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Ezekiel 33-35
New English Translation

Ezekiel Israel’s Watchman

33 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people,[a] and say to them, ‘Suppose I bring a sword against the land, and the people of the land take one man from their borders and make him their watchman. 3 He sees the sword coming against the land, blows the trumpet,[b] and warns the people,[c] 4 but there is one who hears the sound of the trumpet yet does not heed the warning. Then the sword comes and sweeps him away. He will be responsible for his own death.[d] 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, so he is responsible for himself.[e] If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But suppose the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people. Then the sword comes and takes one of their lives. He is swept away for his iniquity,[f] but I will hold the watchman accountable for that person’s death.’[g]

7 “As for you, son of man, I have made you a watchman[h] for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them on my behalf. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you must certainly die,’[i] and you do not warn[j] the wicked about his behavior,[k] the wicked man will die for his iniquity, but I will hold you accountable for his death.[l] 9 But if you warn the wicked man to change his behavior,[m] and he refuses to change,[n] he will die for his iniquity, but you have saved your own life.

10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us,[o] and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior[p] and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds![q] Why should you die, O house of Israel?’

12 “And you, son of man, say to your people,[r] ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him if he rebels.[s] As for the wicked, his wickedness will not make him stumble if he turns from it.[t] The righteous will not be able to live by his righteousness[u] if he sins.’[v] 13 Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, but he becomes confident in his righteousness and commits iniquity. None of his righteous deeds will be remembered; because of the iniquity he has committed he will die. 14 Suppose I say to the wicked, ‘You must certainly die,’ but he turns from his sin and does what is just and right. 15 He[w] returns what was taken in pledge, pays back what he has stolen, and follows the statutes that give life,[x] committing no iniquity. He will certainly live—he will not die. 16 None of the sins he has committed will be counted[y] against him. He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live.

17 “Yet your people[z] say, ‘The behavior[aa] of the Lord is not right,’[ab] when it is their behavior that is not right. 18 When a righteous man turns from his godliness and commits iniquity, he will die for it. 19 When the wicked turns from his sin and does what is just and right, he will live because of it. 20 Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’ House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.”[ac]

The Fall of Jerusalem

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth of the month,[ad] a refugee came to me from Jerusalem saying, “The city has been defeated!”[ae] 22 Now the hand of the Lord had been on me[af] the evening before the refugee reached me, but the Lord[ag] opened my mouth by the time the refugee arrived[ah] in the morning; he opened my mouth and I was able to speak once more.[ai] 23 The Lord’s message came to me: 24 “Son of man, the ones living in these ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land, but we are many; surely the land has been given to us for a possession.’[aj] 25 Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You eat the meat with the blood still in it,[ak] pray to[al] your idols, and shed blood. Do you really think you will possess[am] the land? 26 You rely[an] on your swords and commit abominable deeds; each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Will you possess the land?’

27 “This is what you must say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those living in the ruins will die[ao] by the sword, those in the open field I will give to the wild beasts for food, and those who are in the strongholds and caves will die of disease. 28 I will turn the land into a desolate ruin; her confident pride will come to an end. The mountains of Israel will be so desolate no one will pass through them. 29 Then they will know that I am the Lord when I turn the land into a desolate ruin because of all the abominable deeds they have committed.’[ap]

30 “But as for you, son of man, your people[aq] (who are talking about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses) say to one another,[ar] ‘Come hear the word that comes[as] from the Lord.’ 31 They come to you in crowds,[at] and they sit in front of you as[au] my people. They hear your words, but do not obey[av] them. For they talk lustfully,[aw] and their heart is set on[ax] their own advantage.[ay] 32 Realize[az] that to them you are like a sensual song, a beautiful voice and skilled musician.[ba] They hear your words, but they do not obey them.[bb] 33 When all this comes true—and it certainly will[bc]—then they will know that a prophet was among them.”

A Prophecy Against False Shepherds

34 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds[bd] of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness[be] you have ruled over them. 5 They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast.[bf] 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them.

