ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

1 Peter 2.22-25

Book: 1 Peter · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

There are ads on our codex that pay for hosting and keep the codex free. If you can, please consider whitelisting ris3n.com or allowing scripts to support the work.

Sponsored

Brands, events, influencers advertise here

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. 25. 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. 25. 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 25. 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, 25. 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)

See this page's graph and discover linked topics

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

The letter's most concentrated block of atonement theology, built almost entirely out of Isaiah 53.

The Isaianic source, phrase by phrase.

1 Peter 2 Isaiah 53
committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth (v22) He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth (53:9)
He Himself bore our sins in His body (v24) He Himself bore the sin of many (53:12)
by His wounds you were healed (v24) by His scourging we are healed (53:5)
you were continually straying like sheep (v25) all of us like sheep have gone astray (53:6)

Peter is not alluding loosely; he is quoting and paraphrasing a single chapter across four verses.

"Bore our sins in His body on the cross." The verb anapherō is the Septuagint's word for bringing a sacrifice up onto the altar, and epi to xylon, on the tree, brings in Deuteronomy 21:23, the curse on one hanged on a tree, which Paul uses the same way at Galatians 3:13. The claim is substitutionary and sacrificial in the same breath.

"He kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" (v23). The verse gives the mechanism of Jesus's non-retaliation: not passivity but committal to a righteous judge. This is what makes the passage usable as the example Peter introduced it as at verse 21; the pattern is transferable, and it depends on believing that judgment is God's.

"So that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." The purpose clause forbids reading the atonement as purely forensic in Peter. The same act that bears the sins produces a changed life, which is the letter's whole argument about conduct under hostility.

See Atonement and Isaiah 53.

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; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

People:

Lexicon:

Passages:

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.