1 Peter 2
Lay aside all wickedness and deceit and hypocrisies and envies and backbiting — the verb of Jas 1:21 — and as newborn babies long for the rational, undeceiving milk: the ‘deceit’ laid aside at v.1 returns at v.2 as the negative qualifying the milk. If you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone — ‘stone’ five times in four verses, threading three quotations (Isa 28:16, Ps 118:22, Isa 8:14). You yourselves as living stones are being built a spiritual house unto a holy priesthood — indicative or imperative is not said, and the imperative is chosen and recorded. In ‘a stone of striking and a rock of stumbling’ the striking shares a root with the verb and the stumbling does not. They were appointed unto it, though to what is not said. But you are a chosen race, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a people unto possession — four nouns with no verb, joining Exod 19:6 and Isa 43:20-21; v.10 takes up Hosea by its phrases. As sojourners and pilgrims keep away from the fleshly desires that serve as soldiers against the life — at Jas 4:1 it was pleasures that served. Have your conduct good among the nations, so that in the very thing in which they backbite you, by looking on your good works they may glorify God in the day of visitation. Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake — ‘institution’ being the word this edition fixes as ‘creation’. To a king as one who is higher, to governors as sent by him. (For so is the will of God: that by doing good you muzzle the ignorance of foolish men.) As free, not having your freedom for a covering of wickedness, but as slaves of God. Honour all · love the brotherhood · fear God · honour the king — the first and fourth on one verb. Household slaves, be subject in all fear to your masters, even to the crooked. Nothing is said to the masters, unlike Eph 6:9 and Col 4:1. If you endure when you do good and suffer, this is grace with God. Christ suffered and left for you a writing-copy so that you might follow his footsteps — the line set under a child’s hand to trace. vv.21-25 thread Isa 53 without naming it. Being reviled he did not revile in return, but handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He bore up our sins in his body onto the tree — the verb that offers up the sacrifice at Heb 7:27, and ‘tree’ is not the word for cross. By his bruise you were healed. You were going astray like sheep, but have turned back to the shepherd and overseer of your lives — the only place ‘overseer’ is used of Christ.
Why this rendering
1Pet.2.3 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἀποθέμενοι οὖν πᾶσαν κακίαν καὶ πάντα δόλον … ἀποτίθημι ‘lay aside’ (as fixed at Eph 4:22) returns from Jas 1:21, where all filth was laid aside to receive the word · three of the five things laid aside are plural · δόλος ‘deceit’ and ἄδολος ‘undeceiving’ face each other at vv.1-2 — the second is once in the New Testament and is the negative of the first · ἀρτιγέννητος ‘newborn’ is also once in the New Testament and takes up ἀναγεννάω ‘beget again’ from 1:3 and 1:23 · λογικός ‘rational’ stands with Rom 12:1 and is the adjective of λόγος — tied to ‘the word of God’ at 1:23, so it is not turned into ‘spiritual’ · γάλα ‘milk’ was a rebuke against solid food at 1 Cor 3:2; here it is what one longs for · ⸀εἰ ‘if’ — a condition, though the text puts no doubt in it · χρηστός ‘good’ (as fixed at Luke 6:35) quotes Ps 34:8.
Rendering options · 3
Basis It follows ‘the word of God’ at 1:23 — ‘spiritual’ would take the place of πνευματικός and cut the link.
Basis What is laid aside at v.1 returns at v.2 as the negative qualifying the milk.
Basis The two letters use the same verb for the same step.
Lost in translation
δόλος / ἄδολος (vv.1-2) — one root facing itself. Both keep the link.
ἀρτιγέννητος (v.2) — taking up ‘beget again’ from 1:3 and 1:23. ‘Newborn’ carries the birth.
λογικός (v.2) — the adjective of λόγος. ‘Rational’ does not carry the link.
Three plurals (v.1). Both render the number.
ἀποτίθημι (v.1) — the verb of Jas 1:21. Both stand alike.
χρηστός (v.3) — close in sound to ‘Christ’. Neither locale carries it.
