1 Peter 4
Since Christ suffered in flesh, arm yourselves with the same intent — a verb from ‘weapon’ at John 18:3, the third military word in this letter (garrisoned at 1:5, soldiering at 2:11). ‘In flesh’ comes three times, at vv.1, 2 and 6, carrying on the dative of 3:18. Live out the remaining time not by the desires of men but by the will of God. The time that has passed is enough to have worked out the intention of the nations — four of the six vices are plural, and ‘wine-swilling’ and ‘drinking bouts’ are both once in the New Testament. They think it strange that you do not run together into the same outpouring of wastefulness. They will render an account to the one ready to judge the living and the dead. The good news was brought even to the dead — who they are, and whether they are the spirits of 3:19, is not said. The end of all things has drawn near; be of a right mind and be sober — ‘end’ comes at vv.7 and 17, framing the passage. Above all, have your love toward one another earnest; love covers a multitude of sins (Prov 10:12, with no place named). Be hospitable without grumbling — sharing a prefix with ‘brother-loving’ at 3:8. Each one, as he received a gift of grace, serve it as good household managers of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, as the oracles of God; if anyone serves, as out of the strength God furnishes — ‘oracles’, not λόγος, the word of Acts 7:38. A doxology comes in the middle of the letter. Do not think the burning by fire among you strange, as though something strange were coming upon you — one root twice in one verse, and the picture of gold tested by fire at 1:7 now comes upon the people. Rejoice in so far as you share in the sufferings of Christ. If you are reviled in the name of Christ you are blessed — built like Matt 5:11. The Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you — two neuter articles on one noun. Let none suffer as a murderer or a thief or a doer of evil or as an overseer of what is another’s — only the fourth takes a second ‘as’, and the ‘overseer’ that named Christ at 2:25 turns to a bad sense. If as a Christian, let him not be ashamed — all three New Testament places are a name given from outside. It is the season for judgement to begin from the house of God. If the righteous one is barely saved, where will the impious and the sinner appear (Prov 11:31)? Let those who suffer entrust their lives to a faithful Creator in doing good — ‘entrust’ is the verb of ‘I entrust my spirit’ at the cross, and this is the only place in the New Testament that calls God Creator.
Why this rendering
1Pet.4.6 Observation
Syntactic observation
Χριστοῦ οὖν ⸀παθόντος σαρκὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς τὴν αὐτὴν ἔννοιαν ὁπλίσασθε — σαρκί comes three times, at vv.1, 2 and 6, carrying on the dative of 3:18 · ὁπλίζομαι ‘arm oneself’ is once in the New Testament, a middle from ὅπλον ‘weapon’ at John 18:3 — the third military word in this letter (soldiering at 2:11, garrisoning at 1:5) · ἐπίλοιπος ‘remaining’ and βιόω ‘live out’ are also once, and βιόω comes from βίος ‘living’ at Mark 12:44 · v.3 lists six vices, four of them plural, and οἰνοφλυγία ‘wine-swilling’ and πότος ‘drinking bouts’ are both once · ἀνάχυσις ‘outpouring’ is once too, and the picture at v.4 is water · ξενίζω comes twice in the passive, at vv.4 and 12 — at Acts 10:6 it was ‘lodge’, here ‘think strange’ (the place-rule of Acts 17:20) · ‘render an account’ at v.5 is the phrase of Heb 13:17 · who the ‘dead’ of v.6 are the text does not say, nor whether they are the ‘spirits in prison’ of 3:19.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The verb comes from ‘weapon’ at John 18:3 — a softer rendering would lose a thread this letter keeps.
Basis The text does not say, nor does it tie them to 3:19 — filling it in would add a link it does not have.
Basis At Acts 10:6 it was lodging — that one word carries both guest and strangeness is already recorded as a loss.
Lost in translation
σαρκί three times (vv.1 · 2 · 6) — carrying on the dative of 3:18. Both keep one word.
ὁπλίζομαι (v.1) — from ‘weapon’ at John 18:3. Both carry the root.
βιόω (v.2) — from βίος at Mark 12:44. Neither locale carries the link.
Six vices (v.3) — four of them plural. Both render the number.
ξενίζω (vv.4 · 12) — one word with ‘lodge’ at Acts 10:6. The two places take different words.
νεκροῖς (v.6) — who they are is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
Why this rendering
1Pet.4.11 Observation
Syntactic observation
Πάντων δὲ τὸ τέλος ἤγγικεν … τέλος comes at vv.7 and 17, framing this passage · σωφρονέω and νήφω stand side by side — ‘be of a right mind’ from Mark 5:15 and ‘be sober’ from 1 Thess 5:6, and νήφω comes three times in this letter (1:13, 4:7, 5:8) · ἐκτενής ‘earnest’ is once, one root with ἐκτενῶς ‘earnestly’ at Acts 12:5 · v.8 takes up Prov 10:12 by its phrase and the text names no place · φιλόξενος ‘hospitable’ pairs with φιλάδελφος at 3:8, sharing a prefix · οἰκονόμος ‘household manager’ is the word of Luke 12:42, and here the whole congregation is one · λόγια θεοῦ ‘the oracles of God’ is the word of Acts 7:38 and Rom 3:2, not λόγος · v.11 closes with a doxology in the middle of the letter, and another comes at 5:11 · ‘the glory and the might’ is that doxology, κράτος being the ‘might’ of Luke 1:51.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text sets two verbs side by side — merging them would make a tautology out of a pair.
