Colossians 3:12

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
on	Ἐνδύσασθε Endusasthe	G1746	to invest with clothing (literally or figuratively) · verb — aorist middle imperative, 2nd person plural
therefore	οὖν, oun	G3767	(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
as	ὡς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
elect	ἐκλεκτοὶ eklektoi	G1588	select · adjective — nominative plural masculine
God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
holy	ἅγιοι hagioi	G40	sacred (physically · adjective — nominative plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
beloved	ἠγαπημένοι, ēgapēmenoi	G25	to love (in a social or moral sense) · verb — perfect passive participle, nominative plural masculine
bowels	σπλάγχνα splagchna	G4698	an intestine (plural) · noun — accusative plural neuter
mercies	οἰκτιρμοῦ, oiktirmou	G3628	pity · noun — genitive singular masculine
kindness	χρηστότητα, chrēstotēta	G5544	usefulness · noun — accusative singular feminine
mind	ταπεινοφροσύνην, tapeinophrosunēn	G5012	humiliation of mind · noun — accusative singular feminine
meekness	πραΰτητα, prautēta	G4236	gentleness · noun — accusative singular feminine
longsuffering	μακροθυμίαν· makrothumian	G3115	longanimity · noun — accusative singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
2 Peter 1:5-8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
James 3:17-18 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without pa…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 3:12-17

The apostle proceeds to exhort to mutual love and compassion: Put on therefore bowels of mercy, Col 3:12. We must not only put off anger and wrath (as Col 3:8), but we must put on compassion and kindness; not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well; not only not do hurt to any, but do what good we can to all. I. The argument here used to enforce the exhortation is very affecting: Put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved. Observe, 1. Those who are holy are the elect of God; and those who are the elect of God, and holy, are beloved - beloved of God, and ought to be so of all men. 2. Those who are the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to conduct themselves in every thing as becomes…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 3:12

the elect of God--There is no "the" in the Greek, "God's elect" (compare Rom 8:3; Th1 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 act on our inward parts (Gen 43:30; Jer 31:20; Luk 1:78, Margin). humbleness of mind--True "lowliness of mind"; not the mock "humility" of the false teachers (Col 2:23; Eph 4:2, Eph 4:32).

Adam Clarke on Colossians 3:12

Put 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 calling. Bowels of mercies, etc - Be merciful, not in act merely, but in spirit and affection. In all cases of this kind let your heart dictate to your hand; be clothed with bowels of mercy - let your tenderest feelings come in contact with…

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The Church Fathers

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness, meekness, long-suffering. And above all these, love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God reign in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be thankful," ye who, while still in the body, like the just men of old, enjoy impassibility and tranquillity of soul.
— Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 4

"Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved." He shows the easiness of virtue, so that they might both possess it continually, and use it as the greatest ornament. The exhortation is accompanied also with praise, for then its force is greatest. For they had been before holy, but not elect; but now both "elect, and holy, and beloved." "A heart of compassion." He said not "mercy," but with greater emphasis used the two words. And he said not, that it should be as towards brethren, but, as fathers towards children. For tell me not that he sinned, therefore he said "a heart." And he said not "compassion," lest he should place them in light estimation, but "a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering." Again, he speaks after the class, and he always does it; for from kindness comes humbleness of mind, and from this, longsuffering.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 8

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Bowels — (Phil. 1:8; 2:1; Col. 3:12), compassionate feelings; R.V., “tender mercies.”
Ephesians, Epistle to — Was written by Paul at Rome about the same time as that to the Colossians, which in many points it resembles. Contents of. The Epistle to the Colossians is mainly polemical, designed to refute…
Meekness — A calm temper of mind, not easily provoked (James 3:13). Peculiar promises are made to the meek (Matt. 5:5; Isa. 66:2). The cultivation of this spirit is enjoined (Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 6:11; Zeph. 2:3),…
Bowels · .Of the sensibilities — .Of the sensibilities
Catholicity · INCUL — INCUL
Character · .Holy — .Holy
Character Of Saints · Holy — Holy
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Election · Should lead to cultivation of graces — Should lead to cultivation of graces
Holiness · 2:17;5:22-25;6:15; — 2:17;5:22-25;6:15;
Humility · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Longsuffering · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Meekness · General scriptures concerning

Colossians 3:12

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 3:12-17

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 3:12

Adam Clarke on Colossians 3:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Colossians 3:12

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 3:12-17

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 3:12

Adam Clarke on Colossians 3:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Colossians 3:12

John Calvin on Colossians 3:9-13

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Colossians 3:12-17