Why this rendering
1Pet.2.8 Observation
Syntactic observation
Πρὸς ὃν προσερχόμενοι, λίθον ζῶντα … λίθος ‘stone’ comes five times in four verses (vv.4-8), with three quotations in a row (Isa 28:16, Ps 118:22, Isa 8:14) · ἱεράτευμα ‘priesthood’ stands only at 2:5 and 2:9, a third word beside ἱερατεία ‘priestly office’ at Luke 1:9 and ἱερωσύνη at Heb 7:11 · whether οἰκοδομεῖσθε is indicative or imperative the text does not say — closed as imperative and recorded · ἀποδοκιμάζω ‘reject’ (as fixed at Mark 8:31) comes at vv.4 and 7, once outside the quotation and once inside · ἔντιμος ‘held in honour’ (as fixed at Luke 7:2) at vv.4 and 6, and τιμή ‘honour’ at v.7, on one root · προσκόπτω ‘strike against’ and πρόσκομμα ‘striking’ share a root, while σκάνδαλον ‘stumbling’ is another word · εἰς ὃ καὶ ἐτέθησαν ‘unto which they were also appointed’ — to what the text does not say · τίθημι ‘lay’ comes at vv.6 and 8, so the stone God lays and the people appointed interlock on one verb.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text does not divide indicative from imperative and the surrounding verbs are imperatives — the choice is recorded.
Basis ‘Priestly office’ at Luke 1:9 and Heb 7:11 are already taken — the three must stay apart.
Basis Rom 9:33 quotes the same Isa 8:14 and already settled ‘a stone of striking · a rock of stumbling’ — one quotation rendered two ways would cut the link.
Lost in translation
λίθος five times (vv.4-8) — threading three quotations. Both keep one word.
ἔντιμος / τιμή (vv.4 · 6 · 7) — one root three times. English breaks it.
προσκόπτω / πρόσκομμα (v.8) — one root in one verse. Both keep it.
οἰκοδομεῖσθε (v.5) — indicative or imperative is not said. Both must choose.
εἰς ὃ καὶ ἐτέθησαν (v.8) — to what is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
τίθημι (vv.6 · 8) — the stone laid and the people appointed, on one verb. Both keep it.
Why this rendering
1Pet.2.12 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ὑμεῖς δὲ γένος ἐκλεκτόν, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον … Four nouns stand in a row with no verb — the phrases of Exod 19:6 and Isa 43:20-21 joined · βασίλειος ‘kingly’ is once in the New Testament, a different word from βασιλικός ‘royal’ at Jas 2:8 · ἐξαγγέλλω ‘declare abroad’ comes once more, in the shorter ending of Mark at 16:8 · v.10 takes up Hosea 1-2 by its phrases · πάροικος ‘sojourner’ and παρεπίδημος ‘pilgrim’ come together after 1:1 — two words deliberately kept apart · στρατεύομαι ‘serve as a soldier’ returns from Jas 4:1 — there of pleasures, here of desires · καταλαλέω ‘backbite’ returns from Jas 4:11 · ἐποπτεύω ‘look on’ stands only at 2:12 and 3:2 · ἡμέρα ἐπισκοπῆς ‘the day of visitation’ — the word of Luke 19:44; what day is not said, and it shares a root with ἐπίσκοπος ‘overseer’ at 2:25, which this edition renders otherwise.
Rendering options · 3
Basis ‘The royal law’ at Jas 2:8 is a different word — one rendering would make the two books look alike.
Basis The text joins them with no copula — English supplies ‘you are’ once.
Basis The text does not say — ‘the day of judgement’ would add a word it does not have.
Lost in translation
Four nouns (v.9) — set out with no verb. English must supply ‘you are’.
βασίλειος (v.9) — a different word from βασιλικός at Jas 2:8. Both keep them apart.
The phrases of v.10 — taking up Hosea 1-2. Both keep the repetition.
πάροικος / παρεπίδημος (v.11) — the two words together. Both keep them apart.
στρατεύομαι (v.11) — the verb of Jas 4:1. Both stand alike.
ἐπισκοπῆς (v.12) — one root with ἐπίσκοπος at 2:25. The place differs, so the rendering differs.
