Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

Colossians 3:22

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
- 22 You slaves, be obedient in everything to those who are your human* masters,+ not only when they are watching, just to please men,* but with sincerity of heart, with fear of Jehovah.*

Colossians 3:22

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
- 22 Οἱ The δοῦλοι, slaves, ὑπακούετε be YOU obeying κατὰ according to πάντα all (things) τοῖς to the κατὰ according to σάρκα flesh κυρίοις, to lords, μὴ not ἐν in ὀφθαλμοδουλίαις, eye-slaveries, ὡς as ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι, men pleasers, ἀλλ’ but ἐν in ἁπλότητι simplicity καρδίας, of heart, φοβούμενοι fearing τὸν the κύριον. Lord.

Colossians 3:22

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References
- 22 YOU slaves, be obedient in everything to those who are [your] masters in a fleshly sense,+ not with acts of eye-service, as men pleasers,+ but with sincerity of heart, with fear of Jehovah.*+

Colossians 3:22

The Bible in Living English
- 22 * Servants, obey in every respect those who are your masters in the way of flesh, not in eye-services as man-pleasers do but in single-heartedness, fearing the Lord;

Colossians 3:22

American Standard Version
- 22 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord:

Colossians 3:22

The Emphasized Bible
- 22 Ye servants! be obedient in all things unto them who according to the flesh are your masters,—Not with eye-service as man-pleasers, But with singleness of heart revering the Lord,—

Colossians 3:22

King James Version
- 22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

Colossians Study Notes—Chapter 3

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
- 3:22
  
  human: Lit., “fleshly.”—See study note on Eph 6:5.
  
  masters: Or “lords.” Here the Greek word kyʹri·os (lord) refers to humans who have authority over others.
  
  not only when they are watching, just to please men: Lit., “not with acts of eye-service, as men pleasers.”—See study note on Eph 6:6.
  
  with fear of Jehovah: This expression refers to a profound respect and reverence for God and a healthy fear of displeasing him. Such reverential fear is motivated by faith in God and love for him and results in a desire to worship and obey him. The concept of fearing God is often mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures. Some examples are De 6:13; 10:12, 20; 13:4; Ps 19:9; Pr 1:7; 8:13; 22:4. In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the Greek verb for “to fear” is often used in the sense of reverential fear of God.—Lu 1:50; Ac 10:2, 35; Re 14:7; see study note on Ac 9:31; for the use of the divine name here at Col 3:22, see App. C3 introduction; Col 3:22.