ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

1 Peter 2.22-24

Book: 1 Peter · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

20. For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21. For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps:

22. who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23. who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24. who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.

  1. For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:20-25, ASV)
WEB

20. For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if, when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God. 21. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,

22. who did not sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.” 23. Who, when he was cursed, didn’t curse back. When he suffered, didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously; 24. who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.

  1. For you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:20-25, WEB)
KJV

20. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. acceptable: or, thank 21. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: for us: some read, for you

22. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: himself: or, his cause 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. on: or, to

  1. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:20-25, KJV)
YLT

20. for what renown [is it], if sinning and being buffeted, ye do endure [it]? but if, doing good and suffering [for it], ye do endure, this [is] gracious with God, 21. for to this ye were called, because Christ also did suffer for you, leaving to you an example, that ye may follow his steps,

22. who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth, 23. who being reviled, was not reviling again, suffering, was not threatening, and was committing himself to Him who is judging righteously, 24. who our sins himself did bear in his body, upon the tree, that to the sins having died, to the righteousness we may live; by whose stripes ye were healed,

  1. for ye were as sheep going astray, but ye turned back now to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:20-25, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: Peter the apostle, writing with the help of Silvanus (1 Pet 5:12).
  • Audience: Christians described as "those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1 Pet 1:1), five Roman provinces in northern and central Asia Minor. The audience is largely Gentile (1 Pet 1:18, a futile way of life inherited from their forefathers; 4:3-4).
  • Location: Written from "Babylon" (1 Pet 5:13), which the great majority of interpreters read as a cipher for Rome, as in Revelation 17:5.
  • Time period: c. AD 62-64 on the traditional authorship, before or at the very beginning of the Neronian persecution. The hostility the letter addresses is social and local, slander, exclusion, and abuse, rather than empire-wide legal prosecution.

Theological reading

Three verses of Isaiah 53 applied to the cross, moving from Christ's innocence to His bearing of sin.

Verse 22, innocence. Isaiah 53:9 rendered almost exactly: no sin committed, no deceit in His mouth.

Verse 23, non-retaliation and its ground. Reviled without reviling, suffering without threatening, "but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously." The imperfect tense makes it habitual rather than a single moment of resolve.

Verse 24, the atonement statement. "And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed."

  • Anapherō, to bear up or carry up, is the Septuagint's verb for placing a sacrifice on the altar (Leviticus 14:20), and it governs both the sins and the body.
  • Epi to xylon, on the tree, imports Deuteronomy 21:23, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, the same connection Paul makes at Galatians 3:13.
  • "By His wounds you were healed" is Isaiah 53:5. In context the healing is from sin, since the same sentence says the purpose is that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and verse 25 continues with straying sheep returning to the Shepherd of their souls. Reading the clause as a promise of physical healing detaches it from its own sentence.

Substitution and transformation in one verse. Peter does not separate the legal from the moral: the bearing of sins has a purpose clause attached, and the purpose is a changed life. See Penal Substitutionary Atonement and Atonement.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

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People:

Lexicon:

Notes

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Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.