7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, listen to the Lord’s message: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, my sheep have become prey and have become food for all the wild beasts. There was no shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my flock, but fed themselves and did not feed my sheep. 9 Therefore, you shepherds, listen to the Lord’s message. 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand my sheep from their hand. I will no longer let them be shepherds;[bg] the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they will no longer be food for them.

11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day.[bh] 13 I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries; I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land. 14 In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush[bi] pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will seek the lost and bring back the strays; I will bandage the injured and strengthen the sick, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them—with judgment!

17 “‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? When you drink clean water, must you muddy the rest of the water by trampling it with your feet? 19 As for my sheep, they must eat what you trampled with your feet and drink what you have muddied with your feet!

20 “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with your side and your shoulder, and thrust your horns at all the weak sheep until you scatter them abroad,[bj] 22 I will save my sheep; they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.

23 “‘I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them—namely, my servant David.[bk] He will feed them and will be their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince[bl] among them; I, the Lord, have spoken!

25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and will rid the land of wild beasts, so that they can live securely[bm] in the wilderness and even sleep in the woods.[bn] 26 I will turn them and the regions around my hill into a blessing. I will make showers come down in their season; they will be showers that bring blessing.[bo] 27 The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be prey for the nations, and the wild beasts will not devour them. They will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will prepare for them a healthy[bp] planting. They will no longer be victims[bq] of famine in the land and will no longer bear the insults of the nations. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them,[br] and that they are my people, the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.[bs] 31 And you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are my people,[bt] and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Prophecy Against Mount Seir

35 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, turn toward[bu] Mount Seir,[bv] and prophesy against it. 3 Say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Look, I am against you, Mount Seir;
I will stretch out my hand against you
and turn you into a desolate ruin.
4 I will lay waste your cities,
and you will become desolate.
Then you will know that I am the Lord!

5 “‘You have shown unrelenting hostility and poured the people of Israel onto the blades of a sword[bw] at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment. 6 Therefore, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will subject you to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you. 7 I will turn Mount Seir into a desolate ruin;[bx] I will cut off[by] from it the one who passes through or returns. 8 I will fill its mountains with its dead; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines, those killed by the sword will fall. 9 I will turn you into a perpetual desolation, and your cities will not be inhabited. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

