A TRANSLATION

OF THE

FIRST EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLE PETER.

I. 1. PETER, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elected sojourners of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and 2. Bithynia-elected according to the fore-appointment of God the Father, by a spiritual separation, in order to obedience," and being sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

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3.

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the abundance of his mercy, has anew made us his children; so as to give us a living hope through 4. the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; so as to make us heirs of an inheritance, incorruptible, undefiled, and un5. fading, secured in Heaven for you, who are preserved by the power of God through faith, till the salvation prepared to 6. be revealed in the last time; in which time 10 you shall rejoice, who now for a short season (since it is needful), are 7. sorrowful amid manifold trials, that the proof 12 of your faith 13 may be found 1 much more valuable than that of gold (which,

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BEZA's theology seems to have mastered his scholarship when he rendered & as➡èts by ad, and is as dia by per. Е. a. я. seems-in a state of spiritual separation, spirituseparated.

ally

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Obedience of faith, of the truth, verse 22. Rom. i. 5; xvi. 26; vi. 16, 17. Acts vi. 7. Ut obediant, et Jesu Christi sanguine conspergantur.—CASTALIO.

Ch. i. 23. James i. 18. John iii. 3, &c. Fait renaitre, autrement, regenerez.-BEAU

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Amat Petrus Epitheton vivus.-Bengel

Some MSS. of good note read hμās, us.

Guarded. Gal. iii. 23.

Eis, till. Acts iv. 3. Phil. i. 10. Gal. iii. 13, 24. 1 Thess. iv. 15. We have a paral

lel phrase, 2 Peter ii. 4, τηρουμένους εἰς κρίσιν.

By being bestowed.

10 cannot grammatically refer to cwrnpíav. is future, the rejoicing in it must be future too. 11 In quo exultabitis. VULGATE.

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Even although it did, as that salvation HARWOOD takes this view of it.

Aoxiptov is not dokμn, Rom. v. 8; the last is the result of the first; both here and James i. 3, it seems-doxipacía.

" Explorata vestra fides.-CASTALIO. Your faith once tried.-COVERDALE. MATTHEWS. "STEIGER, i 136, 137. KNATCHBULL, 292,

even though proved by fire, perisheth), resulting in praise, and honor, and glory, at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8. whom, though you have not seen him, you love; in whom, though now not looking on him but believing in him, you shall 9. rejoice with an unspeakable and triumphant joy, receiving 10. the end of your faith, soul-salvation; respecting which sal

vation, prophets who uttered predictions concerning this grace 11. towards you, made inquiry and diligent search, examining what, and what kind, of season, the Spirit of Christ in them did signify, when testifying beforehand of the sufferings in 12. reference to Christ, and the succeeding glories; to whom it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering those things, which have now been declared to you by those who, inspired by the Holy Spirit sent down from Heaven, have proclaimed to you the good news; into which things angels earnestly inquire."

13.

Seeing these things are so, girding up the loins of your mind, being watchful, hope steadfastly 10 for this grace, which is to be brought to you in the revelation " of Jesus Christ. 14. As children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves by your 15. former propensities in your state of ignorance, but in imita

tion of the holy one, who has called you,12 be you also holy in 16. your whole behavior: because it is written, Be ye holy, for 17. I am holy.' And since you call Father,13 Him who judges the

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work of every man without respect of persons, pass the time 18. of your sojourning in reverence of him; knowing that you have been ransomed from your foolish hereditary 15 course 19. of behavior, not by corruptible things-silver or gold-but by precious blood, as of a lamb, perfect and spotless, the blood 20. of Christ; " fore-appointed, indeed, before the foundation of

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1 ROBINSON. Eis. 3. a.

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* Exultabitis lætitia inenarrabili et glorificata. VULGATE.

'Hoc perinde valet ac si diceretur: "salus æterna." Est enim tacita comparatio vitæ mortalis et caducæ quæ ad corpus pertinet. 1 Cor. v. 5. 'Iva ró пveùμa owoŋ.-CALVIN.

The period and the circumstances. Quo et quali tempore.-JASPIS. In relation to whom, and what time.-PURVER. Quel tems, et quelle conjuncture.-Beausobre.

Or the sufferings until Christ, that is, the manifold trials, till the revelation of Jesus Christ, v. 7.

• James i. 25.

* Lumbos succingimus ad iter, ad opus, ad bella, ad ministerium.-C. A. LAPIDE. Prepared, ready for work or warfare, for toil or travel.

Vigilance, not moderation, seems the idea here. Awake to all events.

• Τελείως ἐλπίσατε==κατέχετε τὴν ἐλπίδα τελείαν ; or, as the Apostle to the Hebrews has it, ch. iii. 6. Perfecte Sperate.-VULgate.

