1 Petrus 1:6

1:6 This brings you great joy, ¹  although you may have to suffer ²  for a short time in various trials.

1 Petrus 2:13

Submission to Authorities

2:13 Be subject to every human institution ³  for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme

1 Petrus 2:16

2:16 Live ⁴  as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves. ⁵ 

1 Petrus 3:3

3:3 Let your ⁶  beauty ⁷  not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry ⁸  or fine clothes –

1 Petrus 3:17

3:17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, ⁹  than for doing evil.

1 Petrus 5:3

5:3 And do not lord it over ¹⁰  those entrusted to you, ¹¹  but be examples to the flock.

1 Petrus 5:6

5:6 And God will exalt you in due time, ¹²  if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand ¹³ 

1 Petrus 5:13

5:13 The church ¹⁴  in Babylon, ¹⁵  chosen together with you, ¹⁶  greets you, and so does Mark, my son.

[1:6]  ¹ tn Grk “in which you exult.”

[1:6]  ² 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.”

[2:13]  ³ tn Or “every human being”; Grk “every human creation,” denoting either everything created for mankind (NRSV mg: “every institution ordained for human beings”) or every creature who is human. The meaning of the verb “be subject” and the following context supports the rendering adopted in the text.

[2:16]  ⁴ tn There is no main verb in this verse, but it continues the sense of command from v. 13, “be subject…, as free people…not using…but as slaves of God.”

[2:16]  ⁵ tn Traditionally, “servants” or “bondservants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[2:16]  sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”

[3:3]  ⁶ tn Grk “whose,” referring to the wives.

[3:3]  ⁷ tn Or “adornment.”

[3:3]  ⁸ tn The word “jewelry” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate that gold ornaments or jewelry is intended; otherwise the reader might assume wearing gold-colored clothing was forbidden.

[3:17]  ⁹ tn Grk “if the will of God should will it.” As in 3:14 the Greek construction here implies that suffering for doing good was not what God normally willed, even though it could happen, and in fact may have happened to some of the readers (cf. 4:4, 12-19).

[5:3]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “not as lording it over…but being examples.” The participles continue the command of v. 2 by describing how the shepherding should be carried out.

[5:3]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the ones allotted,” referring to those God has given over to their care.

[5:6]  ¹² tn Grk “in time,” but connoting “the proper time, when the time is right” as in Matt 24:45; Luke 12:42.

[5:6]  ¹³ tn Grk “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that in due time he may exalt you.” The sentence was rearranged so that the English reader could more clearly see the connection between “casting” (v. 7) and “humble” (v. 6).

[5:13]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “the one in Babylon,” which could refer to some individual woman (“she who is in Babylon”) since the Greek article (here “the one”) is feminine. But it is much more likely to be a veiled reference to a church (the Greek word “church” is also feminine in gender).

[5:13]  ¹⁵ sn Most scholars understand Babylon here to be a figurative reference to Rome. Although in the OT the city of Babylon in Mesopotamia was the seat of tremendous power (2 Kgs 24-25; Isa 39; Jer 25), by the time of the NT what was left was an insignificant town, and there is no tradition in Christian history that Peter ever visited there. On the other hand, Christian tradition connects Peter with the church in Rome, and many interpreters think other references to Babylon in the NT refer to Rome as well (Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). Thus it is likely Peter was referring to Rome here.

[5:13]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “chosen together,” implying the connection “with you” in context.