10 “‘You said, “These two nations, these two lands[bz] will be mine, and we will possess them,”[ca] (although the Lord was there); 11 therefore, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will deal with you according to your anger and your envy, by which you acted spitefully against them. I will reveal myself to them when I judge you. 12 Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard all the insults you spoke against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are desolate; they have been given to us for food.” 13 You exalted yourselves against me with your speech[cb] and hurled many insults against me[cc]—I have heard them all! 14 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will turn you into a desolation. 15 As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I deal with you—you will be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom—all of it! Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:2 tn Heb “sons of your people.”
  2. Ezekiel 33:3 tn Heb “shofar,” a ram’s horn rather than a brass instrument (so throughout the chapter).
  3. Ezekiel 33:3 tn Sounding the trumpet could warn of imminent danger (Neh 4:18-20; Jer 4:19; Amos 3:6).
  4. Ezekiel 33:4 tn Heb “his blood will be on his own head.”
  5. Ezekiel 33:5 tn Heb “his blood will be on him.”
  6. Ezekiel 33:6 tn Or “in his punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and in vv. 8 and 9; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18:17, 18, 19, 20; 24:23; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.
  7. Ezekiel 33:6 tn Heb “his blood from the hand of the watchman I will seek.”
  8. Ezekiel 33:7 sn Jeremiah (Jer 6:17) and Habakkuk (Hab 2:1) also served in the role of a watchman.
  9. Ezekiel 33:8 tn The same expression occurs in Gen 2:17.
  10. Ezekiel 33:8 tn Heb “and you do not speak to warn.”
  11. Ezekiel 33:8 tn Heb “way.”
  12. Ezekiel 33:8 tn Heb “and his blood from your hand I will seek.”
  13. Ezekiel 33:9 tn Heb “from his way to turn from it.”
  14. Ezekiel 33:9 tn Heb “and he does not turn from his way.”
  15. Ezekiel 33:10 tn Heb “(are) upon us.”
  16. Ezekiel 33:11 tn Heb “turn from his way.”
  17. Ezekiel 33:11 tn Heb “ways.” This same word is translated “behavior” earlier in the verse.
  18. Ezekiel 33:12 tn Heb “the sons of your people.”
  19. Ezekiel 33:12 tn Heb “in the day of his rebellion.” The statement envisions a godly person rejecting what is good and becoming sinful. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:247-48.
  20. Ezekiel 33:12 tn Heb “and the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble in it in the day of his turning from his wickedness.”
  21. Ezekiel 33:12 tn Heb “by it.”
  22. Ezekiel 33:12 tn Heb “in the day of his sin.”
  23. Ezekiel 33:15 tn Heb “the wicked one.”
  24. Ezekiel 33:15 tn Heb “and in the statutes of life he walks.”
  25. Ezekiel 33:16 tn Heb “remembered.”
  26. Ezekiel 33:17 tn Heb “the sons of your people.”
  27. Ezekiel 33:17 tn Heb “way.”
  28. Ezekiel 33:17 tn The Hebrew verb translated “is (not) right” has the basic meaning of “to measure.” For a similar concept, see Ezek 18:25, 29.
  29. Ezekiel 33:20 tn Heb “ways.”
  30. Ezekiel 33:21 tn January 19, 585 b.c.
  31. Ezekiel 33:21 tn Heb “smitten.”
  32. Ezekiel 33:22 tn The other occurrences of the phrase “the hand of the Lord” in Ezekiel are in the context of prophetic visions.
  33. Ezekiel 33:22 tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  34. Ezekiel 33:22 tn Heb “by the time of the arrival to me.” For clarity the translation specifies the refugee as the one who arrived.
  35. Ezekiel 33:22 sn Ezekiel’s God-imposed muteness was lifted (see 3:26).
  36. Ezekiel 33:24 sn Outside of its seven occurrences in Ezekiel the term translated “possession” appears only in Exod 6:8 and Deut 33:4.
  37. Ezekiel 33:25 sn This practice was a violation of Levitical law (see Lev 19:26).
  38. Ezekiel 33:25 tn Heb “lift up your eyes.”
  39. Ezekiel 33:25 tn Heb “Will you possess?”
  40. Ezekiel 33:26 tn Heb “stand.”
  41. Ezekiel 33:27 tn Heb “fall.”
  42. Ezekiel 33:29 sn The judgments of vv. 27-29 echo the judgments of Lev 26:22, 25.
  43. Ezekiel 33:30 tn Heb “sons of your people.”
  44. Ezekiel 33:30 tn Heb “one to one, a man to his brother.”
  45. Ezekiel 33:30 tn Heb “comes out.”
  46. Ezekiel 33:31 tn Heb “as people come.” Apparently this is an idiom indicating that they come in crowds. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:264.
