1 Petrus 1:2-3

1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling ¹  with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure! ² 

New Birth to Joy and Holiness

1:3 Blessed be ³  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Petrus 1:10

1:10 Concerning this salvation, ⁴  the prophets ⁵  who predicted the grace that would come to you ⁶  searched and investigated carefully.

1 Petrus 1:13

1:13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action ⁷  by being fully sober, and set your hope ⁸  completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁹ 

1 Petrus 1:2

1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling ¹⁰  with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure! ¹¹ 

1 Petrus 1:1-25

Salutation

1:1 From Peter, ¹²  an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those temporarily residing ¹³  abroad ¹⁴  (in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, ¹⁵  and Bithynia) who are chosen ¹⁶  1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling ¹⁷  with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure! ¹⁸ 

New Birth to Joy and Holiness

1:3 Blessed be ¹⁹  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1:4 that is, ²⁰  into ²¹  an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 1:5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1:6 This brings you great joy, ²²  although you may have to suffer ²³  for a short time in various trials. 1:7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, ²⁴  which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away ²⁵  – and will bring praise ²⁶  and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ²⁷  1:8 You ²⁸  have not seen him, but you love him. You ²⁹  do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice ³⁰  with an indescribable and glorious ³¹  joy, 1:9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.

1:10 Concerning this salvation, ³²  the prophets ³³  who predicted the grace that would come to you ³⁴  searched and investigated carefully. 1:11 They probed ³⁵  into what person or time ³⁶  the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ ³⁷  and his subsequent glory. ³⁸  1:12 They were shown ³⁹  that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things angels long to catch a glimpse of.

1:13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action ⁴⁰  by being fully sober, and set your hope ⁴¹  completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁴²  1:14 Like obedient children, do not comply with ⁴³  the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, ⁴⁴  1:15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 1:16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” ⁴⁵  1:17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here ⁴⁶  in reverence. 1:18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, 1:19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. 1:20 He was foreknown ⁴⁷  before the foundation of the world but ⁴⁸  was manifested in these last times ⁴⁹  for your sake. 1:21 Through him you now trust ⁵⁰  in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

1:22 You have purified ⁵¹  your souls by obeying the truth ⁵²  in order to show sincere mutual love. ⁵³  So ⁵⁴  love one another earnestly from a pure heart. ⁵⁵  1:23 You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 1:24 For

all flesh ⁵⁶  is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of the grass; ⁵⁷ 

the grass withers and the flower falls off,

1:25 but the word of the Lord ⁵⁸  endures forever. ⁵⁹ 

And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

1 Petrus 3:7

3:7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners ⁶⁰  and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers. ⁶¹ 

1 Petrus 3:4

3:4 but the inner person ⁶²  of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.

1 Petrus 1:1-25

Salutation

1:1 From Peter, ⁶³  an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those temporarily residing ⁶⁴  abroad ⁶⁵  (in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, ⁶⁶  and Bithynia) who are chosen ⁶⁷  1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling ⁶⁸  with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure! ⁶⁹ 

New Birth to Joy and Holiness

1:3 Blessed be ⁷⁰  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1:4 that is, ⁷¹  into ⁷²  an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 1:5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1:6 This brings you great joy, ⁷³  although you may have to suffer ⁷⁴  for a short time in various trials. 1:7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, ⁷⁵  which is much more valuable than gold – gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away ⁷⁶  – and will bring praise ⁷⁷  and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁷⁸  1:8 You ⁷⁹  have not seen him, but you love him. You ⁸⁰  do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice ⁸¹  with an indescribable and glorious ⁸²  joy, 1:9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.

1:10 Concerning this salvation, ⁸³  the prophets ⁸⁴  who predicted the grace that would come to you ⁸⁵  searched and investigated carefully. 1:11 They probed ⁸⁶  into what person or time ⁸⁷  the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified beforehand about the sufferings appointed for Christ ⁸⁸  and his subsequent glory. ⁸⁹  1:12 They were shown ⁹⁰  that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things angels long to catch a glimpse of.

