Colossians 3 · Verse 13

Colossians 3:13

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Colossians 3:13, King James Version

Colossians 3:13 in other translations

BSBBear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
WEBbearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
ASVforbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:
YLTforbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any one with any one may have a quarrel, as also the Christ did forgive you--so also ye;
DARBYforbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any should have a complaint against any; even as the Christ has forgiven you, so also do ye.
BBEBeing gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:
WebsterForbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man hath a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

What does Colossians 3:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. Forbearing--as to present offenses. forgiving--as to past offenses. quarrel--rather as Greek, "cause of blame," "cause of complaint." Christ--who had so infinitely greater cause of complaint against us. The oldest manuscripts and Vulgate read "the Lord." English Version is supported by one very old manuscript and old versions. It seems to have crept in from Ep 4:32.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 13. Forbearing one another. Eph 4:2.

And forgiving one another. Mt 6:12, Mt 6:14.

If any man have a quarrel against any. Marg., "or complaint." The word here used μομφη occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means, fault found, blame, censure; and here denotes occasion of complaint. The idea is, that if another one has given us just occasion of complaint, we are to forgive him; that is, we are

(1.) to harbour no malice against him;

(2.) we are to be ready to do him good as if he had not given us occasion of complaint;

(3.) we are to be willing to declare that we forgive him when he asks it; and

(4.) we are always afterwards to treat him as kindly as if he had not injured us--- a God treats us when he forgives us. Mt 18:21.

Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Learn here that Christ has power to forgive sin. Comp. Mt 9:6; Acts 5:31. Christ forgave us

(1.) freely---he did not hesitate or delay when we asked him;

(2.) entirely--he pardoned all our offences;

(3.)for ever---he did it so as to remember our sins no more, and to treat us ever onward as if we had not sinned. So we should forgive an offending brother.

(g) "Forbearing" Mk 11:25, Eph 4:2,32 (h) "forgiving" Mt 6:14,15 (1) "quarrel" "complaint"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 Forbearing one another - Avoid all occasions of irritating or provoking each other. Forgiving one another - If ye receive offense, be instantly ready to forgive on the first acknowledgment of the fault. Even as Christ forgave you - Who required no satisfaction, and sought for nothing in you but the broken, contrite heart, and freely forgave you as soon as you returned to Him. No man should for a moment harbour ill will in his heart to any; but the offended party is not called actually to forgive, till the offender, with sorrow, acknowledges his fault. He should be ready to forgive, and while he is so, he can neither feel hatred nor malice towards the offender; but, as Christ does not forgive us till with penitent hearts we return unto him, acknowledging our offenses, so those who have trespassed against their neighbor are not to expect any act of forgiveness from the person they have injured, till they acknowledge the offense. Forgive, says the apostle, καθως και ὁ Χριστος even as Christ forgave you - show the same disposition and the same readiness to forgive your offending brethren, as Christ showed towards you.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Colossians 3:12-17

We must not only do no hurt to any, but do what good we can to all. Those who are the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to be lowly and compassionate towards all. While in this world, where there is so much corruption in our hearts, quarrels will sometimes arise. But it is our duty to forgive one another, imitating the forgiveness through which we are saved. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; it is of his…

Read the full comment on Colossians 3:12-17 →

Colossians 3:13 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἀνεχόμενοιanechomenoibearing withG430
ἀλλήλωνallēlōneach otherG240
καὶkaiandG2532
χαριζόμενοιcharizomenoiforgivingG5483
ἑαυτοῖςhe'autoiseach otherG1438
ἐάνeanIfG1437
τιςtisanyoneG5100
πρόςprosagainstG4314
τιναtinaanotherG5100
ἔχῃechēshall haveG2192
μομφήν·momphēna complaint;G3437
καθὼςkathōseven asG2531
καὶkaialsoG2532
ὁhotheG3588
κύριοςkuriosLordG2962
ἐχαρίσατοecharisatohas forgivenG5483
ὑμῖν,huminyou,G4771
οὕτωςhoutōssoG3779
καὶkaialsoG2532
ὑμεῖς·humeisyou;G4771

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Colossians 3:13

  • Ephesians 4:32

    And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

  • Mark 11:25

    And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

  • James 2:13

    For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

  • Ephesians 4:2

    With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

  • Matthew 6:14-15

    For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

  • Romans 15:1-2

    We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

  • Luke 6:35-37

    But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

  • Matthew 6:12

    And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

  • Luke 17:3-4

    Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

  • Galatians 6:2

    Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

  • 2 Corinthians 6:6

    By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

  • 2 Corinthians 2:10

    To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Forbearing.
Ro 15:1,2; 2Co 6:6; Ga 6:2; Eph 4:2,32
forgiving.
Mt 5:44; 6:12,14,15; 18:21-35; Mr 11:25; Lu 6:35-37; 11:4; 17:3,4
Lu 23:34; Jas 2:13
quarrel. or complaint.
Mt 18:15-17; 1Co 6:7,8
even.
Lu 5:20-24; 7:48-50; 2Co 2:10; Eph 4:32; 5:2; 1Pe 2:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Colossians 3:12

    Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

  • Colossians 3:13

    Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

  • Colossians 3:14

    And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Read all of Colossians 3

Colossians 3:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sufriéndoos los unos á los otros, y perdonándoos los unos á los otros si alguno tuviere queja del otro: de la manera que Cristo os perdonó, así también hacedlo vosotros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		vous supportant l’un l’autre et vous pardonnant les uns aux autres, si l’un a un sujet de plainte contre un autre; comme aussi le Christ vous a pardonné, vous aussi faites de même.
German
Elberfelder 1871		einander ertragend und euch gegenseitig vergebend, wenn einer Klage hat wider den anderen; wie auch der Christus euch vergeben hat, also auch ihr.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		supportantes invicem, et donantes vobismetipsis si quis adversus aliquem habet querelam: sicut et Dominus donavit vobis, ita et vos.