  47. Ezekiel 33:31 tn The word “as” is supplied in the translation.
  48. Ezekiel 33:31 tn Heb “do.”
  49. Ezekiel 33:31 tn Heb “They do lust with their mouths.”
  50. Ezekiel 33:31 tn Heb “goes after.”
  51. Ezekiel 33:31 tn The present translation understands the term often used for “unjust gain” in a wider sense, following M. Greenberg, who also notes that the LXX uses a term that can describe either sexual or ritual pollution. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:687.
  52. Ezekiel 33:32 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  53. Ezekiel 33:32 tn Heb “one who makes playing music well.”
  54. Ezekiel 33:32 sn Similar responses are found in Isa 29:13; Matt 21:28-32; James 1:22-25.
  55. Ezekiel 33:33 tn Heb “behold, it is coming.”
  56. Ezekiel 34:2 tn The term shepherd is applied to kings in the ancient Near East. In the OT the Lord is often addressed as shepherd of Israel (Gen 49:24; Ps 8:1). The imagery of shepherds as Israel’s leaders is also employed (Jer 23:1-2).
  57. Ezekiel 34:4 tn The term translated “harshness” is used to describe the oppression the Israelites suffered as slaves in Egypt (Exod 1:13).
  58. Ezekiel 34:5 tn As a case of dittography, the MT repeats “and they were scattered” at the end of the verse.
  59. Ezekiel 34:10 tn Heb “I will cause them to cease from feeding sheep.”
  60. Ezekiel 34:12 sn The imagery may reflect the overthrow of the Israelites by the Babylonians in 587/6 b.c.
  61. Ezekiel 34:14 tn Heb “good.”
  62. Ezekiel 34:21 tn Heb “outside.”
  63. Ezekiel 34:23 sn The messianic king is here called “David” (see Jer 30:9 and Hos 3:5, as well as Isa 11:1 and Mic 5:2) because he will fulfill the Davidic royal ideal depicted in the prophets and royal psalms (see Pss 2; 89).
  64. Ezekiel 34:24 sn The messianic king (“David”) is called both “king” and “prince” in 37:24-25. The use of the term “prince” for this king facilitates the contrast between this ideal ruler and the Davidic “princes” denounced in earlier prophecies (see 7:27; 12:10, 12; 19:1; 21:25; 22:6, 25).
  65. Ezekiel 34:25 tn The phrase “live securely” occurs in Ezek 28:26; 38:8, 11, 14; 39:26 as an expression of freedom from fear. It is a promised blessing resulting from obedience (see Lev 26:5-6).
  66. Ezekiel 34:25 sn The woods were typically considered to be places of danger (Ps 104:20-21; Jer 5:6).
  67. Ezekiel 34:26 tn Heb “showers of blessing.” Abundant rain, which in turn produces fruit and crops (v. 27), is a covenantal blessing for obedience (Lev 26:4).
  68. Ezekiel 34:29 tc The MT reads לְשֵׁם (leshem, “for a name”), meaning perhaps a renowned planting (place). The translation takes this to be a metathesis of שָׁלֹם (shalom), as was read by the LXX.
  69. Ezekiel 34:29 tn Heb “those gathered” for famine.
  70. Ezekiel 34:30 sn A promise given to Abraham (Gen 15:7) and his descendants (Gen 15:8; Exod 6:7).
  71. Ezekiel 34:30 sn The blessings described in vv. 25-30 are those promised for obedience in Lev 26:4-13.
  72. Ezekiel 34:31 tn Heb, “the sheep of my pasture, you are human.” See 36:37-38 for a similar expression. The possessive pronoun “my” is supplied in the translation to balance “I am your God” in the next clause.
  73. Ezekiel 35:2 tn Heb “set your face against.”
  74. Ezekiel 35:2 sn Mount Seir is to be identified with Edom (Ezek 35:15), home of Esau’s descendants (Gen 25:21-30).
  75. Ezekiel 35:5 tn Or “gave over…to the power of the sword.” This phrase also occurs in Jer 18:21 and Ps 63:10.
  76. Ezekiel 35:7 tc The translation reads with some manuscripts לְשִׁמְמָה וּמְשַׁמָּה (leshimemah umeshammah, “desolate ruin”) as in verse 3 and often in Ezekiel. The majority reading reverses the first mem (מ) with the shin (שׁ), resulting in the repetition of the word desolate: לְשִׁמְמָה וּשְׁמָמָה (leshimemah ushemamah).
  77. Ezekiel 35:7 tn Or “kill.”
  78. Ezekiel 35:10 sn The reference is to Israel and Judah.
  79. Ezekiel 35:10 tn Heb “it.”
  80. Ezekiel 35:13 tn Heb “your mouth.”
  81. Ezekiel 35:13 tn Heb “and you multiplied against me your words.” The Hebrew verb occurs only here and in Prov 27:6, where it refers to the “excessive” kisses of an enemy. The basic idea of the verb appears to be “to be abundant.” Here it occurs in the causative (Hiphil) stem.
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1 Peter 4:12-5:14
New English Translation

