“work as unto the Lord”
KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)
TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT
To get what Colossians 3:23 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity.
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
What does this verse really mean? Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Greek Scripture. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. Follow the buttons in the right-hand column for detailed definitions and verses that use the same root words. Use this reference information to gain deeper insight into the Bible and enrich your understanding. Information based on Strong's Exhaustive Concordance[1].
| KJV Verse | Original Greek | Meaning/ Definition This is a simplified translation of the original Greek word. Follow the buttons on the right to get more detail. | More Use the buttons below to get details on the Greek word and view related Bible verses that use the same root word. |
|---|---|---|---|
| “And” | καὶ | And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words | And |
| “whatsoever” | τι | Some or any person or object | whatsoever |
| “ye do,” | ποιῆτε | To make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct) | do |
| “do” | ἐργάζεσθε | To toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), (by implication) effect, be engaged in or with, etc | do |
| “it” | (No Greek definition. English implied.) | ||
| “heartily,” | ἐκ | A primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct or remote) | heartily |
| “as” | ὡς | Which how, i.e., in that manner (very variously used, as follows) | as |
| “to” | κυρίῳ | Supreme in authority, i.e., (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title) | to |
| “the” | τῷ | The (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) | the |
| “Lord,” | κυρίῳ | Supreme in authority, i.e., (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title) | Lord |
| “and” | καὶ | And, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words | and |
| “not” | οὐκ | The absolute negative (compare G3361) adverb; no or not | not |
| “unto men;” | ἀνθρώποις | Man-faced, i.e., a human being | men |
See Colossians 3:23 with its adjacent verses in bold below. Follow either of the two large buttons below to see these verses in their broader context of the King James Bible or a Bible concordance.
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21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
The King James Bible (1611) and Strong's Concordance (1890) with Hebrew and Greek dictionaries are sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.