Basis Acts 7:38 and Rom 3:2 already keep them apart.
Basis The text gives no citation formula — supplying one would add words it does not have.
Lost in translation
τέλος (vv.7 · 17) — one word framing the passage. Both keep it.
ἐκτενής (v.8) — one root with ‘earnestly’ at Acts 12:5. Both keep it.
φιλάδελφος / φιλόξενος (3:8 ↔ 4:9) — the same prefix. English loses it in ‘hospitable’.
Prov 10:12 (v.8) — the text names no place. Neither locale supplies one.
λόγιον (v.11) — the word of Acts 7:38, not λόγος. Both keep them apart.
The doxology (v.11) — in the middle of the letter. Both keep its place.
Why this rendering
1Pet.4.14 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἀγαπητοί, μὴ ξενίζεσθε τῇ ἐν ὑμῖν πυρώσει … ξενίζω and ξένος come in one verse on one root — the verb of v.4 returns · πύρωσις ‘burning by fire’ is the noun of πυρόομαι ‘burn’ at 1 Cor 7:9, and two of its three New Testament places are in Revelation · 1:7 used the picture of gold tested by fire; here the fire comes upon the people · χαίρω and ἀγαλλιάω come together at v.13 — the verb fixed as ‘rejoice greatly’ at 1:6 and 1:8 · τὸ τῆς δόξης καὶ τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πνεῦμα — two neuter articles hang on one noun · ἀναπαύεται is middle, differing in voice from ‘give rest’ at Matt 11:28 · v.14 is built like the beatitude of Matt 5:11 — reviled, and blessed · ὀνειδίζω is passive, the verb of Matt 5:11.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text sets the verb and the adjective side by side in one verse.
Basis It is the noun of ‘burn’ at 1 Cor 7:9 — ‘ordeal’ would lose the fire and cut the link with 1:7.
Basis Two neuter articles hang on one noun.
Lost in translation
ξενίζω / ξένος (v.12) — one root in one verse. Both keep it.
πύρωσις (v.12) — from ‘burn’ at 1 Cor 7:9. Both keep the fire.
χαίρω / ἀγαλλιάω (v.13) — two verbs together. Both keep them apart.
Two articles (v.14) — both hang on one noun. English can set them with ‘of … and of’.
ἀναπαύεται (v.14) — middle. Both differ from Matt 11:28.
ὀνειδίζω (v.14) — the verb of Matt 5:11. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
1Pet.4.19 Observation
Syntactic observation
μὴ γάρ τις ὑμῶν πασχέτω ὡς φονεὺς ἢ κλέπτης ἢ κακοποιὸς ἢ ὡς ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος — only the fourth takes a second ὡς, set apart from the three before it · ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος ‘overseer of what is another’s’ is once in the New Testament, joining ἀλλότριος ‘another’s’ and ἐπίσκοπος ‘overseer’ — the word of 2:25 turned to a bad sense · Χριστιανός ‘Christian’ stands in three places (Acts 11:26, 26:28 and here), each time a name given from outside · κρίμα ‘judgement’ begins from the house of God · v.18 quotes Prov 11:31 outright with no place named · φαίνω ‘appear’ comes as a question · κτίστης ‘Creator’ is also once, the only place in the New Testament that calls God by this word · παρατίθημι in the middle, ‘entrust’, is the verb of Luke 23:46 — there ‘my spirit’, here ‘their lives’ · ἀγαθοποιΐα ‘doing good’ is once too, from the verb of 2:15.
Rendering options · 3
Basis ἐπίσκοπος named Christ at 2:25 — ‘busybody’ would lose that echo.
Basis It is the agent noun of ‘create’ at Mark 13:19.
Basis It is the verb, and the voice, of ‘I entrust my spirit’ at the cross.
Lost in translation
The second ὡς (v.15) — only the fourth takes it. Both render the break.
ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος (v.15) — carrying the ‘overseer’ of 2:25. Both keep the piece.
Prov 11:31 (v.18) — the text names no place. Neither locale supplies one.
κτίστης (v.19) — an agent noun, and English has one of its own, apart from the participle at Rom 1:25.
παρατίθημι (v.19) — the verb and voice of Luke 23:46. Both stand alike.
ἀγαθοποιΐα (v.19) — from the verb of 2:15. Both keep the link.