But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.
Parallel Translations
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But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.
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But he that doth wronge shall receave for the wronge that he hath done: for there is no respect of persons.
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But he that doeth wrong, shall receiue for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (18)
Passages linked to Colossians 3:25 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Acts 10:34 Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism;
- Romans 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
- Deuteronomy 10:17 For Yahweh your God, he is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awesome, who doesn’t respect persons or take bribes.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:6 that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified.
- Ephesians 6:9 You masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7 Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”
- 1 Peter 1:17 If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear,
- Colossians 4:1 Masters, give to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
- Hebrews 2:2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty,
- Leviticus 19:15 “ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.
- Deuteronomy 1:17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”
- 2 Samuel 14:14 For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
- Job 34:19 He doesn’t respect the persons of princes, nor respect the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands.
- Job 37:24 Therefore men revere him. He doesn’t regard any who are wise of heart.”
- Luke 20:21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God.
- 1 Corinthians 6:7-8 Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? No, but you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and that against your brothers.
- Jude 1:16 These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts—and their mouth speaks proud things—showing respect of persons to gain advantage.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain He requireth of masters that being mindful how that…
He requireth of masters that being mindful how that they themselves also shall render an account before that heavenly Lord and Master, which will revenge wrongful doings without any respect of masters or servants, they show themselves just and upright with equity, unto their servants.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for…
25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Ver. 25. But he that doth wrong] Be it but by not doing right to poor servants, which in those days were bondslaves. Note here, saith an interpreter, the apostle’s candour; he was not of the humour of lawyers, that seldom speak much but for great men, or when they may have great gifts.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain But he that doeth wrong; but if the reward…
But he that doeth wrong; but if the reward will not engage to a right discharge of these relative duties, the injurious person,
whether he be bond or free, Eph 6:8, an inferior servant or a domineering master, who doth violate the rules of right, agreeing with the law natural and eternal,
Read full note →
shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; shall have the just recompence of that injury, whereby he wrongs his correlate; the penalty apportioned to his fault, Rom 2:6; 2Co 5:10; 2Pe 2:13.
And there is no respect of persons; from the impartiality of Divine justice, there is no respect of persons with God, Rom 2:11, or with Christ, in the place parallel to this, Eph 6:9, who is so righteous a Judge that he is not swayed by the outward circumstances and qualifications of men, whether potent or poor, Lev 19:15; Job 34:19; he seeth not as man seeth, he looketh not on the outward appearance, but on the heart, 1Sa 16:7; in the distribution of justice, he will put no difference between the mightiest monarch and the most enslaved peasant; the purloining servant, and oppressing master shall certainly receive answerable to their doings from his impartial hand: the mean one who is at present abused without relief, and the great one who doth tyrannize without control, shall one day have right, and be reckoned with by the righteous Judge, 2Ti 4:8, who will show to all the world that he will honour those that honour him, and lightly esteem those that despise him, 1Sa 2:30, and that he is the avenger of all those that are wronged, 1Th 4:6; 2Th 1:6.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain That is "Such servants as have wronged their masters,…
That is "Such servants as have wronged their masters, or such masters as have oppressed their servants, God, who respects no man’s person, and regardeth the rich no more than the poor, will take this time to revenge the injuries and wrong, done by either to each other."
Note here, The severity and impartiality of divine justice: God, the righteous judge, will revenge the wrong, every wrong, whensoever, and by whomsoever it is done; he will revenge it impartially, he will revenge it proportionably; a just retribution, according to the wrong done, shall be rendered to everyone by the righteous and just God: He that hath done wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain But he that doth wrong,.... Which may be understood,…
But he that doth wrong,.... Which may be understood, both of servants that do wrong to their masters through sloth and idleness, neglecting their business, embezzling their masters' goods, and defrauding them of their substance; and of masters that injure their servants by withholding from them proper food, and raiment; by cheating them of their wages, either giving them none at all, or too little, or detaining them too long, and by giving them bad language, and hard blows, and such like severe usage:
shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; either in this world, or in the other; God will avenge all such injuries, sooner or later; so that these words may be considered either as said with a view to deter servants from evil practices, or to comfort them under the maltreatment they may meet with from cruel masters:
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and there is no respect of persons. The Vulgate Latin and Arabic Versions add, "with God"; which undoubtedly is the sense; he regards not the rich more than the poor; he makes no difference between bond and free, the servant and the master; he will not take the part of the one, because he is a master, nor neglect, the other, because he is a servant, but will do that which is just and right with regard to them both; See Gill on Eph 6:9.
