1 Peter 1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, writes to the chosen pilgrims of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia — the two words with which James opened. The opening sets out three phrases: the Father’s foreknowledge, the Spirit’s sanctification, the sprinkling of Jesus Christ’s blood. According to his great mercy God begot us again unto a living hope through the resurrection, unto an inheritance imperishable and undefiled and unfading — ‘unfading’ being the root by which the rich man faded at Jas 1:11. You are garrisoned in the power of God through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time — a word of soldiers. In this you rejoice greatly, though what ‘this’ is the text does not say. The proving of your faith — the phrase of Jas 1:3 — is more precious than gold, which perishes though tested by fire. Not having seen him you love him, and you rejoice greatly with a joy inexpressible, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your lives. Concerning this salvation the prophets sought out and searched out, searching for whom or what time the Spirit of Christ in them was making clear as it testified beforehand of the sufferings to come to Christ and the glories after — three verbs of searching, one with a prefix. They were serving these things not to themselves but to you, and angels desire to stoop to look in — the verb of the empty tomb. So gird up the waist of your mind, be perfectly sober, and hope upon the grace being brought to you — a bodily picture laid on the mind. As children of obedience, do not be conformed to the former desires in your ignorance, but according to the Holy One who called you become holy — ‘You shall be holy’ keeping the future by which the Greek Old Testament writes a command. If you call upon as Father the one who judges without partiality of face, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your sojourn — ‘partiality of face’ being the word on which Jas 2:1-9 was built, negated here. You were redeemed from your futile conduct handed down from the fathers, not with silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and spotless, known beforehand before the founding of the world and made manifest at the last of the times. Having purified your lives in obedience to the truth, love one another earnestly from the heart, having been begotten again not from perishable sowing but from imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God — ‘perishable’ and ‘imperishable’ framing the chapter on one root. Isa 40:6-8 closes it: James used the same picture of the rich man, here it is of all flesh.
Why this rendering
1Pet.1.5 Observation
Syntactic observation
Πέτρος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκλεκτοῖς παρεπιδήμοις διασπορᾶς … The opening sets out three phrases — the Father’s foreknowledge, the Spirit’s sanctification, the sprinkling of Jesus Christ’s blood · παρεπίδημος ‘pilgrim’ stands beside διασπορά, as at Jas 1:1 — the two letters open with the same two words · ῥαντισμός ‘sprinkling’ stands with Heb 12:24 and points to the blood sprinkled at Exod 24:8 · vv.3-5 are one sentence, with ‘unto’ three times over (hope, inheritance, salvation) · ἀναγεννάω ‘beget again’ stands only here and at 1:23, a different word from the birth ‘from above’ at John 3:3 · ἀμάραντος ‘unfading’ is once in the New Testament and shares a root with μαραίνομαι ‘fade away’ at Jas 1:11 — the rich man’s fading stands against an inheritance that does not fade · φρουρέω ‘garrison’ (as fixed at 2 Cor 11:32) is a word of soldiers · ἀποκαλύπτω ‘be revealed’ (as fixed at Gal 1:16) comes at vv.5, 7 and 12.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The two letters open with the same two words — another rendering would cut the link.
Basis It is a different word from ‘born from above’ at John 3:3, and here God is the active subject.
Basis It is the verb of guarding a city at 2 Cor 11:32 — ‘keep’ would collide with τηρέω in the same passage.
Lost in translation
παρεπίδημος · διασπορά (v.1) — the two words of Jas 1:1. Both use the same words.
ἀμάραντος (v.4) — one root with ‘fade away’ at Jas 1:11. ‘Unfading’ keeps the link.
vv.3-5 are one sentence — ‘unto’ three times over. Both keep the repetition.
ἀναγεννάω (v.3) — a different word from ‘born from above’ at John 3:3. Both keep them apart.
φρουρέω (v.5) — a word of soldiers. ‘Garrisoned’ keeps the grain.
The three phrases of v.2 — three different prepositions. Both keep them apart.
