Colossians 2:14 BSB

Colossians 2:14

having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;

KJV

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

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Commentary

3 voices

Ambrose of Milan

On Joseph the Patriarch (397)

But Christ, who was sold, is held by the assumption of the condition, not by the price of guilt, because He Himself did not commit sin. Therefore, He contracted our debt, not His own money; He took away the handwriting, removed the lender, stripped off the debtor: He alone paid what was owed by all. It was not lawful for us to escape from servitude. He undertook this for us, to repel the servitude of the world, restore the freedom of paradise, and bestow a new grace of His fellowship in honor. This is by way of mystery.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

"Upon me be the curse, my father." He vacated and disannulled the judgment which was against us. When he was nailed to the cross, the curse was as it were nailed to the cross. And our indwelling corruption is crucified with Christ, and by virtue of his cross.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances - By the hand-writing of ordinances the apostle most evidently means the ceremonial law: this was against them, for they were bound to fulfill it; and it was contrary to them, as condemning them for their neglect and transgression of it. This law God himself has blotted out. Blotting out the hand-writing is probably an allusion to Num 5:23, where the curses written in the book, in the case of the woman suspected of adultery, are directed to be blotted out with the bitter waters.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

21 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ἐξαλείψας	exaleipsas	having blotted out	G1813 →
τὸ	to	the	G3588 →
καθ᾽	kath᾽	against	G2596 →
ἡμῶν	hēmōn	us	G3165 →
χειρόγραφον	cheirographon	handwriting	G5498 →
τοῖς	tois	in the	G3588 →
δόγμασιν	dogmasin	decrees	G1378 →
ὃ	ho	which	G3739 →
ἦν	ēn	was	G1510 →
ὑπεναντίον	hupenantion	adverse	G5227 →
ἡμῖν,	hēmin	to us,	G3165 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
αὐτὸ	auto	it	G846 →
ἦρκεν	ērken	He has taken	G142 →
ἐκ	ek	out of	G1537 →
τοῦ	tou	the	G3588 →
μέσου	mesou	way	G3319 →
προσηλώσας	prosēlōsas	having nailed	G4338 →
αὐτὸ	auto	it	G846 →
τῷ	tō	to the	G3588 →
σταυρῷ·	staurō	cross;	G4716 →

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Isaiah 43:25
I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.
leads to
- Hebrews 8:12
  For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”
- Micah 7:18–19
  Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
- Hebrews 10:17
  Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
- Jeremiah 31:34
  No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I…
- Isaiah 1:18
  “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
Through
1 Peter 2:24
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
leads to
- Isaiah 53:4–6
  Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted.
- Matthew 8:17
  This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took on our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
- Romans 6:11
  So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

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About Colossians

The Word Made Flesh — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Colossians: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: Colossians 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Colossians

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Colossians