Colossians 3:19

οἱ ἄνδρες. On the article see Colossians 3:18.

ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας. The command is enlarged in || Ephesians 5:25-33 and reasons are added.

In this relation above all others is love the fulfilling of the law.

καὶ μὴ πικραίνεσθε πρὸς αὐτάς, “and be not severe towards them.”

πικρ. is used literally in Revelation 8:11; Revelation 10:9-10.

Both according to derivation and according to the use of πικρία (see J. A. R. on Ephesians 4:31), “be not bitter “is a natural and even here possibly right translation. But with us “bitterness” implies a deep and generally half-cynical resentment, and the usage of πικραίνω, παραπικραίνω in the LXX. is far from being so uniform as to make this meaning necessary, for they are frequently used to translate Hebrew words signifying “to be angry,” “to provoke,” etc., e.g. Exodus 16:20; Jeremiah 39(32):32; Deuteronomy 32:16 (παραπικρ. Β, ἐκπικρ. Α). Perhaps “be not cross” or “be not severe “would meet the case best. Cf. Jos. Antt. V. vii. 1, Abimelech acts tyrannically πρὸς τοὺς τοῦ δικαίου προισταμένους ἐκπικραινόμενος.