Why this rendering
1Pet.1.9 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἐν ᾧ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὀλίγον ἄρτι εἰ ⸀δέον λυπηθέντες ἐν ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς … τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως is the phrase of Jas 1:3 — the two letters speak of testing in the same words · ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς ‘various testings’ is also Jas 1:2 · what ἐν ᾧ ‘in this’ refers to the text does not say · ⸀πολυτιμότερον is comparative, ‘more precious’, and whether the comparison hangs on the proving or on the faith the text does not say · ἀγαλλιάω ‘rejoice greatly’ comes twice, at vv.6 and 8 — the word of Luke 1:47 · ἀνεκλάλητος ‘inexpressible’ is once in the New Testament, the negative of λαλέω ‘speak’ · δεδοξασμένῃ, perfect passive, ‘filled with glory’ · τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως ‘the end of your faith’ has the frame of ‘the end of the command’ at 1 Tim 1:5 · ψυχή ‘life’ comes in the plural.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The two letters use the same phrase — another rendering would cut the link.
Basis Whether salvation, the last time, or the whole sentence before is not said — filling it would choose for the text.
Basis ‘Unspeakable’ keeps the speaking; the text negates the verb of speaking.
Lost in translation
τὸ δοκίμιον τῆς πίστεως (v.7) — the phrase of Jas 1:3. Both use the same words.
ἐν ᾧ (v.6) — the referent is not given. Both leave it open.
⸀πολυτιμότερον (v.7) — where the comparison hangs is not said. Both set it off with dashes.
ἀγαλλιάω (vv.6 · 8) — one verb twice. Both join the two.
ἀνεκλάλητος (v.8) — the negative of λαλέω ‘speak’. ‘Inexpressible’ does not carry the verb.
ψυχῶν (v.9) — plural. Both render the number.
Why this rendering
1Pet.1.12 Observation
Syntactic observation
Περὶ ἧς σωτηρίας ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηραύνησαν προφῆται … ἐξεζήτησαν and ἐξηραύνησαν come one after the other, and ἐραυνῶντες returns at v.11 — three verbs of searching · ἐξεραυνάω ‘search out’ is once in the New Testament, ἐραυνάω of John 5:39 with ἐκ- · προμαρτύρομαι ‘testify beforehand’ is also once in the New Testament · εἰς τίνα ἢ ποῖον καιρόν ‘for whom or for what time’ — whether the first is a person or a thing the text does not divide · τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα ‘the sufferings that were to come to Christ’ — the preposition marks direction, so ‘for Christ’ is not read in · δόξας is plural · διηκόνουν is imperfect · παρακύπτω ‘stoop to look in’ (as fixed at Luke 24:12) is used of angels — the verb of looking into the empty tomb · ἐπιθυμέω ‘desire’ (as fixed at Gal 5:17) is used of angels, so it is not a bad word here.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text sets three verbs of searching, one of them with ἐκ- — merging them would lose the layering.
Basis It also reads ‘for what’, but ‘what time’ follows, so person and time pair — the choice is recorded.
Basis ‘Sufferings for Christ’ would make them the prophets’ own; direction makes them Christ’s — the preposition is kept.
Lost in translation
Three verbs of searching (vv.10-11) — one with ἐκ-. Both keep them apart.
εἰς τίνα (v.11) — person or thing is not divided. Both must choose.
δόξας (v.11) — plural. Both render the number.
παρακύψαι (v.12) — the verb of the empty tomb comes to angels. Both stand alike.
διηκόνουν (v.12) — imperfect. Both render it as a thing being done.
ἐπιθυμοῦσιν (v.12) — ‘desire’ used of angels. Both use the same word.
