1 Peter 5
The writer calls himself not an apostle but a fellow elder and urges the elders — 1:1 said ‘apostle’. Shepherd the flock of God, seeing to it: the three words Acts 20:17 and 28 use of the same men (elder, shepherd, overseer) meet here in one place. Not under compulsion but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly — the adverbs come in opposed pairs and three of them are once in the New Testament. Do not lord it down over those allotted to you — the verb used of the rulers of the nations at Mark 10:42. When the chief shepherd is manifested you will receive the unwithering crown of glory — ‘chief shepherd’ is the ‘shepherd’ of 2:25 with the prefix for ‘chief’, and ‘unwithering’ is a different lemma from the ‘unfading’ of 1:4. Younger ones, be subject to the elders, and all of you tie on lowliness of mind — the word for a slave tying on an apron. v.5 quotes Prov 3:34, the same sentence Jas 4:6 quotes. Be humbled under the mighty hand of God — three words on one root across two verses. Throw all your worry upon him, because you are a care to him — the verb the disciples used in the storm. Be sober, stay awake: your opponent at law, the slanderer, walks about like a roaring lion seeking someone to swallow — a courtroom word given to the slanderer. Withstand him, firm in the faith — the same command as Jas 4:7. The same sufferings are being brought to completion in your brotherhood in the world; who completes them is not said. The God of all grace will himself make you complete, strengthen, make strong, found you — four futures in a row with no conjunction. To him be the might to the ages of the ages — 4:11 had ‘the glory and the might’; here only ‘the might’. Through Silvanus, whom I count a faithful brother, I have written in a few words — what ‘as I count it’ attaches to is not said. She who is chosen together with you in Babylon greets you, and Mark my son — who she is, where Babylon is, and whether ‘son’ means by birth are all left unsaid. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ — the base text carries neither ‘Jesus’ nor ‘Amen’.
Why this rendering
1Pet.5.4 Observation
Syntactic observation
Πρεσβυτέρους ⸀οὖν ἐν ὑμῖν παρακαλῶ ὁ συμπρεσβύτερος … the writer calls himself not an apostle but a fellow elder — 1:1 said ‘apostle’ · συμπρεσβύτερος ‘fellow elder’ is once in the New Testament · ποιμάνατε … ἐπισκοποῦντες come in one sentence — Acts 20:17 and 28 call the same men elders and say the Spirit set them as overseers; here the three words meet in one place (elder, shepherd, see to it) · three adverbs come in opposed pairs — ἀναγκαστῶς ↔ ἑκουσίως, αἰσχροκερδῶς ↔ προθύμως — and the first two and the third are all once · κατακυριεύω ‘lord it down over’ is the verb of Mark 10:42, where it is what the rulers of the nations do · ἀρχιποίμην ‘chief shepherd’ is also once, the ‘shepherd’ of 2:25 with the prefix for ‘chief’ · ἀμαράντινος ‘unwithering’ is a different lemma from ἀμάραντος at 1:4 · ‘the crown of glory’ pairs with ‘the imperishable crown’ of 1 Cor 9:25.
Rendering options · 3
Basis It is πρεσβύτερος ‘elder’ with συν-, and v.1 opens with ‘the elders’.
Basis It is the verb used of what the rulers of the nations do.
Basis ‘Unfading’ at 1:4 is a different lemma — one rendering would hide that the text uses two words.
Lost in translation
συμπρεσβύτερος (v.1) — one word with ‘the elders’ of v.1. Both keep the piece.
Two pairs of adverbs (v.2) — set in opposition. Both keep the contrast.
προθύμως (v.2) — one root with ‘eagerness’ at 2 Cor 8:11. English keeps ‘eager’.
ἀρχιποίμην (v.4) — carrying the ‘shepherd’ of 2:25. Both keep the piece.
ἀμάραντος / ἀμαράντινος (1:4 ↔ 5:4) — two lemmas. Both keep them apart.
κατακυριεύω (v.3) — the verb of Mark 10:42. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
1Pet.5.7 Observation
Syntactic observation
ὁμοίως, νεώτεροι, ὑποτάγητε πρεσβυτέροις … ὁμοίως ‘likewise’ comes three times, at 3:1, 3:7 and 5:5, threading the letter’s chain of subjection · ἐγκομβόομαι ‘tie on’ is once in the New Testament, the word for a slave tying on an apron — the gesture of John 13:4, though the text names no link · v.5 quotes Prov 3:34, and Jas 4:6 quotes the same sentence — two letters sharing one citation · ταπεινοφροσύνη, ταπεινός and ταπεινόω come on one root at vv.5-6 · κραταιός ‘mighty’ is also once, one root with κράτος ‘might’ at Luke 1:51 · ἐπιρίπτω ‘throw upon’ is the verb of Luke 19:35, where garments are thrown on the colt · μέλει ‘be a care to’ is the verb of Mark 4:38, where the disciples ask whether it is a care to him · ‘in due season’ is καιρός.
