Colossians 3:18

Colossians 3:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Context of Colossians 3:18

16Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. 20Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.

Colossians 3:18 word by word

Αἱ γυναῖκες, ὑποτάσσεσθε τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ὡς ἀνῆκεν ἐν κυρίῳ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Wivesγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
• submit yourselvesὑποτάσσωhupotassō · to subjectG5293
• unto your ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• husbandsἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• it is fitἀνήκωanēkō · be fittingG433
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962

Cross-references for Colossians 3:18

• Genesis 3:16Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
• Esther 1:20When this decree is published throughout the king’s vast empire, husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives!”
• 1 Corinthians 11:3But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
• 1 Corinthians 14:34Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says.
• Ephesians 5:22For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
• 1 Timothy 2:12I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.
• 1 Peter 3:1In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over
• Acts 5:29But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.
• Ephesians 5:3Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.
• Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.

Commentaries on Colossians 3:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Wives, submit yourselves - Having done with general directions, the apostle comes to particular duties, which are commonly called relative; because they only belong to persons in certain situations; and are not incumbent on all. No woman has the duty of a wife to perform but she who is one, and no man has the duty of a husband to perform but he who is married. The directions here to wives, husbands, children, parents, servants, and masters, are so exactly…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Wives, submit yourselves … - Notes on the parallel passage in Ephesians 5:21-24.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. 18To submit means understanding your position below someone else in a society. This submission always suggests that God is at the top and his will is most important (see Acts 4:19–20; 5:29).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. unto your own husbands--The oldest manuscripts omit "own," which crept in from Ep 5:22. as it is fit in the Lord--Greek, "was fit," implying that there was at Colosse some degree of failure in fulfilling this duty, "as it was your duty to have done as disciples of the Lord."Read the comment

Topics related to Colossians 3:18

• Family
• Husband
• Wife

In the dictionaries

• In the Lord
• Admonish
• Bond
• Charity
• Covetousness
• Discourage
• Ephesians, Epistle to
• Fit
• Lord
• Marriage

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