Passage

1 Peter 5.5

Book: 1 Peter · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV

3. neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. 4. And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.

5. Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; 7. casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:3-7, ASV)

WEB

3. neither as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. 4. When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.

5. Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; 7. casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:3-7, WEB)

KJV

3. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. ^{being lords over: or, overruling} 4. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

5. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:3-7, KJV)

YLT

3. neither as exercising lordship over the heritages, but patterns becoming of the flock, 4. and at the manifestation of the chief Shepherd, ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory.

5. In like manner, ye younger, be subject to elders, and all to one another subjecting yourselves; with humble-mindedness clothe yourselves, because God the proud doth resist, but to the humble He doth give grace;

be humbled, then, under the powerful hand of God, that you He may exalt in good time, 7. all your care having cast upon Him, because He careth for you. (1 Peter 5:3-7, 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

"You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

"Clothe yourselves." Enkomboōmai is a rare and vivid verb, built on the enkombōma, the apron or overall a slave tied on over the clothing before work. Peter tells the whole congregation to tie humility on like a work apron. It is difficult not to hear the memory of John 13:4-5 behind it, where Jesus girded Himself with a towel and washed the disciples' feet.

The quotation. "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble" is Proverbs 3:34 in its Septuagint form, where the Greek reads hyperēphanois (the proud) for the Hebrew's scoffers. The identical Greek line appears at James 4:6, and the agreement in the Septuagint form suggests both writers are drawing on a shared body of early Christian teaching rather than independently translating.

"Opposed." Antitassetai is a military term, to draw up in battle array against. The verse does not say God dislikes pride; it says He deploys against it.

The structure of the chapter. Elders are told not to domineer (verses 2-3), younger men to be subject (verse 5a), and then everyone to be clothed in humility toward everyone (verse 5b). The mutual clause dissolves any reading in which submission runs only one direction.

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.

G5485 - charis, charis, Strong's G5485
G3956 - pas, pas, Strong's G3956
G2316 - theos, theos, Strong's G2316

Quoted in

Concepts:

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.