10 Or perseveringly, redeíws.

"At his second coming, when He shall be unveiled, manifested to be what he is. By the revelation.-HAMMOND. By the declaring.-COVERDALE. MATTHEWS. CRANMER. The figures here seem borrowed from Luke xii. 35, &c.

12 Literally "according to." Rom. xv. 5. Karà Xpiorov 'Inoouv, rendered in the margin "after the example of." Ad exemplum illius sancti qui vocavit vos.-ERAS. SCHMID. 13 Call on the Father.

14 Eph. iv. 17.

16 Handed down from father to son.

16 's-ut. ætiologia roù precioso.-BENGEL.

17 For the rendering of this verse, which seems to me to bring out the apostle's precise sense very clearly and forcibly, I am indebted to my learned and ingenious colleague and much esteemed friend, the Rev. Dr. EADIE.

the world, but manifested in these last times, on account1 21. of you, who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

22.

Having purified your souls by the obedience of the truth, through the Spirit, so as sincerely from a pure heart, to love 23. the brethren, love one another intensely, being anew made the children of God, not of a.perishable race, but of an imperishable, through the living word of God, which endureth forever; 24. for "all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of it as the flower 25. of grass; the grass withereth, and its flower falleth off, but the word of the Lord endureth forever." Now the gospel which has been proclaimed to you is this word.

II. 1.

Laying aside, then, all malice, and all deceit, and simula2. tions, and envyings, and all evil-speakings, like new-born babes, desire the unadulterated spiritual milk, that by it you 3. may grow unto salvation; seeing you have tasted the good4. ness of the Lord; coming to whom, the living stone, by men 5. disapproved, but by God chosen and honored, even you 10 as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices well-pleasing to God, by Jesus 6. Christ; according to what is contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Sion, a corner-stone, chosen, honored; and 7. he that believeth on him shall not be ashamed." To you then who believe there is honor," but to them who disbelieve, there is dishonor; the stone which the builders disallowed, has 8. become the principal corner-stone, and a stumbling stone, and a rock of offence, on which they who believe not the word 9. stumble, to which also they were appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a

1 On behalf of you.

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2 SYMONDS.

Aiù vεúparos. The evidence of the genuineness of this clause is so deficient, that MILL, BENGEL, GRIESBACH, and LACHMANN, would omit it. If genuine, its meaning is doubtful. It may qualify ὑπακοῆ=πνευματικῇ.

Eropa, genus. proles. SCAPULA refers to Sophocles and Euripides, in support of this sense. The cognate word oripua is often used in this way. John vii. 42; viii. 33, 37. Gal. iii. 16, 19, et al. If óyos Ocoù be merely exegetical, would not the same preposition have been connected with it as with the word of which it is the interpretation?

'Auris is the preferable reading.

Rationale sine dolo lac.-VULGATE. That reasonable milk that is without corruption.-COVERDALE, MATTHEWS. The milk not of the body, but of the soul, which is without deceit.-CRANMER. The reasonable milk of the word, which is without deceit.BISHOPS BIBLE. The rational pure milk.-HAMMOND. Le lait spirituel, et tout pur.-Mons VERSION. Λογικόν, i. q. πνευματικόν. V. 5. VATER. "Illis temporibus rex Messias apparebit synagogæ Israeliticæ ad quem Israelitæ sic dicent: veni, esto frater noster, et proficiscamur Hierosolyma et sugemus tecum gustum legis, quemadmodum infans ubera matris suæ sugit. TARGUM in Cant. viii. 1. Apud WETSTEIN.

"Eis awrnplay is found in a number of the most ancient Codd., and is admitted into the text by the most distinguished critical editors of the New Testament.

Quia.-CARPZOV. E.-LACHMANN.

9 Psal. xxxiv. 8.

10 Parietes spirituales quia homines pii sunt præcipuumi templum.-R. ALSCHECH in Hag. ii. 10. Ap. WETSTEIN.

Vobis igitur honor credentibus.-VULGATE.

peculiar possession to God, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into his 10. marvellous light; who once were not a people, but now are the people of God; who once were not the objects of his mercy, but now are the objects of his mercy.

11.

Beloved, I exhort you, as foreigners and sojourners, to keep 12. yourselves from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul, conducting yourselves honorably among the heathen, that with regard to that in which they speak evil of you as evil-doers, they may, from your good works,' having observed them, glorify 13. God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves therefore, from a regard to the Lord, to every institution of man, for the punishment of evil-doers, and the praise of those who do 14. well; whether it be king as supreme, or governors as commis15. sioned by him; for thus is it the will of God, that doing well 16. you muzzle the ignorance of foolish men. As free men, yet

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not using your liberty as a cloak of wickedness, but as the ser17. vants of God, honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the King.*

18.