Next: Colossians Chapter 4
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 25. But he that doeth wrong] It is…
Verse 25. But 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. He that is unfaithful in that which is little, will be unfaithful in much, if he have opportunity; and God alone is the defence against an unfaithful servant.
There is no respect] God neither esteems nor despises any man because of his outward condition and circumstances; for there is no respect of persons with him. Every man is, in the eye of God, what he is in his soul: if holy, loved; if wicked, despised and rejected.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain But--The oldest manuscripts read, "for," which accords with "serve…
But--The oldest manuscripts read, "for," which accords with "serve ye," &c. (Col 3:24), the oldest reading: the for here gives a motive for obeying the precept. 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. He favors the master no more than the slave (Rev 6:15).
Next: Colossians Chapter 4
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 25. But he that doeth wrong] The spiritual emancipation…
25. But he that doeth wrong] The spiritual emancipation of the slave writes the law of duty on his heart.—The case of Onesimus was surely in the Apostle’s mind throughout this passage.
shall receive] from the Divine Master and Judge; the next words, with their parallel in Ephesians, fix the reference. The Gospel, the great charter of liberty for man, always refuses him licence, even where he is the victim of oppression. See Introd. to the Ep. to Philemon, p. 158.
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no respect of persons] “with the Master who is in heaven” (Eph_6:9).—See Exo_23:3; Exo_23:6, for a striking example of Scriptural equity: “thou shalt not countenance a poor man in his cause”; “thou shall not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.” Here and in Eph_6:9 we have identically the same principle, the impartiality of God, applied alike to the conscience of the slave and to the conscience of his owner.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (25) He that doeth wrong is clearly here the…
(25) He that doeth wrong is clearly here the master (see Eph_6:9), though, of course, the phrase cannot be limited to him.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain For he that doeth wrong shall receive again that…
For he that doeth wrong shall receive again that he did wrong; and there is no respect of persons (Eph_6:8, Eph_6:9; Php_1:28; 2Th_1:5-7; 1Pe_1:17; Rom_2:11; Gal_2:6) "For" is replaced by "but" in the same inferior copies which insert it in the last sentence. Here we have the ether side of the recompense promised in ver. 24 a, to which the explanatory "for" points back. The impartial justice which avenges every wrong guarantees the reward of the faithful servant of Christ. So the Old Testament saints rightly argued (Psa_37:9-11 Psa_58:10, 11 64:7-10) that the punishment of the evil doer affords hope to the righteous man. This warning is quite general in its terms, and applies alike to the unfaithful servant and to the unjust master (comp. Eph_6:8) At the judgment seat of Christ there will be no favouritism: all ranks and orders of men will stand on precisely the same footing. (Col_3:11) The word ajdikew, twice employed here, denotes a legal wrong or injury; (1Co_6:7, 1Co_6:8) e.g. the conduct of Onesimus towards Philemon (ver. 18). The verb "receive" (komizomai, carry off, gain; (2Co_5:10; 1Pe_5:4; Mat_25:27) looks more to the receiver, whereas ajpolhmyesqe ajpo (ver. 24) points to the giver. Proswpolhmyia (literally, accepting of the face) is a pure Hebraism, found in St. James twice, and four times in St. Paul.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong…
Col_3:25
He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done.
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I. Punishment threatened.
1. To masters.
(1) Imperious masters wrong their servants.
(a) By defrauding them of their clothing, food, or wages.
(b) By imposing labours beyond their strength.
(c) By afflicting them with reproaches and unjust stripes, for all of which see Exo_5:1-23.
(2) For these wrongs servants are not to rise against their masters in anger, nor leave their tasks through idleness: God will see due punishment done as He did to the Egyptian oppressors.
2. To servants.
(1) Contumacious servants wrong their masters as far as they do not pay them due obedience and reverence; and deceitful and slothful servants because they do not yield due submission, or do so without sincerity.
(2) These shall be punished for their dishonesty by God the Avenger and Judge (2Ki_5:1-27.).
3. Instructions to both.
(1) In all sin it is determined by God that punishment shall be inflicted. What, then, can it profit to have avoided the avenging hand of men, and to fall into the hands of the living God?
(2) Earthly masters, however powerful, cannot with impunity trample on their dependants, for they are subject to God, and must render an account before His tribunal.
(3) Those who are wronged must not revenge, but leave that to God.
II. An objection anticipated.
1. Masters might object, Who shall call us to account? Slaves were accounted as nothing. According to the lawyers no wrong could be done to them. But in case of arraignment, by power and bribery it was easy to secure acquittal. The apostle affirmed that in the final court there was a judge who recognized the rights of slaves and who was not to be terrified by power, nor turned aside by favour or bribes (Job_34:19).
