ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

1 Peter 2.23

Book: 1 Peter · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

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:

  1. 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 2:21-25, ASV)
WEB

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;

  1. 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 2:21-25, WEB)
KJV

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

  1. 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 2:21-25, KJV)
YLT

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,

  1. 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 2:21-25, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: Peter, writing through Silvanus (5:12)
  • Audience: scattered believers across five Roman provinces of Asia Minor, described as sojourners and exiles and facing social hostility rather than state persecution
  • Location: written from "Babylon" (5:13), most likely a designation for Rome
  • Time period: c. AD 62 to 64, before the Neronian persecution

Theological reading

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

The most cited verse in the letter, and its third clause is the one that makes the first two intelligible.

Two negatives and a positive. He did not return insult, and he did not threaten. Those alone would describe stoic endurance, and the ancient world had plenty of that. The positive clause is different in kind: he handed over to the one who judges righteously.

The verb is paredidou, imperfect, meaning he kept handing over, repeatedly, as a sustained practice rather than a single act of resignation. The object is unstated in the Greek, so it may be himself, or his cause, or those wronging him. The ambiguity is probably deliberate and all three fit.

This is the crucial point for the ethics of non-retaliation. Not retaliating is not the same as pretending no wrong was done. Christ's silence rests on the conviction that judgment belongs to a righteous judge and will be executed. Injustice is affirmed as injustice and its resolution is transferred, which is precisely Paul's reasoning at Romans 12:19, vengeance is mine, I will repay.

The pastoral application to Peter's readers is direct. They could not obtain redress; the counsel is not to swallow the wrong as though it were fine but to lodge it with the only court that will certainly sit. See Problem of Evil and Divine Providence.

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:

Concepts:

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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.