Why this rendering
1Pet.1.16 Observation
Syntactic observation
Διὸ ἀναζωσάμενοι τὰς ὀσφύας τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν, νήφοντες τελείως … ἀναζώννυμι ‘gird up’ and τελείως ‘perfectly’ are once in the New Testament · ‘the waist of your mind’ lays a bodily picture on the mind — the readiness to leave of Exod 12:11 · νήφω ‘be sober’ (as fixed at 1 Thess 5:6) · φερομένην is a present passive participle, ‘being brought’ — the grace is on its way now · τέκνα ὑπακοῆς ‘children of obedience’ is a Semitic construction (the shape of ‘sons of disobedience’ at Eph 2:2) · συσχηματίζομαι ‘be conformed’ stands with Rom 12:2 · ἐν τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ ὑμῶν ‘in your ignorance’ is the word of Acts 3:17 and 17:30 · the quotation is Lev 11:44 and the like, and ⸀ἔσεσθε is future, standing for a command as the Greek Old Testament has it · ⸀ἅγιος has no copula.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text lays a bodily word on the mind — ‘prepare your minds’ would lose the picture.
Basis It has the shape of ‘sons of disobedience’ at Eph 2:2 — ‘obedient children’ would dissolve it.
Basis The Greek Old Testament writes the command as a future and the text quotes it so.
Lost in translation
τὰς ὀσφύας τῆς διανοίας (v.13) — a bodily word laid on the mind. Both keep the picture.
τέκνα ὑπακοῆς (v.14) — a Semitic construction. Both keep it.
φερομένην (v.13) — present passive, on its way. Both render the present.
⸀ἔσεσθε (v.16) — a command written as a future. Both keep the future.
⸀ἅγιος (v.16) — no copula. English must supply ‘am’.
συσχηματιζόμενοι (v.14) — the verb of Rom 12:2. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
1Pet.1.25 Observation
Syntactic observation
Καὶ εἰ πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸν ἀπροσωπολήμπτως κρίνοντα … ἀπροσωπολήμπτως ‘without partiality of face’ is once in the New Testament, the negative of προσωπολημψία at Eph 6:9 — the word on which Jas 2:1-9 built a passage · πατροπαράδοτος ‘handed down from the fathers’ and σπορά ‘sowing’ are also once in the New Testament · φθαρτός ‘perishable’ comes twice, at vv.18 and 23, and ἄφθαρτος ‘imperishable’ twice, at vv.4 and 23 — one root framing the chapter · λυτρόω ‘redeem’ (as fixed at Luke 24:21) — a word of paying a price, here setting aside silver and gold · ἀμνός ‘lamb’ (as fixed at John 1:29) · προεγνωσμένου takes up πρόγνωσις from v.2 · καταβολῆς κόσμου ‘the founding of the world’ (as fixed at Eph 1:4) · ⸀πιστούς is an adjective, ‘believers’, where the Textus Receptus reads a participle · ἁγνίζω ‘purify’ is used of the lives (as fixed at John 11:55) · φιλαδελφία ‘brotherly love’ (as fixed at Rom 12:10) · vv.24-25 quote Isa 40:6-8, and Jas 1:10-11 uses the same picture — there of the rich man, here of all flesh.
Rendering options · 3
Basis Jas 2:1-9 built a passage on that word — ‘impartially’ would cut the link between three books.
Basis σπέρμα and σπόρος are already ‘seed’ — the sowing sense keeps the third word apart.
Basis The base text has the adjective and the Textus Receptus the participle — rendering the participle would render another text.
Lost in translation
ἀπροσωπολήμπτως (v.17) — the negative of the word of Eph 6:9 and Jas 2:1. Both keep the link.
φθαρτός / ἄφθαρτος (vv.4 · 18 · 23) — one root framing the chapter. Both keep it.
σπορά (v.23) — a third word beside σπέρμα and σπόρος. ‘Sowing’ keeps it apart.
προεγνωσμένου (v.20) — taking up ‘foreknowledge’ from v.2. Both keep the root.
⸀πιστούς (v.21) — adjective in the base text, participle in the Textus Receptus. Both render the base text.
Isa 40:6-8 (vv.24-25) — Jas 1:10-11 uses the same picture. Both use the same words.