Be glad about this is literally “in which you rejoice.” The antecedent of “which” is not at all clear in the text. There are three possibilities.
1. It could refer back to God or to Jesus Christ in verse 3.
2. It could refer to the end of time in verse 5.
3. Finally, it could refer to everything mentioned in verses 3-5.
All three are possible, although most commentaries prefer the third alternative: the Christian’s joy is grounded in the fact that God has given him new life, a living hope, a certainty of receiving God’s rich blessings, and of possession of salvation at the end of time. Most translations are ambiguous at this point. The Good News Translation this (in Be glad about this) simply points back, but does not make the intended antecedent clear. A literal translation (as in Revised Standard Version) would make the antecedent the last part of verse 5. A translation like “You should be glad about all these things” would be much better (compare Barclay “You must rejoice in all this”).
Be glad about this must be made somewhat more explicit in some languages, for example, “be glad about what God has done” or “be happy about what is going to happen.” The expression “about what is going to happen” may, of course, refer specifically to the salvation which is to be revealed, but it can also refer to the rich blessings which will come to believers.
The Greek verb for “rejoice” may be either indicative or imperative. Many modern translations understand it as imperative because it fits what follows better. (However, see Phillips “This means tremendous joy to you”; New American Bible “There is cause for rejoicing here.”)
The command to be glad is now qualified by the observation that it may now be necessary for the readers of the letter to be sad for a while. Here again, there are two possibilities of understanding this clause: First, Peter may have been presenting a hypothetical case; the readers are not now suffering, but if they have to suffer, then they will still be glad, knowing that their suffering will be temporary (for example, Jerusalem Bible, Moffatt). But secondly, Peter may have been describing the actual situation of his readers; they are now undergoing sufferings and trials of all sorts. This is reflected in many translations, for example, Phillips “even though at present you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations”; Barclay “Even if at the moment you are involved in a situation in which you are bound to be distressed by all kinds of troubles.”
The so-called adversative clause introduced by even though may be expressed in some instances by “but,” for example, “but it may now be necessary.”
It may now be necessary for you may be restructured as “you may now have to” or “you may now be caused to.”
The qualifiers of now and for a while may be combined in some instances as “you may for a time be forced to be sad.”
The phrase to be sad translates a Greek verb which can mean physical suffering (as in Revised Standard Version “to suffer”; Spanish Common Language [Biblia Dios Habla Hoy], Phillips “temporarily harassed”). In this context, however, the focus is not primarily on physical suffering but on the mental condition arising out of the experience of suffering, hence Good News Translation to be sad; Knox “to sadden your hearts”; Barclay “to be distressed.” Taken this way, it would be parallel (although adversely) to be glad.
If one is to translate to be sad as the opposite of be glad, one can sometimes employ a negative expression. For example, be glad may be rendered as “be happy,” while to be sad may be rendered as “to be unhappy.” Frequently, however, to be sad is expressed figuratively, for example, “to sink within one’s heart” or “to feel pained within one’s liver.”
The word trials translates a Greek word which can also mean “temptation” to sin or to become unfaithful to God, but here it refers primarily to the difficulties and troubles which the Christians at that time were facing because of their faith. A literal translation would of course focus on the former meaning, and therefore many modern translations have used a word which would focus on the latter meaning (for example, Barclay “troubles”; but compare Phillips “trials and temptations”). Many kinds points to the diversity of these difficulties; the letter, however, does not go into any specific detail as to what these troubles were.
The many kinds of trials you suffer may be expressed as “the many different ways in which you suffer” or “the many different ways in which you are caused to suffer,” or “the many different ways in which people make you suffer” or “… cause you trouble.”
For a while is literally “for a little.” But what does this expression refer to? It could refer to the brevity of the trials as contrasted to the rich blessings in verse 4, which are eternal. But what does this brevity mean? It could mean either that these trials are only temporary, and that the Christians will soon expect a time of peace on earth; or that the trials will soon end at the end of time, as mentioned in verse 5. This latter understanding seems to be in focus here, in which case the trials and persecutions are part of the “messianic woes,” that is, the upheavals immediately before the end of time.
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The First Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .