Colossians 4:10
in Colossians 4My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you greetings, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas. You have already received instructions about him: If he comes to you, welcome him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner saluteth you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (touching whom ye received commandments; if he come unto you, receive him),
KJV
Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
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This verse in Colossians 4
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAristarchus my fellow prisoner - Concerning Aristarchus, see Act 19:29; Act 20:4; Act 27:2; and see the note on Act 27:2. Aristarchus and Epaphras are mentioned as saluters in this epistle, and in that to Philemon written at the same time; but here he is said to be a prisoner, and Epaphras not. In that to Philemon, Epaphras is called a prisoner, and Aristarchus not. One of them is wrong, though it is uncertain which; unless both were prisoners. See Wall’s Crit. Notes.
This site's exposition
Aristarchus my fellowprisoner
on Colossians 4:10-11
Aristarchus the Thessalonian has shared Paul's road since the Ephesus riot and the shipwreck voyage (Acts 19:29, 27:2), and now shares the title fellowprisoner. Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, is John Mark restored: the man whose departure once split Paul from Barnabas (Acts 15:38-39) is now to be received if he comes, and 2 Timothy 4:11 will call him profitable. With Jesus called Justus these are the only fellow workers of the circumcision, a comfort to Paul, and the note is history's own record that the Jewish mission's laborers had grown few around him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Nothing can surpass this praise. This is he that was brought up from Jerusalem with him. This man hath said a greater thing than the prophets; for they call themselves "strangers and foreigners," but this one calleth himself even a prisoner. Just like a prisoner of war he was dragged up and down, and lay at every one's will to suffer evil of them, yea rather worse even than prisoners. For those indeed their enemies, after taking them, treat with much attention, having a care for them as their own property: but Paul, as though an enemy and a foe, all men dragged up and down, beating him, scourging, insulting, and maligning. This was a consolation to those also (to whom he wrote), when their master even is in such circumstances. "And Mark, the cousin of Barnabas"; even this man he hath praised still from his relationship, for Barnabas was a great man; "touching whom ye received commandments; if he come unto you, receive him." Why? would they not have received him? Yes, but he means, with much attention; and this shows the man to be great. Whence they received these commandments, he does not say.
"And Mark," he saith, "the cousin of Barnabas, touching whom ye received commandments, receive him." Perhaps they had received commandments from Barnabas.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then when he says, Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, he shows how those who are remaining with the Apostle greet them. The text is clear. And Mark the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions. We read in Acts (15:37) that a …
This is the Aristarchus who was led away together with him from Jerusalem. Paul said more than the prophets, because they called themselves strangers and sojourners, while he calls himself even a prisoner. For indeed, just as a prisoner, he was driven and dragged about, …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Ye have received directions - Namely, by Tychicus, bringing this letter. The ancients adapted their language to the time of reading the letter; not, as we do, to the time when it was written. It is not improbable, they might have scrupled to receive him, without this fresh direction, after he had left St. Paul, and "departed from the work."
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. The apostle proceeds with the duty of masters to their servants, which might have been joined to the foregoing chapter, and is a part of that discourse. Justice is required of them: Give unto your servants that which is just and equal (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Greek for "fellow prisoner" is literally, fellow captive, an image from prisoners taken in warfare, Christians being "fellow soldiers" (Php 2:25;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner - Aristarchus was of Thessalonica, and is mentioned in Act 19:29; Act 20:4, as Paul’s companion in his travels. In Act 27:2, it is said that he accompanied him in his voyage to Rome, and from the passage before us it appears that he was there imprisoned with him. As he held the same sentiments as Paul, and was united with him in his travels and labors, it was natural that he should be treated in the same manner. He, together with Gaius, had been seized in the tumult at Ephesus and treated with violence, but he adhered to the apostle in all his troubles, and attended him all his perils. Nothing further is certainly known of him, though “the Greeks say that he was bishop of Assamea in Syria, and was beheaded with Paul at Rome, under Nero” - Calmet. And Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas - John Mark, in relation to whom Paul and Barnabas had formerly disagreed so much as to cause a separation between Barnabas and Paul. The ground of the disagreement was, that Barnabas wished to take him, probably on account of relationship, with them in their travels; Paul was unwilling to take him, because he had, on one occasion, departed from them; Notes, Act 15:37-39. They afterward became reconciled, and Paul mentions Mark here with affection. He sent for him when he sent Tychicus to Ephesus, and it seems that he had come to him in obedience to his request; 2Ti 4:11. Mark had probably become more decided, and Paul did not harbor unkind and unforgiving feelings toward anyone. Touching whom ye received commandments - What these directions were, and how they were communicated, whether verbally or by writing, is now unknown. It was, not improbably, on some occasion when Paul was with them. […]
The words behind it
21 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀσπάζεται | aspazetai | Greets | G782 → | 57 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| Ἀρίσταρχος | aristarchos | Aristarchus | G708 → | |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συναιχμάλωτός | sunaichmalotos | fellow prisoner | G4869 → | |
| μου | mou | of mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Μᾶρκος | markos | Mark | G3138 → | |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνεψιὸς | anepsios | cousin | G431 → | |
| Βαρναβᾶ, | barnaba | of Barnabas, | G921 → | |
| περὶ | peri | concerning | G4012 → | 332 times |
| οὗ | hou | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐλάβετε | elabete | you have received | G2983 → | |
| ἐντολάς· | entolas | instructions: | G1785 → | |
| ἐὰν | ean | if | G1437 → | 352 times |
| ἔλθῃ | elthe | he shall come | G2064 → | |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| ὑμᾶς, | humas | you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| δέξασθε | dexasthe | do welcome | G1209 → | |
| αὐτόν· | auton | him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἈσπάζεταιGreets
aspazetaiG782 →57 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
ἈρίσταρχοςAristarchus
aristarchosG708 →
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
συναιχμάλωτόςfellow prisoner
sunaichmalotosG4869 →
μουof mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ΜᾶρκοςMark
markosG3138 →
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀνεψιὸςcousin
anepsiosG431 →
Βαρναβᾶ,of Barnabas,
barnabaG921 →
περὶconcerning
periG4012 →332 times
οὗwhom
houG3739 →1405 times
ἐλάβετεyou have received
elabeteG2983 →
ἐντολάς·instructions:
entolasG1785 →
ἐὰνif
eanG1437 →352 times
ἔλθῃhe shall come
eltheG2064 →
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
ὑμᾶς,you,
humasG4771 →2973 times
δέξασθεdo welcome
dexastheG1209 →
αὐτόν·him;
autonG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 20:4Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
it leads to
- Acts 19:29
Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Ephesians 6:21
Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know about me and what I am doing.
- 2 Timothy 4:20
Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.
- Titus 3:12
As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.
- Acts 19:29
Through
Acts 19:29Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
it leads to
- Philemon 1:24
as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Acts 20:4
Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
- Philemon 1:24
Through
2 Timothy 4:11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.
it leads to
- Acts 12:12
And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 12:12
Through
Philemon 1:24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
it leads to
- Colossians 4:14
Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas send you greetings.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 4:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Colossians
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 11; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Colossians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Colossians.