2. Servants might object, If we neglect the duties of our wretched bondage surely the merciful God will not punish us. Paul denies that God can favour the poor more than the rich (Exo_23:3; Lev_19:15).
3. Instructions.
(1) Not only the wrongs done to the great, but those to the small have God alike for their avenger.
(2) It behoves those who act for God on earth to imitate this Divine justice. A judge should be a sanctuary for all impartially. (Bishop Davenant.)
Retribution in this life
Herod the Great, the slayer of the innocents, and first persecutor of Christianity, was overwhelmed with agonizing physical disease; and his numerous family was extinct in a hundred years. Pilate, who condemned Christ, was soon after expelled from office and committed suicide. Nero, after slaying thousands of Christians, attempted to take his own life; but failing through cowardice, called others to his aid. The persecutor Domitian was murdered by his own people. So it was with Caius, Severus, and Heliogabalus. Scarcely one of the prominent persecutors of the Church escaped signal retribution. Claudius was eaten of worms. Decius, Gallus, Aurelian, Maximin all died violent deaths. Maximinius put out the eyes of thousands of subjects, and himself died of a fearful disease of the eyes. Valens, who caused fourscore presbyters to be sent to sea in a ship and burnt alive, was himself defeated by the Goths, fled to a cottage which was fired, and he perished in the flames. (E. Foster.)
The certainty of future retribution
As you stood some stormy day upon a sea cliff, and marked the giant billow rise from the deep to rush on with foaming crest, and throw itself thundering on the trembling shore, did you ever fancy that you could stay its course, and hurl it back into the depths of the ocean? Did you ever stand beneath the leaden, lowering cloud, and mark the lightnings leap as it shot and flashed, dazzling athwart the gloom, and think that you could grasp the bolt, and change its path? Still more vain and foolish his thought, who fancies that he can arrest or turn aside the purpose of God. (T. Guthrie, D. D.)
The Divine justice
Justice in general is the giving every one their due. In God it is that attribute whereby He disposeth all things according to the rule of equity (Deu_32:4; Psa_11:5), and rendereth to every man according to his works without respect of persons (Psa_62:12; Job_34:11; Job_34:19; Son_6:6-7). God is positively or affirmatively just (Zep_3:5); He is eminently the Just One (Act_7:52); He is superlatively most just (Job_34:17). Wilt thou condemn Him who is most just? or, as some read it, justice--justice without the least tincture, mixture, or shadow of injustice. He giveth to all their due, without fear of evil. He standeth in awe of none for their power or greatness. His day of vengeance is against the cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan, and all the high mountains (Isa_2:13-14), without hope of gain. Men are unjust for bribes (Hos_4:14); but riches prevail not in the day of His wrath (Pro_11:4; Eze_7:19). He is no taker of gifts (2Ch_19:7), and without respect to any in their honours or outward excellencies (Jer_22:24). He will not pluck the signet from His hand in the day of His justice. Israel were a people near to Him (Deu_4:7; Psa_148:14), yet He doth not spare them when they rebel against Him (Psa_74:1-3; Psa_44:10-14; Jer_7:12). Adam and the angels were great and excellent beings, yet when they sinned He made them suffer. He accepteth not the persons of princes nor regardeth the rich more than the poor (Job_34:19). Men may do justly, God must do justly. (G. Swinnock.)
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Wrongdoing returns upon the sinner
Do you remember that poem of Southeys about Sir Ralph the Rover? On the east of Scotland, near Arbroath, in the old days, a good man had placed a float with a bell attached on the dangerous Inchcape Rock, so that the mariners hearing it might keep away. This Sir Ralph the Rover, in a moment of devilry, cut away both float and bell. It was a cruel thing to do. Years passed. Sir Ralph roamed over many parts of the world. In the end he returned to Scotland. As he neared the coast a storm arose. Where was he? Where was the ship drifting? Oh that he knew where he was! Oh that he could hear the bell on the Inchcape Rock! But years ago, in his sinful folly, he, with his own hands, had cut it away. Hark! to that grating sound heard amid the storm, felt amid the breakers; the ship is struck; the rock penetrates her, she goes to pieces, and with curses of rage and despair, the sinners sin has found him out; he sinks to rise no more until the great day of judgment. (G. Litting, LL. B.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 25. He that doeth wrong. Whether master or slave.…
25. He that doeth wrong. Whether master or slave. All will be requited, and before Christ, all, master and slave, stand upon the same footing.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.