Colossians 4:1
aMASTERS, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master bin heaven.
MASTERS, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
οἱ κύριοι, τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἰσότητα τοῖς δούλοις παρέχεσθε, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχετε Κύριον ἐν οὐρανοῖς.
Textual key: no entry
a:
Ephesians 6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
Leviticus 25:43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.
Leviticus 19:13 ¶Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
Deuteronomy 24:14 ¶Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:
Deuteronomy 24:15 At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.
Malachi 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
James 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
b:
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isaiah 57:16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
Isaiah 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Psalms 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
Psalms 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Psalms 123:0 A Song of degrees.
That this verse doth refer to the foregoing chapter, and that it was unadvisedly divided from it, is generally agreed.
having put servants upon their duty, he doth here engage all those who have a just right over servants to mind their own duty toward those under their command.
though your extract or estate hath advanced you above them in human society, yet yoa have the same nature and infirmities that they have, and (as in the foregoing verse) must appear with them before the same Judge and rewarder at the same tribunal. And the apostle doth elsewhere, Eph 6:9, require of masters in their superior relation, what he doth of servants in their inferior one, to do the same things, i.e. not the particular offices of their servants, but, according to general rules of right reason, that which, by the law of God, nature, and nations, is common to and incumbent on all relatives, Rom 13:7,8 Ga 5:13 Eph 6:9. As he doth here require masters to do their servants right, give to them that which is their due for soul and body, Gen 18:19 Exo 12:44; with respect to work, that it be neither too much nor too little, Pro 12:10 29:21; to food, that it be convenient for nourishment, not luxury, Pro 27:27 31:15 Luk 12:42 15:17; wages, Exo 2:21 Jas 5:4; and recompence, Deu 15:13.
ye are likewise to give them that which is equal, or equitable, as well as just, which implies you should not be cruel to them, or discourage them; as you expect they should serve you with good will, so you should govern them wisely, and be good and gentle to them, Psa 101:2 1Pe 2:18, who are faithful, allowing them seasonable rest and refreshment, Deu 15:14, not despising their prudent answers, Job 31:13,14, but showing them favour in sickness as well as in health, 2Ki 5:5,6 Pr 14:35 Mat 8:6.
and that upon this weighty reason, intimated before, that he above, whom you serve, will treat you as you do them; this you may be assured of, Eph 6:8,9. If you expect favour at his hands, when he comes to distribute rewards and punishments, show it now to your inferiors, who will then appear as your fellow servants, when you must give an account of your stewardship, Mat 24:49-51, with Luk 16:2.