Colossians 3:25
in Colossians 3Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
KJV
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
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This verse in Colossians 3
Commentary
12 notes on this verseBut he that doeth wrong - It is possible for an unfaithful servant to wrong and defraud his master in a great variety of ways without being detected; but let all such remember what is here said: He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done; God sees him, and will punish him for his breach of honesty and trust. Wasting, or not taking proper care of the goods of your master, is such a wrong as God will resent.
This site's exposition
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything
on Colossians 3:22-25
Service with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord makes the lowest labor work for the Lord. He promises an inheritance from the Lord as your reward, something Roman law never granted a slave.
This site's exposition
there is no favoritism
The warning is read in both directions. Clarke applies it to the slave who wrongs his master unseen. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown apply it to the master who wrongs his slave, whose wrong the Lord will see repaid.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES · Written before 380.
proposed
For there is no respect of persons with God.
Here he confirmeth his former statements. For that his words may not appear to be those of flattery, "he shall receive," he saith, "the wrong he hath done," that is, he shall suffer punishment also, "for there is no respect of persons." For what if thou art a servant? it is no shame to thee. And truly he might have said this to the masters, as he did in the Epistle to the Ephesians. (Eph. vi. 9.) But here he seems to me to be alluding to the Grecian masters. For, what if he is a Greek and thou a Christian? Not the persons but the actions are examined, so that even in this case thou oughtest to serve with good will, and heartily.
For each individual lives by his own faith, nor is there exception of persons with God; since it is not hearers of the law who are justified by the Lord, but doers, according to what the apostle withal says. Therefore, if you have the right of a priest in your own person, in cases of necessity, it behoves you to have likewise the discipline of a priest whenever it may be necessary to have the fight of a priest.
The Medieval Church2 voices
A servant who acts unjustly toward his master, either by working negligently or by pilfering his master's goods, will receive punishment from God. For God is no respecter of persons, so as to show mercy to the servant as the weaker party, since even in …
Then (v. 25), he clears up a question. For a slave might ask: How can I serve a person who harms me? And so Paul replies. It is not up to you to take revenge by taking away from him what is his; rather, wait …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
There is a righteous God, who, if servants wrong their masters, will reckon with them for it, though they may conceal it from their master's notice. And he will be sure to punish the unjust as well as reward the faithful servant: and so if masters wrong their servants.-- And there is no respect of persons with him.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. The apostle, having described our privileges by Christ in the former part of the epistle, and our discharge from the yoke of the ceremonial law, comes here to press upon us our duty as inferred thence.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:30w-of-66
But he that doth wrong,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He addresses the slaves: Serve ye the Lord Christ, and leave your wrongs in His hands to put to rights: (translate), "For he that doeth wrong shall receive back the wrong which he hath done (by just retribution in kind), and there is no respect of persons" with the Great Judge in the day of the Lord.
The words behind it
10 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 | The [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἀδικῶν | adikon | doing wrong | G91 → | |
| κομίσεται | komisetai | he will be repaid | G2865 → | |
| ὃ | ho | [for] what | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἠδίκησεν | edikesen | he has done wrong | G91 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔστιν | estin | there is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| προσωπολημψία.¶ | prosopolempsia | partiality. | G4382 → |
ὁThe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἀδικῶνdoing wrong
adikonG91 →
κομίσεταιhe will be repaid
komisetaiG2865 →
ὃ[for] what
hoG3739 →1405 times
ἠδίκησενhe has done wrong
edikesenG91 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔστινthere is
estinG1510 →2333 times
προσωπολημψία.¶partiality.
prosopolempsiaG4382 →
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
Romans 2:11For God does not show favoritism.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 10:17
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 10:34
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 34:19
who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 10:17
Through
2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
it leads to
- Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- Ephesians 6:8
because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
- Matthew 16:27
Through
Acts 10:34Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
it leads to
- Romans 2:11
For God does not show favoritism.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 2:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies20
About Colossians
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES; J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 10; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, On Exhortation to Chastity; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Colossians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Colossians.