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 King James Version (NKJV)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

Context of Colossians 3:23

21Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged. 22Slaves, obey your human masters in every respect—not just within your master’s sight as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people. 24For you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as a reward. It is to the Lord Messiah you are giving service. 25For the one doing wrong will be paid back for what he did wrong, and there is no favoritism.

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 Yeshua, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
• 2 Chronicles 31:21Every work he undertook in the service of the House of God and in the Torah and the mitzvot to seek his God, he did wholeheartedly and succeeded.
• Psalms 47:6God is gone up amidst shouting, Adonai amidst the sound of the shofar.
• Psalms 103:1Of David. Bless Adonai, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name.
• Psalms 119:10With my whole heart have I sought You —let me not stray from Your mitzvot.
• Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your strength, for there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, where you are going.
• Jeremiah 3:10Yet after all this her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with her whole heart, but only insincerely,” It is a declaration of Adonai.
• 1 Peter 1:22Now that you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth, leading to sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently from a pure heart.
• Zechariah 7:5“Speak to all the people of the land and to the kohanim saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh months for the past seventy years, did you really fast for Me?
• Matthew 6:16“And whenever you fast, do not become sad-faced like the hypocrites, for they neglect their faces to make their fasting evident to men. Amen, I tell you, they have their reward in full!
• Romans 14:6The one who observes that day does so to the Lord. The one who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and the one who abstains, abstains to the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.
• Ephesians 5:22wives to your own husbands as to the Lord.
• Ephesians 6:6not just under your master’s eye as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Messiah doing God’s will from the soul.
• 1 Peter 2:13For the Lord’s sake, submit yourselves to every human authority—whether to a 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