans 8:29For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
- Romans 9:11But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes;
- Romans 11:5It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them.
- 2 Timothy 2:10So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
- 1 Peter 1:2God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.
- 2 Peter 1:10So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.
- 2 John 1:13Greetings from the children of your sister, chosen by God.
- Revelation 17:14Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”
Commentaries on Colossians 3:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Put on - as the elect of God - As the principal design of the apostle was to show that God had chosen the Gentiles, and called them to the same privileges as the Jews, and intended to make them as truly his people as the Jews ever were, he calls them the elect or chosen of God; and as the Jews, who were formerly the elect, were still beloved, and called to be holy, so he calls the Colossians beloved, and shows them that they are called with the same holy…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Put on, therefore, as the elect of God - The fact that you thus belong to one and the same church; that you have been redeemed by the sameblood, and chosen by the same grace, and that you are all brethren, should lead you to manifest a spirit of kindness, gentleness, and love. Bowels of mercies - Notes, Philemon 2:1. Kindness - See the notes at Ephesians 4:32. The language here is a little different from what it is there, but the sentiment is the same.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 We must not only do no hurt to any, but do what good we can to all. Those who are the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to be lowly and compassionate towards all. While in this world, where there is so much corruption in our hearts, quarrels will sometimes arise. But it is our duty to forgive one another, imitating the forgiveness through which we are saved. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; it is of his working in all who are…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-17Paul explains the new life of those who have been raised with Christ (3:1). Their good qualities and actions contribute to the peace and strength of the Christian community.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. the elect of God--There is no "the" in the Greek, "God's elect" (compare Ro 8:3; 1Th 1:4). The order of the words "elect, holy, beloved," answers to the order of the things. Election from eternity precedes sanctification in time; the sanctified, feeling God's love, imitate it [Bengel]. bowels of mercies--Some of the oldest manuscripts read singular, "mercy." Bowels express the yearning compassion, which has its seat in the heart, and which we feel to…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 3:12
In the dictionaries
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
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