Colossians 3:21
New International Version
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

New Living Translation
Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

English Standard Version
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Berean Standard Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.

Berean Literal Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children lest they might become discouraged.

King James Bible
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

New King James Version
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

New American Standard Bible
Fathers, do not antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.

NASB 1995
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

NASB 1977
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.

Legacy Standard Bible
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

Amplified Bible
Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or exasperate your children [with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by favoritism or indifference; treat them tenderly with lovingkindness], so they will not lose heart and become discouraged or unmotivated [with their spirits broken].

Christian Standard Bible
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they won’t become discouraged.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they won’t become discouraged.

American Standard Version
Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Parents, do not anger your children, lest they lose heart.

Contemporary English Version
Parents, don't be hard on your children. If you are, they might give up.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Fathers, provoke not your children to indignation, lest they be discouraged.

English Revised Version
Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Fathers, don't make your children resentful, or they will become discouraged.

Good News Translation
Parents, do not irritate your children, or they will become discouraged.

International Standard Version
Fathers, do not make your children resentful. Otherwise, they'll become discouraged.

Literal Standard Version
the fathers: do not distress your children, lest they be discouraged;

Majority Standard Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.

New American Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

NET Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened.

New Revised Standard Version
Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.

New Heart English Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they won't be discouraged.

Webster's Bible Translation
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Weymouth New Testament
Fathers, do not fret and harass your children, or you may make them sullen and morose.

World English Bible
Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged.

Young's Literal Translation
the fathers! vex not your children, lest they be discouraged.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Christian Households
20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged. 22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.…

Cross References
Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Colossians 3:22
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.


Treasury of Scripture

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Psalm 103:13
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

Proverbs 3:12
For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Proverbs 4:1-4
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding…

See on

Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 2:11
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

Hebrews 12:5-11
And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: …

Jump to Previous
Anger Broken Children Discouraged Disheartened Embitter End Exasperate Fathers Fret Harass Hard Heart Morose Provoke Spirit Sullen Vex Won't
Jump to Next
Anger Broken Children Discouraged Disheartened Embitter End Exasperate Fathers Fret Harass Hard Heart Morose Provoke Spirit Sullen Vex Won't
Colossians 3
1. He shows where we should seek Christ.
5. He exhorts to holiness;
10. to put off the old self, and put on Christ;
12. exhorting to charity, humility,
18. and other duties.














(21) Provoke not . . . to anger.--This, in the text followed by our version, is borrowed from Ephesians 6:4. The true reading is provoke to emulation, as in 2Corinthians 9:2. What is forbidden is a constant and restless stimulation, "spurring the willing horse;" which will end in failure and despondency.

Verse 21. - Ye fathers, do not irritate your children, lest they be disheartened (Ephesians 6:4). Αρεθίζω ("irritate" or "provoke") St. Paul uses once besides (2 Corinthians 9:2), in a good sense. It implies a use of parental authority which, by continual exactions and complaints, teaches the child to look on the father as his enemy rather than his friend. The synonymous παροργίζω of Ephesians 6:4, found here in many copies, is, more definitely "to rouse to anger." Αθυμέω (only here in the New Testament) means "to lose heart," to have the confidence and high spirit of youth broken; "fractus animus pestis juventutis" (Bengel). In place of this treatment, "the discipline and admonition of the Lord" are recommended in Ephesians 6:4.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Fathers,
πατέρες (pateres)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.

{do} not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

provoke
ἐρεθίζετε (erethizete)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2042: To stir up, arouse to anger, provoke, irritate, incite. From a presumed prolonged form of eris; to stimulate.

your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

children,
τέκνα (tekna)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5043: A child, descendent, inhabitant. From the base of timoria; a child.

so
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

they will not become discouraged.
ἀθυμῶσιν (athymōsin)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 120: To lose heart, be despondent, be disheartened. From a compound of a and thumos; to be spiritless, i.e. Disheartened.


Links
Colossians 3:21 NIV
Colossians 3:21 NLT
Colossians 3:21 ESV
Colossians 3:21 NASB
Colossians 3:21 KJV

Colossians 3:21 BibleApps.com
Colossians 3:21 Biblia Paralela
Colossians 3:21 Chinese Bible
Colossians 3:21 French Bible
Colossians 3:21 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Colossians 3:21 Fathers don't provoke your children so that (Coloss. Col Co)
Colossians 3:20
Top of Page
Top of Page