12 Dear friends, do not be astonished[a] that a trial by fire is occurring among you,[b] as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed[c] you may also rejoice and be glad.[d] 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory,[e] who is the Spirit of God,[f] rests[g] on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker.[h] 16 But if you suffer as a Christian,[i] do not be ashamed, but glorify[j] God that you bear such a name.[k] 17 For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the house[l] of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate[m] of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of[n] the ungodly and sinners?[o] 19 So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good.[p]

Leading and Living in God’s Flock

5 So as your fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you: 2 Give a shepherd’s care to[q] God’s flock among you, exercising oversight[r] not merely as a duty[s] but willingly under God’s direction,[t] not for shameful profit but eagerly. 3 And do not lord it over[u] those entrusted to you,[v] but be examples to the flock. 4 Then[w] when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away.

5 In the same way, you who are younger,[x] be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.[y] 6 And God will exalt you in due time,[z] if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand[aa] 7 by casting[ab] all your cares[ac] on him because he cares for you. 8 Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion,[ad] is on the prowl looking for someone[ae] to devour. 9 Resist him,[af] strong in your faith, because you know[ag] that your brothers and sisters[ah] throughout the world[ai] are enduring[aj] the same kinds of suffering.[ak] 10 And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ[al] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.[am] 11 To him belongs[an] the power forever. Amen.

Final Greetings

12 Through Silvanus,[ao] whom I know to be a faithful brother,[ap] I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you and testify[aq] that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.[ar] 13 The church[as] in Babylon,[at] chosen together with you,[au] greets you, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with a loving kiss.[av] Peace to all of you who are in Christ.[aw]