1:13 Therefore, get your minds ready for action ⁹¹  by being fully sober, and set your hope ⁹²  completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁹³  1:14 Like obedient children, do not comply with ⁹⁴  the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, ⁹⁵  1:15 but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 1:16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” ⁹⁶  1:17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here ⁹⁷  in reverence. 1:18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, 1:19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. 1:20 He was foreknown ⁹⁸  before the foundation of the world but ⁹⁹  was manifested in these last times ¹⁰⁰  for your sake. 1:21 Through him you now trust ¹⁰¹  in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

1:22 You have purified ¹⁰²  your souls by obeying the truth ¹⁰³  in order to show sincere mutual love. ¹⁰⁴  So ¹⁰⁵  love one another earnestly from a pure heart. ¹⁰⁶  1:23 You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 1:24 For

all flesh ¹⁰⁷  is like grass

and all its glory like the flower of the grass; ¹⁰⁸ 

the grass withers and the flower falls off,

1:25 but the word of the Lord ¹⁰⁹  endures forever. ¹¹⁰ 

And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

1 Petrus 5:5

5:5 In the same way, you who are younger, ¹¹¹  be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. ¹¹² 

1 Petrus 5:10

5:10 And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ ¹¹³  will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹⁴ 

1 Petrus 5:12

Final Greetings

5:12 Through Silvanus, ¹¹⁵  whom I know to be a faithful brother, ¹¹⁶  I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you and testify ¹¹⁷  that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. ¹¹⁸ 

[1:2]  ¹ sn For obedience and for sprinkling indicates the purpose of their choice or election by God.

[1:2]  ² tn Grk “be multiplied to you.”

[1:3]  ³ tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. Two factors of the author’s style come into play. At this point the author is describing the reality of believers’ salvation and will soon explain believers’ necessary response; this is in emulation of Pauline style which generally follows the same logical order (although the author here discusses the reality in a much more compressed fashion). On the other hand, when imitating the Pauline greeting, which is normally verbless, the author inserts the optative (see v. 2 above). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the fact that the author in the immediate context has used the optative when imitating a Pauline stylized statement would argue for the optative here. The translation uses the term “blessed” in the sense “worthy of praise” as this is in keeping with the traditional translation of berakah psalms. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3.

[1:10]  ⁴ tn Grk “about which salvation.”

[1:10]  ⁵ sn Prophets refers to the OT prophets.

[1:10]  ⁶ tn Grk “who prophesied about the grace that is to/for you.”

[1:13]  ⁷ tn Grk “binding up the loins of your mind,” a figure of speech drawn from the Middle Eastern practice of gathering up long robes around the waist to prepare for work or action.

[1:13]  ⁸ tn Grk “having bound up…, being sober, set your hope…”

[1:13]  ⁹ tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 7).

[1:2]  ¹⁰ sn For obedience and for sprinkling indicates the purpose of their choice or election by God.

[1:2]  ¹¹ tn Grk “be multiplied to you.”

[1:1]  ¹² tn Grk “Peter.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ¹³ tn Or “to those living as resident aliens,” “to the exiles.” This term is used metaphorically of Christians who live in this world as foreigners, since their homeland is heaven.

[1:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles. But here it is probably metaphorical, used of Gentile Christians spread out as God’s people in the midst of a godless world.

[1:1]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[1:1]  ¹⁶ tn Or “to the chosen sojourners…” On this reading the phrases in v. 2 describe their entire existence as sojourners, etc., not just their election.

[1:2]  ¹⁷ sn For obedience and for sprinkling indicates the purpose of their choice or election by God.

[1:2]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “be multiplied to you.”

[1:3]  ¹⁹ tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. Two factors of the author’s style come into play. At this point the author is describing the reality of believers’ salvation and will soon explain believers’ necessary response; this is in emulation of Pauline style which generally follows the same logical order (although the author here discusses the reality in a much more compressed fashion). On the other hand, when imitating the Pauline greeting, which is normally verbless, the author inserts the optative (see v. 2 above). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the fact that the author in the immediate context has used the optative when imitating a Pauline stylized statement would argue for the optative here. The translation uses the term “blessed” in the sense “worthy of praise” as this is in keeping with the traditional translation of berakah psalms. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3.