Rendering options · 3
Basis It is the word for tying on an apron — ‘put on’ would lose the gesture.
Basis It is the verb of Luke 19:35 — ‘entrust’ would merge it with παρατίθημι at 4:19.
Basis It is the verb the disciples used in the storm.
Lost in translation
ὁμοίως three times (3:1 · 3:7 · 5:5) — threading the chain. Both keep one word.
Three on one root (vv.5-6): ταπεινοφροσύνη, ταπεινός, ταπεινόω. Both keep the link with ‘low’.
Prov 3:34 (v.5) — Jas 4:6 quotes the same sentence. Both render it alike.
ἐγκομβόομαι (v.5) — a slave’s apron. Both keep the tying.
κραταιός (v.6) — one root with ‘might’ at Luke 1:51. Neither locale carries it.
μέλει (v.7) — the verb of Mark 4:38. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
1Pet.5.11 Observation
Syntactic observation
νήψατε, γρηγορήσατε. ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπατεῖ — νήφω comes a third time in this letter (1:13, 4:7, 5:8) · ἀντίδικος ‘opponent at law’ is a courtroom word, that of Matt 5:25 and Luke 18:3, and here it names the slanderer · διάβολος is rendered ‘slanderer’, not ‘devil’ (this edition’s settled word) · ὠρύομαι ‘roar’ is once in the New Testament · ἀνθίστημι ‘withstand’ is the same command as Jas 4:7 — two letters using one verb in one place · ἐπιτελέω ‘be brought to completion’ is passive and the text does not say who completes · v.10 sets four future verbs in a row — make complete, strengthen, make strong, found; σθενόω is once too · the doxology of v.11 has only ‘the might’, no ‘glory’ — 4:11 had both.
Rendering options · 3
Basis It is the word for the other party at law at Matt 5:25 and Luke 18:3.
Basis The text sets four futures in a row with no conjunction.
Basis 4:11 has ‘the glory and the might’; here only ‘the might’.
Lost in translation
νήφω three times (1:13 · 4:7 · 5:8) — a verb threading the letter. Both keep one word.
ἀντίδικος (v.8) — the courtroom word of Matt 5:25. Both keep it.
ἀνθίστημι (v.9) — the same command as Jas 4:7. Both stand alike.
ἐπιτελέω (v.9, passive) — who completes is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
Four futures (v.10) — in a row with no conjunction. Both keep four.
The doxology (v.11) — only ‘the might’. Neither locale adds.
Why this rendering
1Pet.5.14 Observation
Syntactic observation
Διὰ Σιλουανοῦ ὑμῖν τοῦ πιστοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, ὡς λογίζομαι, δι’ ὀλίγων ἔγραψα — what ὡς λογίζομαι ‘as I count it’ attaches to the text does not say — Silvanus’s faithfulness, or the writing in few words · ἐπιμαρτυρέω ‘bear further witness’ is once in the New Testament · συνεκλεκτή at v.13 is feminine singular and the text does not say who she is — rendered ‘she who is chosen together with you’ and left unfilled · συνεκλεκτός is once too, the ἐκλεκτός of 1:1 with συν- · where Babylon is is not said · whether ‘Mark my son’ means a son by birth is not said · v.14 closes with no Amen — the doxologies of 4:11 and 5:11 had one · it ends at ⸀Χριστῷ, without the ‘Jesus’ and the ‘Amen’ of the Received Text · ‘a kiss of love’ differs in its qualifier from ‘a holy kiss’ at Rom 16:16.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text gives only a feminine singular with no noun — supplying ‘assembly’ would add a word it does not have.
Basis The text does not say — ‘Rome’ would add a place it does not name.
Basis The base text carries neither ‘Jesus’ nor ‘Amen’.
Lost in translation
ὡς λογίζομαι (v.12) — what it attaches to is not said. Both keep the order.
συνεκλεκτή (v.13) — feminine singular, and who she is is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
συνεκλεκτός (v.13) — the ‘chosen’ of 1:1 with συν-. Both keep the piece.
‘Mark my son’ (v.13) — whether by birth is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
No Amen (v.14) — the base text has none. Neither locale adds one.
‘a kiss of love’ (v.14) — Rom 16:16 has ‘holy’. Both render the qualifier as it stands.