Colossians 4:6
in Colossians 4Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.
KJV
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
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This verse in Colossians 4
Commentary
14 notes on this versePaul also instructs them as to their speech. First, it should be gracious; and so he says, let your speech always be gracious; "A gracious tongue multiplies courtesies" (Sir 6:5). Secondly, it should be considerate; and so he says, seasoned with salt. Salt signifies considerateness …
This site's exposition
Act wisely toward outsiders
on Colossians 4:5-6
Toward outsiders the rule is wisdom in conduct and grace in speech, and redeeming the time is the merchant's verb, buying up the season while it is on the market. Speech seasoned with salt was a Greek idiom for wit, and the letter turns it to wholesome speech that preserves. The aim is readiness, so that you may know how to answer everyone, one person at a time.
This site's exposition
seasoned with salt
Henry allows that speech may be about common things and still be gracious. Chrysostom reads the last clause as a call to fit each answer to the one who hears, an outsider or a brother in the Lord. Everyone needs his own answer.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Theonas of AlexandriaThe Epistle of Theonas, Bishop of Alexandria, to Lucianus, the Chief Chamberlain · Written before 300.
proposed
Let your conversation always be temperate and modest, and seasoned with religion as with salt. And, further, let there be no jealousy among you or contentiousness, which might bring you into all manner of confusion and division, and thus also make you objects of aversion …
Next, lest thou think that he is speaking of money, he adds, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one." That it may not be full of hypocrisy, for this is not "grace," nor "a seasoning with salt." For instance, if it be needful to pay court to any one without incurring danger, refuse not [to do so]; if the occasion require that thou discourse civilly, think not the doing so flattery, do everything that pertaineth to honor, so that piety be not injured. Seest thou not how Daniel payeth court to an impious man? Seest thou not the three children, how wisely they bore themselves, showing both courage, and boldness in speaking, and yet nothing rash nor galling, for so it had not been boldness, but vainglory. "That ye may know," he saith, "how ye ought to answer every man." For the ruler ought to be answered in one way, the ruled in another, the rich in one way, the poor in another. Wherefore? Because the souls of those who are rich, and in authority, are weaker, more inflammable, more fluctuating, so that towards them, one should use condescension; those of the poor, and the ruled, firmer and more intelligent, so that to these one should use greater boldness of speech; looking to one thing, their edification. Not that because one is rich, another poor, the former is to be honored more, the latter less, but because of his weakness, let the former be supported, the latter not so: for instance, when there is no cause for it, do not call the Greek "polluted," nor be insulting; but if thou be asked concerning his doctrine, answer that it is polluted, and impious; but when none asketh thee, nor forceth thee to speak, it becomes thee not causelessly to challenge to thee his enmity. For what need is there to prepare for thyself gratuitous hostilities? […]
"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt"; that is, that this graciousness may not lapse into indifferentism. For it is possible to be simply agreeable, it is possible also to be so with due seemliness. "That ye may know how ye ought to answer each one." So that one ought not to discourse alike to all, Greeks, I mean, and Brethren. By no means, for this were the very extreme of senselessness.
A commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
proposed
A hermit said to a brother, 'Do not measure yourself against your brother, saying that you are more serious or more chaste or more understanding than he is. But be obedient to the grace of God, in the spirit of poverty, and in love unfeigned. …
And they hearken not to that which the Scripture has said: "Let not many be teachers among you, my brethren, and be not all of you prophets." [1 Corinthians 12:29] For "he who does not transgress in word is a perfect man, able to keep …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Let your word, he says, be pleasant; however, let it not fall into indiscriminateness and licentiousness, but let it also be restrained. For this is what "salt" means. Let it be neither excessively cheerful nor excessively severe. Just as food, if unsalted, is unpleasant, and …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Let all your discourse be as becomes Christians, suitable to your profession--savoury, discreet, seasonable." Though it be not always of grace, it must be always with grace; and, though the matter of our discourse be that which is common, yet there must be an air of piety upon it and it must be in a Christian manner seasoned with salt.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Let your speech be always with grace,.... "In grace, or concerning grace": let grace be the subject matter of your speech and conversation.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt - Let it be such as has a tendency to oppose and preserve from the corruption of sin. The rabbins say: “He who, in prayer, omits any word, should begin again at the beginning; for he who does not is like boiled pottage, in which there is no salt.” Berachoth, fol. 34, 1. Let all your conversation be such as may tend to exemplify and recommend Christianity; let it not only be holy, but wise, gracious, and intelligent.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
with grace--Greek, "IN grace" as its element (Col 3:16; Contrast the case of those "of the world" who "therefore speak of the world" (1Jo 4:5). Even the smallest leaf of the believer should be full of the sap of the Holy Spirit (Jer 17:7, 8).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Let your speech - Your conversation. In the previous verse the apostle had given a general direction that our conduct toward those who are not professing Christians should be wise and prudent; he here gives a particular direction in regard to our conversation. Be alway with grace - Imbued with the spirit of religion. It should be such as religion is fitted to produce; such as to show that the grace of God is in our hearts. Bloomfield supposes that this means “courteous and agreeable, not morose and melancholy.” But though this may be included, and though the rule here laid down would lead to that, it cannot be all that is intended. It rather means that our conversation should be such as to show that we are governed by the principles of religion, and that there is unfeigned piety in the heart. This will indeed make us mild, courteous, agreeable, and urbane in our conversation; but it will do more than this. It will imbue our discourse with the spirit of religion, so as to show that the soul is under the influence of love to the Redeemer. Seasoned with salt - Salt, among the Greeks, was the emblem of wit. Here the meaning seems to be, that our conversation should be seasoned with piety or grace in a way similar to that in which we employ salt in our food. It makes it wholesome and palatable. So with our conversation. If it be not imbued with the spirit of piety, it is flat, insipid, unprofitable, injurious. The spirit of piety will make it what it should be - useful, agreeable, beneficial to mankind. […]
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ | ho | [Let] the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λόγος | logos | speech | G3056 → | 329 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| πάντοτε | pantote | [be] always | G3842 → | 40 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| χάριτι, | chariti | grace, | G5485 → | 153 times |
| ἅλατι | halati | with salt | G217 → | |
| ἠρτυμένος, | ertumenos | seasoned, | G741 → | |
| εἰδέναι | eidenai | to know | ||
| πῶς | pos | how | G4459 → | |
| δεῖ | dei | it behooves | G1163 → | |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἑνὶ | heni | one | G1520 → | |
| ἑκάστῳ | hekasto | each | G1538 → | |
| ἀποκρίνεσθαι.¶ | apokrinesthai | to answer. | G611 → |
ὁ[Let] the
hoG3588 →19766 times
λόγοςspeech
logosG3056 →329 times
ὑμῶνof you
humonG4771 →2973 times
πάντοτε[be] always
pantoteG3842 →40 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
χάριτι,grace,
charitiG5485 →153 times
ἅλατιwith salt
halatiG217 →
ἠρτυμένος,seasoned,
ertumenosG741 →
εἰδέναιto know
eidenai
πῶςhow
posG4459 →
δεῖit behooves
deiG1163 →
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
ἑνὶone
heniG1520 →
ἑκάστῳeach
hekastoG1538 →
ἀποκρίνεσθαι.¶to answer.
apokrinesthaiG611 →
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
Ephesians 4:29Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
- Ecclesiastes 10:12
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
- Proverbs 15:7
The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the hearts of fools.
- Colossians 3:8–9
But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
- Matthew 12:34–37
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Through
1 Peter 3:15But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and…
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:25–26
He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
- Luke 21:14–15
So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves.
- 1 Peter 3:2
when they see your pure and reverent demeanor.
- 2 Timothy 2:25–26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Colossians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 11; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Clement, Two Epistles on Virginity, Epistle 1; Theonas of Alexandria, The Epistle of Theonas, Bishop of Alexandria, to Lucianus, the Chief Chamberlain; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Colossians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Colossians.