[1:4]  ²⁰ tn The phrase “that is” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the imperishable inheritance is in apposition to the living hope of v. 3.

[1:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “into,” continuing the description of v. 3 without an “and.”

[1:6]  ²² tn Grk “in which you exult.”

[1:6]  ²³ tc ‡ The oldest and best witnesses lack the verb (א* B, along with 1505 pc), but most mss (Ì⁷² א² A C P Ψ 048 33 1739 Ï) have ἐστίν here (estin, “[if] it is [necessary]”). The verb looks to be an explanatory gloss. But if no verb is present, this opens up the time frame in the author’s mind even more, since the conditional particle for both the first class condition and the fourth class condition is εἰ (ei). That may well be what was on the author’s mind, as evidenced by some of his other allusions to suffering in this little letter (3:14, 17). NA²⁷ has the verb in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[1:6]  tn Grk “Though now, for a little while if necessary, you may have to suffer.”

[1:7]  ²⁴ tn Or “genuineness,” the result of testing. On the other hand it may denote the process of testing: “that the proving of your faith…may bring praise.”

[1:7]  sn The author is not asserting that the quality of the readers’ faith is in doubt and will be proven by future trials. He declares their faith to be a present reality in v. 5 and 9, so in context v. 8 affirms that their faith is indeed genuine.

[1:7]  ²⁵ tn Grk “which is passing away but is tested by fire,” describing gold in a lesser-to-greater comparison with faith’s proven character.

[1:7]  ²⁶ tn Grk “that the testing of your faith…may be found unto praise,” showing the result of the trials mentioned in v. 6.

[1:7]  ²⁷ tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 13).

[1:8]  ²⁸ tn Grk “whom not having seen, you love.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:8]  ²⁹ tn Grk “in whom not now seeing…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:8]  ³⁰ tn Grk “in whom not now seeing but believing, you exult.” The participles have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[1:8]  ³¹ tn Grk “glorified.”

[1:10]  ³² tn Grk “about which salvation.”

[1:10]  ³³ sn Prophets refers to the OT prophets.

[1:10]  ³⁴ tn Grk “who prophesied about the grace that is to/for you.”

[1:11]  ³⁵ tn Grk “probing.” The participle continues the sentence from v. 10 but has been translated as an indicative for English style.

[1:11]  ³⁶ tn Or “time or circumstances,” focusing not on the person but on the timing and circumstances of the fulfillment.

[1:11]  sn The OT prophets wondered about the person and the surrounding circumstances (time) through which God would fulfill his promised salvation.

[1:11]  ³⁷ tn Grk “the sufferings unto Christ,” i.e., sufferings directed toward him, what he was destined to suffer.

[1:11]  ³⁸ tn Grk “the glories after these things.”

[1:12]  ³⁹ tn Grk “to whom [pl.] it was revealed.”

[1:13]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “binding up the loins of your mind,” a figure of speech drawn from the Middle Eastern practice of gathering up long robes around the waist to prepare for work or action.

[1:13]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “having bound up…, being sober, set your hope…”

[1:13]  ⁴² tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 7).

[1:14]  ⁴³ tn Or “do not be conformed to”; Grk “not being conformed to.”

[1:14]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “the former lusts in your ignorance.”

[1:16]  ⁴⁵ sn A quotation from Lev 19:2.

[1:17]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “the time of your sojourn,” picturing the Christian’s life in this world as a temporary stay in a foreign country (cf. 1:1).

[1:20]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “who was foreknown,” describing Christ in v. 19. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:20]  ⁴⁸ tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

[1:20]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “at the last of the times.”

[1:21]  ⁵⁰ tc Although there may be only a slight difference in translation, the term translated as “trust” is the adjective πιστούς (pistous). This is neither as common nor as clear as the verb πιστεύω (pisteuw, “believe, trust”). Consequently, most mss have the present participle πιστεύοντας (pisteuonta"; Ì⁷² א C P Ψ 1739 Ï), or the aorist participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante"; 33 pc), while A B pc vg have the adjective. Thus, πιστούς is to be preferred. In the NT the adjective is routinely taken passively in the sense of “faithful” (BDAG 820 s.v. πιστός 1). That may be part of the force here as well: “you are now faithful to God,” although the primary force in this context seems to be that of trusting. Nevertheless, it is difficult to separate faith from faithfulness in NT descriptions of Christians’ dependence on God.

