God & Savior

Colossians 3:12-13

12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:12-13
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Study notes

Verse 12

As God's chosen people, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Explanation

Paul has told believers to take off the old self like old clothes (3:8-9). Now he tells them what to put on. They do this because of who they are: chosen, holy and loved by God.

Original language
  • Ἐνδύσασθε (Endusasthe): to put on
    Greek · Verb, aorist, middle, imperative, 2nd person plural · Strong's G1746 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Put on, clothe yourselves.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 1

  • ἐκλεκτοὶ (eklektoi): select
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, plural, masculine · Strong's G1588 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Chosen, elect.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 4

  • ἅγιοι (hagioi): holy
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, plural, masculine · Strong's G0040G · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Holy.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 7

  • ἠγαπημένοι (ēgapēmenoi): to love
    Greek · Verb, perfect, passive, participle, nominative, plural, masculine · Strong's G0025 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Beloved.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 9

  • οἰκτιρμοῦ (oiktirmou): compassion
    Greek · Noun, genitive, singular, masculine · Strong's G3628 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Of compassion.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 11

  • χρηστότητα (chrēstotēta): kindness
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G5544 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Kindness.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 12

  • ταπεινοφροσύνην (tapeinophrosunēn): humility
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G5012 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Humility.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 13

  • πραΰτητα (prautēta): gentleness
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G4236 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Gentleness.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 14

  • μακροθυμίαν· (makrothumian): patience
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G3115 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Patience.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:12, word 15

Cross-references
Sources

Verse 13

Bear with one another and forgive one another; as the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive.

Explanation

Living together brings complaints and hurts. Paul does not deny them. He calls believers to bear with one another and forgive, following the Lord's example.

Original language
  • ἀνεχόμενοι (anechomenoi): to endure
    Greek · Verb, present, middle or passive (deponent), participle, nominative, plural, masculine · Strong's G0430 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Bearing with.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:13, word 1

  • χαριζόμενοι (charizomenoi): to give grace
    Greek · Verb, present, middle or passive (deponent), participle, nominative, plural, masculine · Strong's G5483 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Forgiving.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:13, word 4

  • μομφήν· (momphēn): complaint
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G3437 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Complaint, grievance.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:13, word 11

  • κύριος (kurios): lord
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G2962G · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Lord.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:13, word 15

  • ἐχαρίσατο (echarisato): to give grace
    Greek · Verb, aorist, middle (deponent), indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G5483 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Has forgiven.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Colossians 3:13, word 16

Cross-references
Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Verse 12

Original language (Greek)

Ἐνδύσασθε οὖν, ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιοι καὶ ἠγαπημένοι, σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ, χρηστότητα, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πραΰτητα, μακροθυμίαν·

  1. ἘνδύσασθεEndusasthe“do put on”
    Verb, aorist, middle, imperative, 2nd person plural · from ἐνδύω · “to put on” · Strong's G1746
  2. οὖν,oun“therefore,”
    Conjunction · from οὖν · “therefore/then” · Strong's G3767
  3. ὡςhōs“as”
    Particle · “which/how” · Strong's G5613
  4. ἐκλεκτοὶeklektoi“[the] elect”
    Adjective, nominative, plural, masculine · from ἐκλεκτός · “select” · Strong's G1588
  5. τοῦtou“<the>”
    Article, genitive, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  6. θεοῦtheou“of God”
    Noun, genitive, singular, masculine · from θεός · “God” · Strong's G2316
  7. ἅγιοιhagioi“holy”
    Adjective, nominative, plural, masculine · from ἅγιος · “holy” · Strong's G0040G
  8. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  9. ἠγαπημένοι,ēgapēmenoi“beloved,”
    Verb, perfect, passive, participle, nominative, plural, masculine · from ἀγαπάω · “to love” · Strong's G0025
  10. σπλάγχναsplagchna“hearts”
    Noun, accusative, plural, neuter · from σπλάγχνον · “affection/entrails” · Strong's G4698
  11. οἰκτιρμοῦ,oiktirmou“of compassion,”
    Noun, genitive, singular, masculine · from οἰκτιρμός · “compassion” · Strong's G3628
  12. χρηστότητα,chrēstotēta“kindness,”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from χρηστότης · “kindness” · Strong's G5544
  13. ταπεινοφροσύνην,tapeinophrosunēn“humility,”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from ταπεινοφροσύνη · “humility” · Strong's G5012
  14. πραΰτητα,prautēta“gentleness,”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from πραΰτης · “gentleness” · Strong's G4236
  15. μακροθυμίαν·makrothumian“[and] patience;”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from μακροθυμία · “patience” · Strong's G3115

Verse 13

Original language (Greek)

ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων καὶ χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς ἐάν τις πρός τινα ἔχῃ μομφήν· καθὼς καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐχαρίσατο ὑμῖν, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς·

  1. ἀνεχόμενοιanechomenoi“bearing with”
    Verb, present, middle or passive (deponent), participle, nominative, plural, masculine · from ἀνέχω · “to endure” · Strong's G0430
  2. ἀλλήλωνallēlōn“each other”
    Reciprocal pronoun, genitive, plural, masculine · “one another” · Strong's G0240
  3. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  4. χαριζόμενοιcharizomenoi“forgiving”
    Verb, present, middle or passive (deponent), participle, nominative, plural, masculine · from χαρίζω · “to give grace” · Strong's G5483
  5. ἑαυτοῖςhe'autois“each other”
    Reflexive pronoun, 2nd person, dative, plural, masculine · from ἑαυτοῦ · “my/your/him-self” · Strong's G1438
  6. ἐάνean“If”
    Conditional · “if” · Strong's G1437
  7. τιςtis“anyone”
    Indefinite pronoun, nominative, singular, masculine · “one” · Strong's G5100
  8. πρόςpros“against”
    Preposition · “to/with” · Strong's G4314
  9. τιναtina“another”
    Indefinite pronoun, accusative, singular, masculine · from τις · “one” · Strong's G5100
  10. ἔχῃechē“shall have”
    Verb, present, active, subjunctive, 3rd person singular · from ἔχω · “to have/be” · Strong's G2192
  11. μομφήν·momphēn“a complaint;”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from μομφή, μέμψις · “complaint” · Strong's G3437
  12. καθὼςkathōs“even as”
    Conjunction · from καθώς · “as/just as” · Strong's G2531
  13. καὶkai“also”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  14. ὁho“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  15. κύριοςkurios“Lord”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · “lord” · Strong's G2962G
  16. ἐχαρίσατοecharisato“has forgiven”
    Verb, aorist, middle (deponent), indicative, 3rd person singular · from χαρίζω · “to give grace” · Strong's G5483
  17. ὑμῖν,humin“you,”
    Personal pronoun, 2nd person, dative, plural · from σύ · “you” · Strong's G4771
  18. οὕτωςhoutōs“so”
    Adverb · from οὕτω, οὕτως · “thus(-ly)” · Strong's G3779
  19. καὶkai“also”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  20. ὑμεῖς·humeis“you;”
    Personal pronoun, 2nd person, nominative, plural · from σύ · “you” · Strong's G4771
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)