Colossians 3:12
in Colossians 3Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
KJV
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
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This verse in Colossians 3
Commentary
10 notes on this versePut 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.
This site's exposition
Therefore, as the elect of God
on Colossians 3:12-13
The call to clothe yourselves reverses the taking off of verse 9. The list runs from the inward hearts of compassion to kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, virtues that bear with hard people. The measure of forgiving is exact, Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"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.
"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.
The Medieval Church2 voices
By this word he shows the ease of virtue: for just as we easily put on a garment, so we can readily take up virtue as well, but virtue must be held constantly, and used as the greatest adornment: he who does not have it …
Above, the Apostle urged the faithful to avoid evil, and here he urges them to accomplish what is good: first, he urges the acts of the particular virtues, and secondly, the acts of those principal virtues that perfect the others (v. 14). First, he reminds …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
All who are thus renewed are elected of God, holy, and therefore the more beloved of him. Holiness is the consequence of their election, and God's superior love, of their holiness.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Put on therefore,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 (Ge 43:30;
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
Put on, therefore, as the elect of God - The fact that you thus belong to one and the same church; that you have been redeemed by the sameblood, and chosen by the same grace, and that you are all brethren, should lead you to manifest a spirit of kindness, gentleness, and love. Bowels of mercies - Notes, Php 2:1. Kindness ... - See the notes at Eph 4:32. The language here is a little different from what it is there, but the sentiment is the same.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἐνδύσασθε | endusasthe | do put on | G1746 → | |
| οὖν, | oun | therefore, | G3767 → | 497 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| ἐκλεκτοὶ | eklektoi | [the] elect | G1588 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἅγιοι | hagioi | holy | G40 → | 220 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἠγαπημένοι, | egapemenoi | beloved, | G25 → | |
| σπλάγχνα | splagchna | hearts | G4698 → | |
| οἰκτιρμοῦ, | oiktirmou | of compassion, | G3628 → | |
| χρηστότητα, | chrestoteta | kindness, | G5544 → | |
| ταπεινοφροσύνην, | tapeinophrosunen | humility, | G5012 → | 7 times |
| πραΰτητα, | prauteta | gentleness, | G4236 → | |
| μακροθυμίαν· | makrothumian | [and] patience; | G3115 → |
Ἐνδύσασθεdo put on
endusastheG1746 →
οὖν,therefore,
ounG3767 →497 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
ἐκλεκτοὶ[the] elect
eklektoiG1588 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
ἅγιοιholy
hagioiG40 →220 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἠγαπημένοι,beloved,
egapemenoiG25 →
σπλάγχναhearts
splagchnaG4698 →
οἰκτιρμοῦ,of compassion,
oiktirmouG3628 →
χρηστότητα,kindness,
chrestotetaG5544 →
ταπεινοφροσύνην,humility,
tapeinophrosunenG5012 →7 times
πραΰτητα,gentleness,
prautetaG4236 →
μακροθυμίαν·[and] patience;
makrothumianG3115 →
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 4:32Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
it leads to
- Colossians 3:12–13
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 6:14–15
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
- Mark 11:25
And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”
- 1 Peter 3:8–9
Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
- 2 Corinthians 2:10
If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake,
- Colossians 3:12–13
Through
1 John 4:19We love because He first loved us.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:10
And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
- John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- 1 John 4:10
Through
Ephesians 4:2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 13:7
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- 1 Corinthians 13:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies20
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Holiness35 verses
About Colossians
This page draws on 10 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); Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 8; 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.