[1:21]  tn Grk “who through him [are] trusting,” describing the “you” of v. 20. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:22]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “having purified,” as the preparation for the love described in the second half of the verse.

[1:22]  ⁵² tc Most later mss (P Ï) have διὰ πνεύματος (dia pneumato", “through the spirit”) after ἀληθείας (ajlhqeia", “truth”), while the words are lacking in a broad spectrum of early and important witnesses (Ì⁷² א A B C Ψ 33 81 323 945 1241 1739 al vg sy co). On external grounds, the shorter reading cannot be easily explained if it were not original. The longer reading is clearly secondary, added to show more strongly God’s part in man’s obedience to the truth. But the addition ignores the force that the author gives to “purified” and ruins the balance between v. 22 and v. 23 (for in v. 23 the emphasis is on God’s part; here, on man’s part).

[1:22]  ⁵³ tn Grk “for sincere brotherly love.”

[1:22]  ⁵⁴ tn Verses 22-23 are a single sentence in the Greek text. To improve clarity (and because contemporary English tends to use shorter sentences) these verses have been divided into three sentences in the translation. In addition, “So” has been supplied at the beginning of the second English sentence (v. 22b) to indicate the relationship with the preceding statement.

[1:22]  ⁵⁵ tc A few mss (A B 1852 pc) lack καθαρᾶς (kaqaras, “pure”) and read simply καρδίας (kardias, “from the heart”), but there is excellent ms support (Ì⁷² א* C P Ψ 33 1739 Ï co) for the word. The omission may have been accidental. In the uncial script (kaqaras kardias) an accidental omission could have happened via homoioteleuton or homoioarcton. καθαρᾶς should be considered original.

[1:24]  ⁵⁶ sn Here all flesh is a metaphor for humanity – human beings as both frail and temporary.

[1:24]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “a wildflower.”

[1:25]  ⁵⁸ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; here and in Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[1:25]  ⁵⁹ sn A quotation from Isa 40:6, 8.

[3:7]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “living together according to knowledge, as to the weaker, female vessel.” The primary verbs of vs. 7 are participles (“living together…showing honor”) but they continue the sense of command from the previous paragraphs.

[3:7]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “so that your prayers may not be hindered.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek, this clause was translated as a separate sentence.

[3:4]  ⁶² tn Grk “the hidden man.” KJV’s “the hidden man of the heart,” referring to a wife, could be seriously misunderstood by the modern English reader.

[1:1]  ⁶³ tn Grk “Peter.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “to those living as resident aliens,” “to the exiles.” This term is used metaphorically of Christians who live in this world as foreigners, since their homeland is heaven.

[1:1]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles. But here it is probably metaphorical, used of Gentile Christians spread out as God’s people in the midst of a godless world.

[1:1]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[1:1]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “to the chosen sojourners…” On this reading the phrases in v. 2 describe their entire existence as sojourners, etc., not just their election.

[1:2]  ⁶⁸ sn For obedience and for sprinkling indicates the purpose of their choice or election by God.

[1:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “be multiplied to you.”

[1:3]  ⁷⁰ tn There is no verb in the Greek text; either the optative (“be”) or the indicative (“is”) can be supplied. The meaning of the term εὐλογητός (euloghtos) and the author’s intention at this point in the epistle must both come into play to determine which is the preferred nuance. εὐλογητός as an adjective can mean either that one is praised or that one is blessed, that is, in a place of favor and benefit. Two factors of the author’s style come into play. At this point the author is describing the reality of believers’ salvation and will soon explain believers’ necessary response; this is in emulation of Pauline style which generally follows the same logical order (although the author here discusses the reality in a much more compressed fashion). On the other hand, when imitating the Pauline greeting, which is normally verbless, the author inserts the optative (see v. 2 above). When considered as a whole, although a decision is difficult, the fact that the author in the immediate context has used the optative when imitating a Pauline stylized statement would argue for the optative here. The translation uses the term “blessed” in the sense “worthy of praise” as this is in keeping with the traditional translation of berakah psalms. Cf. also 2 Cor 1:3; Eph 1:3.