Why this rendering
1Pet.2.17 Observation
Syntactic observation
⸀Ὑποτάγητε πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κτίσει διὰ τὸν κύριον … ἀνθρωπίνῃ κτίσει ‘human institution’ — κτίσις is the word this edition fixes as ‘creation’, and here it names what people set up · v.17 closes with four commands — one aorist and three presents, the first and fourth on one verb · ἀδελφότης ‘brotherhood’ stands only at 2:17 and 5:9, a different word from φιλαδελφία ‘brotherly love’ at Rom 12:10 · ἀγαθοποιός ‘doer of good’ and κακοποιός ‘doer of evil’ face each other — the first is once in the New Testament · φιμόω ‘muzzle’ (as fixed at Matt 22:34) is used of ignorance · ἐπικάλυμμα ‘covering’ is also once in the New Testament, a different word from κάλυμμα ‘veil’ at 2 Cor 3:13 · the whole of v.15 stands inside the base text’s parentheses · ἐλεύθερος ‘free’ and δοῦλος ‘slave’ face each other in one sentence at v.16.
Rendering options · 3
Basis This edition fixes κτίσις as ‘creation’, but here it is what people set up.
Basis It is a different word from ‘brotherly love’ at 1:22 and names a body of people.
Basis The base text sets them — removing them would hide that vv.14 and 16 run on.
Lost in translation
κτίσις (v.13) — the word fixed as ‘creation’ used of what people set up. The two places take different words.
τιμήσατε / τιμᾶτε (v.17) — one verb first and fourth, in different tenses. Both keep one word.
One aorist and three presents (v.17) — the tenses differ. Neither locale carries it.
ἀγαθοποιός / κακοποιός (v.14) — two words on one pattern. Both keep the contrast.
ἐπικάλυμμα (v.16) — a different word from κάλυμμα at 2 Cor 3:13. Both keep them apart.
The parentheses at v.15 — set by the base text. Both render them.
Why this rendering
1Pet.2.25 Observation
Syntactic observation
Οἱ οἰκέται ὑποτασσόμενοι ἐν παντὶ φόβῳ τοῖς δεσπόταις … He speaks to the household slaves (οἰκέτης, as fixed at Luke 16:13) and says nothing to the masters — Eph 6:9 and Col 4:1 speak to masters too · κλέος ‘credit’, ἀδίκως ‘unjustly’, ἀντιλοιδορέω ‘revile in return’, ἀπογίνομαι ‘die away from’, μώλωψ ‘bruise’, ὑπογραμμός ‘writing-copy’ and ὑπολιμπάνω ‘leave for’ are all once in the New Testament · ὑπογραμμός is the line of writing set under a child’s hand to trace — a word of the schoolroom, kept apart from ὑπόδειγμα ‘pattern’ at John 13:15 · vv.21-25 thread Isa 53 word by word, and the text names no citation · ἀναφέρω ‘bear up’ (as fixed at Heb 9:28) comes with ‘onto the tree’ — the same verb offers up the sacrifice at Heb 7:27 · ξύλον ‘tree’ (as fixed at Acts 5:30) — not σταυρός · ἐπίσκοπος ‘overseer’ (as fixed at 1 Tim 3:1) is used of Christ only here · ψυχή ‘life’ comes in the plural.
Rendering options · 3
Basis It is the line set under a child’s hand to trace — ‘example’ would merge it with ὑπόδειγμα at John 13:15.
Basis ‘Stripes’ would bring in a whip the text does not name.
Basis Heb 9:28 uses the same verb of bearing up sins; Heb 7:27 offers up the sacrifice, a different place and so a different rendering. And ‘tree’ is not σταυρός.
Lost in translation
ὑπογραμμός (v.21) — the line a child traces. Both keep the schoolroom picture.
λοιδορέω / ἀντιλοιδορέω (v.23) — one root facing itself. Both keep the link.
ἀνήνεγκεν (v.24) — the verb that offers up the sacrifice at Heb 7:27. The place differs, so the rendering differs.
Isa 53 (vv.21-25) — the text names no citation. Neither locale supplies one.
ἐπίσκοπος (v.25) — ‘overseer’ used of Christ. Both use the word of 1 Tim 3:1.
Nothing is said to the masters (vv.18-25) — unlike Eph 6:9 and Col 4:1. Neither locale adds any.