ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

1 Peter 2.25

Book: 1 Peter · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

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 2:23-25, ASV)

WEB

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 2:23-25, WEB)

KJV

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 2:23-25, KJV)

YLT

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 2:23-25, 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

For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

The verse closes the Isaiah 53 passage by naming the readers in the prophecy.

The sheep image is taken from Isaiah 53:6, all we like sheep have gone astray, and Peter completes it with a return the Isaiah verse does not supply. The imperfect planomenoi, going astray, describes a settled condition rather than a single wandering, and the aorist passive epestraphete, were returned, describes a completed reversal done to them. The grammar carries the theology: they did not find their way back.

Two titles, and the pairing is unusual. Poimena, shepherd, is the pastoral image running from Psalm 23 through Ezekiel 34 to John 10. Episkopon, overseer or guardian, is an administrative term that becomes the office of bishop. Peter applies both to Christ, which sets the pattern for 5:2-4, where elders are told to shepherd the flock and are promised the appearing of the chief Shepherd. Human oversight in this letter is explicitly derivative.

Of your souls again means of yourselves, the whole person, not an immaterial part.

The verse also quietly resolves the passage's tension. Verses 21 to 24 have moved between Christ as example and Christ as sin-bearer; verse 25 lands on Christ as the one who brought them back, which only the second of those could accomplish.

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.