[1:4]  ⁷¹ tn The phrase “that is” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the imperishable inheritance is in apposition to the living hope of v. 3.

[1:4]  ⁷² tn Grk “into,” continuing the description of v. 3 without an “and.”

[1:6]  ⁷³ tn Grk “in which you exult.”

[1:6]  ⁷⁴ tc ‡ The oldest and best witnesses lack the verb (א* B, along with 1505 pc), but most mss (Ì⁷² א² A C P Ψ 048 33 1739 Ï) have ἐστίν here (estin, “[if] it is [necessary]”). The verb looks to be an explanatory gloss. But if no verb is present, this opens up the time frame in the author’s mind even more, since the conditional particle for both the first class condition and the fourth class condition is εἰ (ei). That may well be what was on the author’s mind, as evidenced by some of his other allusions to suffering in this little letter (3:14, 17). NA²⁷ has the verb in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[1:6]  tn Grk “Though now, for a little while if necessary, you may have to suffer.”

[1:7]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “genuineness,” the result of testing. On the other hand it may denote the process of testing: “that the proving of your faith…may bring praise.”

[1:7]  sn The author is not asserting that the quality of the readers’ faith is in doubt and will be proven by future trials. He declares their faith to be a present reality in v. 5 and 9, so in context v. 8 affirms that their faith is indeed genuine.

[1:7]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “which is passing away but is tested by fire,” describing gold in a lesser-to-greater comparison with faith’s proven character.

[1:7]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “that the testing of your faith…may be found unto praise,” showing the result of the trials mentioned in v. 6.

[1:7]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 13).

[1:8]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “whom not having seen, you love.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:8]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “in whom not now seeing…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:8]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “in whom not now seeing but believing, you exult.” The participles have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[1:8]  ⁸² tn Grk “glorified.”

[1:10]  ⁸³ tn Grk “about which salvation.”

[1:10]  ⁸⁴ sn Prophets refers to the OT prophets.

[1:10]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “who prophesied about the grace that is to/for you.”

[1:11]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “probing.” The participle continues the sentence from v. 10 but has been translated as an indicative for English style.

[1:11]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “time or circumstances,” focusing not on the person but on the timing and circumstances of the fulfillment.

[1:11]  sn The OT prophets wondered about the person and the surrounding circumstances (time) through which God would fulfill his promised salvation.

[1:11]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “the sufferings unto Christ,” i.e., sufferings directed toward him, what he was destined to suffer.

[1:11]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “the glories after these things.”

[1:12]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “to whom [pl.] it was revealed.”

[1:13]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “binding up the loins of your mind,” a figure of speech drawn from the Middle Eastern practice of gathering up long robes around the waist to prepare for work or action.

[1:13]  ⁹² tn Grk “having bound up…, being sober, set your hope…”

[1:13]  ⁹³ tn Grk “at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (cf. v. 7).

[1:14]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “do not be conformed to”; Grk “not being conformed to.”

[1:14]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “the former lusts in your ignorance.”

[1:16]  ⁹⁶ sn A quotation from Lev 19:2.

[1:17]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “the time of your sojourn,” picturing the Christian’s life in this world as a temporary stay in a foreign country (cf. 1:1).

[1:20]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “who was foreknown,” describing Christ in v. 19. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:20]  ⁹⁹ tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

[1:20]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “at the last of the times.”

[1:21]  ¹⁰¹ tc Although there may be only a slight difference in translation, the term translated as “trust” is the adjective πιστούς (pistous). This is neither as common nor as clear as the verb πιστεύω (pisteuw, “believe, trust”). Consequently, most mss have the present participle πιστεύοντας (pisteuonta"; Ì⁷² א C P Ψ 1739 Ï), or the aorist participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante"; 33 pc), while A B pc vg have the adjective. Thus, πιστούς is to be preferred. In the NT the adjective is routinely taken passively in the sense of “faithful” (BDAG 820 s.v. πιστός 1). That may be part of the force here as well: “you are now faithful to God,” although the primary force in this context seems to be that of trusting. Nevertheless, it is difficult to separate faith from faithfulness in NT descriptions of Christians’ dependence on God.