Servants, submit yourselves, with all reverence, to your masters, not only to the kind and gentle, but also to the per19. verse; for this is well pleasing, if any one who suffers unjust20. ly, from religious principle endure his grievances patiently; for what credit is it if, when you commit a fault, and are chastised, you endure patiently? but if suffering while acting prop21. erly, you patiently endure, this is well pleasing to God. For

to this were you called; because even Christ suffered on our account, leaving us foot-prints that we should follow in his 22. steps, who committed no fault, and in whose mouth no deceit 23. was found; who, being reviled, did not revile in return, suffering did not threaten, but committed himself to the righteous 24. judge; who himself, in his own body, bore our sins to the cross, that we dying by sins might live by righteousness: by 25. whose weals' you are healed; for you were as straying sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd, and overseer 1o of your souls.

III. 1.

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Likewise, you wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands; that if some of them are disbelievers in the doctrine,

1 Ex bonis operibus vos considerantes.-VULGATE. May revering you (èx from), by your good works.-HAMMOND. Creature of man.

2 Humanæ creaturæ.-VULGATE. Humanæ ordinationi.-Beza. WICLIF. Humane creature.-RHEMISTS. HAMMOND.

3 A covering of, a pretext for. Use it neither for concealing nor for excusing wicked

ness.

4 The Roman emperor is termed Bartheus by the Greek writers. POLYCENI Strag., p. 1.

HEROD, i. 3. The usage of the Jews appears from John xix. 15. Acts xvii. 7.

Cross, ill-conditioned, morose, wayward. Tyrants.—WICLIF.

• WAKEFIELD. 1 John ii. 6.

Resigned himself.-SYMONDS.

8 Lit. Stake, Timber. 'Erí. ROBINSON in verb. iii. 6. a and ẞ.

Ma non est vulnus sed vibex, sive vestigium verberum aut flagellorum, IIλnyǹ

μáoriyos moiεi pádoras. Ecclus. xxviii. 17.-RAPHELIUS.

10 Curatorem.-BEZA. CASTALIO.

2. they may, without the doctrine,' be won over by contempla3. ting your pious, chaste behavior. Let your adorning not be

the outward adorning of plaited hair, or of golden ornaments, 4. or of curious dress; but let the hidden man of the heart be adorned with the imperishable ornament of that meek and quiet 5. spirit, which, in the estimation of God, is of great value. For even thus, of old, the holy women who trusted in God adorned 6. themselves, submitting themselves to their own husbands (as Sarah, whose children you are, obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord3), doing what is good, and alarmed by no terrors.

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Likewise, you husbands, dwell with your wives with a wise consideration of the greater weakness of the female frame; giving them honor as also fellow-heirs of the gracious gift of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Finally, be all of one mind and one heart, love as brethren. 9. Be compassionate, be courteous. Do not render injury for injury, or railing for railing; but, on the contrary, bless, knowing that you are called to this, that you may obtain a blessing: For as to him who wishes to enjoy life and to see good days, let him restrain his tongue from mischief, and his lips 11. from speaking deceit; let him depart from mischief and do 12. good, let him seek peace and pursue it; for the eyes of the

10. "

Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears towards their prayer; 13. but the face of the Lord is against evil-doers." And who 14. shall harm you if you are imitators of Him who is good? But

even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. 15. Be not then afraid of their terror, neither be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. And be always ready to vindicate, with meekness and reverence, your hope to every one 16. who asks of you an account of it, maintaining a good conscience, in order that in the thing regarding which they speak against you as evil-doers, those who slander your good chris17. tian behavior may be put to shame. For it is better that you should suffer, if so be the will of God, doing good rather than doing evil.

18.

For, even Christ, once on account of sins, suffered, the righteous in the room of the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; having become, dead, with respect to the flesh, but,

As the article is wanting, a. A. may not refer to r. λ., but may mean without discourse or discussion.

2 Much set by.-COVERDALE. GENEVA. MATTHEWS.

CARPZOV. WAKEFIELD. Gal. iv. 31. Gen. xii. 13, 15; xx. 2; xxvi. 7. Prov. iii. 25. Αγαθοποιοῦσαι non cum vocabulo τέκνα construendum, sed ex v. 5, αἱ γυναῖκες huic referendum est.-SCHOETGEN.

Be united in judgment and affection. Unanimes, compatientes.-VULGATE. Unanimes, eodem modo affecti.-CASTALIO. Omnes eodem animo, eodem affectu.-CARPZOV. BENSON. The opposite of ayana (why is prociv (whv. Ecc. ii. 17. Desireth to live.SYMONDS.

Melius enim est ut bene agentes, si ita velit Dei voluntas, aliquid patiamini, quam male agentes.-BEZA.