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 4:12 tn Or “do not be surprised, taken aback.” The same verb occurs in 4:4.
  2. 1 Peter 4:12 tn Grk “at the burning among you, occurring to you for testing.”
  3. 1 Peter 4:13 tn Grk “in the revelation of his glory.”
  4. 1 Peter 4:13 tn The verb “be glad” is used also in 1:6 and 1:8. The verbs of v. 13b are used together in Matt 5:12 and Rev 19:7.
  5. 1 Peter 4:14 tc Many mss, some of them significant and early ([א] A P 33 81 323 945 1241 1739 pm bo), add καὶ δυνάμεως (kai dunameōs; “and of power”) here. The shorter reading is supported by P72 B K L Ψ 049 pm). Although the evidence is evenly divided, the longer reading looks to be an explanatory or liturgical expansion on the text and for this reason should be considered secondary.
  6. 1 Peter 4:14 tn Grk “the Spirit of glory and of God.”
  7. 1 Peter 4:14 sn A quotation taken from Isa 11:2.
  8. 1 Peter 4:15 tn The meaning of the Greek word used here is uncertain. It may mean “spy, informer,” “revolutionary,” or “defrauder, embezzler.” But the most likely meaning is “busybody, one who meddles in the affairs of others, troublesome meddler.” The translation given in the text is intended to suggest this general idea.
  9. 1 Peter 4:16 tn The verb is implied by the context but not expressed; Grk “but if as a Christian.”
  10. 1 Peter 4:16 tn These are third person imperatives in Greek (“if [one of you suffers] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed…let him glorify”), but have been translated as second person verbs since this is smoother English idiom.
  11. 1 Peter 4:16 tn Grk “in this name.”
  12. 1 Peter 4:17 tn Grk “to begin from the house.”
  13. 1 Peter 4:17 tn Or “the end.”
  14. 1 Peter 4:18 tn Grk “where will he appear.”
  15. 1 Peter 4:18 tn The personal references in v. 18 are generic singulars, but they have been changed to the plural in English to maintain consistency with the plurals of v. 17.sn A quotation from Prov 11:31 (LXX).
  16. 1 Peter 4:19 tn Grk “in doing good.”
  17. 1 Peter 5:2 tn Grk “shepherd,” “tend,” “pastor.”
  18. 1 Peter 5:2 tc A few significant and early witnesses mss (א* B sa) lack ἐπισκοποῦντες (episkopountes, “exercising oversight”), but the participle enjoys otherwise good ms support (P72 א2 A P Ψ 33 1739 M lat bo). A decision is difficult because normally the shorter reading is preferred, especially when found in excellent witnesses. However, in this instance the omission may be due to a hesitation among some scribes to associate oversight with elders, since the later church viewed overseer/bishop as a separate office from elder.
  19. 1 Peter 5:2 tn Or “not under compulsion/coercion.”
  20. 1 Peter 5:2 tn Grk “according to God.”
  21. 1 Peter 5:3 tn Grk “not as lording it over…but being examples.” The participles continue the command of v. 2 by describing how the shepherding should be carried out.
  22. 1 Peter 5:3 tn Grk “the ones allotted,” referring to those God has given over to their care.
  23. 1 Peter 5:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the logical sequence of events.
  24. 1 Peter 5:5 sn In this context younger and elder are terms that combine two meanings: relative age and an official structure of leadership in the church. As in v. 1, elder here denotes those who exercise spiritual leadership, who for the most part are older in years. Likewise younger means the rest of the community, who for the most part are younger in age, who are urged to accept the authority of their leaders.
  25. 1 Peter 5:5 sn A quotation from Prov 3:34 (cf. Jas 4:6).
  26. 1 Peter 5:6 tn Grk “in time,” but connoting “the proper time, when the time is right” as in Matt 24:45; Luke 12:42.
  27. 1 Peter 5:6 tn Grk “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that in due time he may exalt you.” The sentence was rearranged so that the English reader could more clearly see the connection between “casting” (v. 7) and “humble” (v. 6).
  28. 1 Peter 5:7 tn Or “throwing on”; “loading.” Some scholars take the participle to function imperativally, or as attendant circumstance—thus, “cast.” See below for discussion.sn Casting. According to ExSyn 630, “Although treated as an independent command in several modern translations (e.g., RSV, NRSV, NIV), the participle [casting] should be connected with the verb of v 6, ταπεινώθητε [tapeinōthēte, Humble yourselves]. As such, it is not offering a new command, but is defining how believers are to humble themselves. Taking the participle as means enriches the understanding of both verbs: Humbling oneself is not a negative act of self-denial per se, but a positive one of active dependence on God for help.”
  29. 1 Peter 5:7 tn Or “anxiety, burden,” but using a word from the same root as the verb “cares” in the last part of the verse.
  30. 1 Peter 5:8 sn This phrase may be an allusion to Ps 22:13.