[1:21]  tn Grk “who through him [are] trusting,” describing the “you” of v. 20. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:22]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “having purified,” as the preparation for the love described in the second half of the verse.

[1:22]  ¹⁰³ tc Most later mss (P Ï) have διὰ πνεύματος (dia pneumato", “through the spirit”) after ἀληθείας (ajlhqeia", “truth”), while the words are lacking in a broad spectrum of early and important witnesses (Ì⁷² א A B C Ψ 33 81 323 945 1241 1739 al vg sy co). On external grounds, the shorter reading cannot be easily explained if it were not original. The longer reading is clearly secondary, added to show more strongly God’s part in man’s obedience to the truth. But the addition ignores the force that the author gives to “purified” and ruins the balance between v. 22 and v. 23 (for in v. 23 the emphasis is on God’s part; here, on man’s part).

[1:22]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “for sincere brotherly love.”

[1:22]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Verses 22-23 are a single sentence in the Greek text. To improve clarity (and because contemporary English tends to use shorter sentences) these verses have been divided into three sentences in the translation. In addition, “So” has been supplied at the beginning of the second English sentence (v. 22b) to indicate the relationship with the preceding statement.

[1:22]  ¹⁰⁶ tc A few mss (A B 1852 pc) lack καθαρᾶς (kaqaras, “pure”) and read simply καρδίας (kardias, “from the heart”), but there is excellent ms support (Ì⁷² א* C P Ψ 33 1739 Ï co) for the word. The omission may have been accidental. In the uncial script (kaqaras kardias) an accidental omission could have happened via homoioteleuton or homoioarcton. καθαρᾶς should be considered original.

[1:24]  ¹⁰⁷ sn Here all flesh is a metaphor for humanity – human beings as both frail and temporary.

[1:24]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “a wildflower.”

[1:25]  ¹⁰⁹ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; here and in Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[1:25]  ¹¹⁰ sn A quotation from Isa 40:6, 8.

[5:5]  ¹¹¹ sn In this context younger and elder are terms that combine two meanings: relative age and an official structure of leadership in the church. As in v. 1, elder here denotes those who exercise spiritual leadership, who for the most part are older in years. Likewise younger means the rest of the community, who for the most part are younger in age, who are urged to accept the authority of their leaders.

[5:5]  ¹¹² sn A quotation from Prov 3:34 (cf. Jas 4:6).

[5:10]  ¹¹³ tc ‡ A few important mss (א B 614 630 1505 pc) lack “Jesus” after “Christ,” while the majority include the name (Ì⁷² A P Ψ 33 1739 Ï latt). However, the inclusion is a natural and predictable expansion on the text. NA²⁷ includes ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou, “Jesus”) in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity. .

[5:10]  ¹¹⁴ tn The pronoun “you” is not used explicitly but is clearly implied by the Greek.

[5:12]  ¹¹⁵ sn The phrase Through Silvanus means either that Silvanus was the secretary (amanuensis) who assisted Peter in writing or composing the letter (cf. Rom 16:22) or that he carried the letter to the churches. The latter sense is more likely since this is the meaning of the Greek wording when it is used elsewhere (cf. Acts 15:23; Ignatius, Letter to the Romans 10:1; Letter to the Philadelphians 11:2; Letter to the Smyrnaeans 12:1; Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 14), though it is perhaps possible that both ideas could be incorporated by this expression. For a detailed argument regarding this issue, see E. R. Richards, “Silvanus Was Not Peter’s Secretary: Theological Bias in Interpreting διὰ Σιλουανοῦ…ἔγραψα,” JETS 43 (September 2000): 417-32.

[5:12]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “the faithful brother, as I think.”

[5:12]  ¹¹⁷ tn These are participles (“encouraging and testifying”) showing purpose. The pronoun object “you” is omitted in Greek but implied by the context.

[5:12]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “in which stand fast.” For emphasis, and due to constraints of contemporary English, this was made a separate sentence in the translation.