  31. 1 Peter 5:8 tc A few mss (B Ψ 1175) lack the pronoun τινα (tina), while others have it. Those that have it either put the acute accent over the penult, making this an interrogative pronoun (“whom”; 436 642 2492 vg; most Fathers), or leave off any accent, making this an indefinite pronoun (“someone”; L P 33vid 81 1611 1735 1739 2344 al), or are too early to employ accents but nevertheless have the pronoun τινα (P72 א A). Generally speaking, the shorter and harder reading is to be preferred. In this instance, the omission of the pronoun would obviously be accommodated for by scribes, since both ζητέω (zēteō, “look, seek”) and καταπίνω (katapinō, “devour”) are transitive verbs. However, if the omission were original, one might expect the position of the pronoun to float in the mss—both before and after the infinitive καταπιεῖν (katapiein, “to devour”). Further, other terms might be expected as well, such as ἕνα ἐξ ὑμῶν (hena ex humōn, “one of you”) or τινα ἐξ ὑμῶν (tina ex humōn, “a certain one/someone of you”). The uniformity of both the word and its location suggests that the shorter reading (found in but a few Greek mss) in this instance was a scribal mistake. As to whether the pronoun is interrogative or indefinite, since accents were not a part of the earliest mss, such Greek witnesses are of no help to us in this kind of problem. There would be little difference in meaning between the two in this context.
  32. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “whom,” referring to the devil in v. 8. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  33. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “knowing,” a participle that usually denotes a reason for the related action.
  34. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “your brotherhood.” The Greek term “brotherhood” is used in a broad sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 19 s.v. ἀδελφότης 1). Another alternative translation would be “your fellow believers,” though this would weaken the familial connotations. This same word occurs in 2:17; there it has been translated “family of believers.”
  35. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “your brotherhood in the world,” referring to the Christian community worldwide.
  36. 1 Peter 5:9 tn This verb carries the nuance “to accomplish, complete,” emphasizing their faithful endurance in suffering. The verb is passive in Greek (“suffering is being endured by your brotherhood”), but has been translated as an active to give a smoother English style.
  37. 1 Peter 5:9 tn Grk “the same things of sufferings.”
  38. 1 Peter 5:10 tc A few significant mss (א B 614 630 1505 1611) lack “Jesus” after “Christ,” while the majority include the name (P72 A P Ψ 5 33 81 436 442 1175 1735 1739 1852 2344 2492 M latt). The inclusion is a natural and predictable expansion on the text, but in light of its broad representation a decision is difficult. NA28 lists the longer reading in the apparatus with a diamond, indicating a toss-up as to what the initial text should read.
  39. 1 Peter 5:10 tn The pronoun “you” is not used explicitly but is clearly implied by the Greek.
  40. 1 Peter 5:11 tn No verb is expressed here but the verb “is” or “belongs” is clearly implied. This doxology expresses a fact for which God should be glorified (as in 4:11), rather than a wish or prayer (“may power be to him”).
  41. 1 Peter 5:12 sn The phrase Through Silvanus means either that Silvanus was the secretary (amanuensis) who assisted Peter in writing or composing the letter (cf. Rom 16:22) or that he carried the letter to the churches. The latter sense is more likely since this is the meaning of the Greek wording when it is used elsewhere (cf. Acts 15:23; Ignatius, Letter to the Romans 10:1; Letter to the Philadelphians 11:2; Letter to the Smyrnaeans 12:1; Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 14), though it is perhaps possible that both ideas could be incorporated by this expression. For a detailed argument regarding this issue, see E. R. Richards, “Silvanus Was Not Peter’s Secretary: Theological Bias in Interpreting διὰ Σιλουανοῦ…ἔγραψα,” JETS 43 (September 2000): 417-32.
  42. 1 Peter 5:12 tn Grk “the faithful brother, as I think.”
  43. 1 Peter 5:12 tn These are participles (“encouraging and testifying”) showing purpose. The pronoun object “you” is omitted in Greek but implied by the context.
  44. 1 Peter 5:12 tn Grk “in which stand fast.” For emphasis, and due to constraints of contemporary English, this was made a separate sentence in the translation.
  45. 1 Peter 5:13 tn Grk “the one in Babylon,” which could refer to some individual woman (“she who is in Babylon”) since the Greek article (here “the one”) is feminine. But it is much more likely to be a veiled reference to a church (the Greek word “church” is also feminine in gender).
  46. 1 Peter 5:13 sn Most scholars understand Babylon here to be a figurative reference to Rome. Although in the OT the city of Babylon in Mesopotamia was the seat of tremendous power (2 Kgs 24-25; Isa 39; Jer 25), by the time of the NT what was left was an insignificant town, and there is no tradition in Christian history that Peter ever visited there. On the other hand, Christian tradition connects Peter with the church in Rome, and many interpreters think other references to Babylon in the NT refer to Rome as well (Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). Thus it is likely Peter was referring to Rome here.
  47. 1 Peter 5:13 tn Grk “chosen together,” implying the connection “with you” in context.
  48. 1 Peter 5:14 tn Grk “a kiss of love.”
  49. 1 Peter 5:14 tc Most mss (א P 5 436 442 1611 1735 1739c 1852 2492 M sy) have ἀμήν (amen, “amen”) at the end of 1 Peter. Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the absence of such a conclusion to the epistle in such witnesses as P72 A B Ψ 81 323 945 1175 1241 1243 1739* 2344 co seems inexplicable unless the word is not authentic.
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