The exhortations to humility in 5b-7 may be misunderstood by the readers as encouraging them to adopt an attitude of passive resignation to their plight. Therefore, in the next few verses Peter calls them back into a posture of vigilance, alertness, and firmness in their faith.
For Be alert, see notes on 1.13 and 4.7. In some languages Be alert may be rendered as “keep awake,” but it is more likely that Be alert can be rendered more satisfactorily as “be constantly ready.”
Be on watch obviously has a parallel meaning. The two verbs also occur together in 1 Thessalonians 5.6, which is part of an eschatological passage; separately they are also used in various eschatological passages (for example, Matt 24.42, 43; Luke 21.34-36; Rev 3.2, 3; 16.15; 2 Tim 4.5). In view of this, it is very probable that this posture of alertness is part of the Christian teaching regarding the end of the world. Be on watch may be rendered as “be ready for whatever may happen” or “be prepared for what will happen.” Because of the context which follows, one might be tempted to translate be on watch as “beware of,” but this is not the implication of the Greek text.
A new element is, however, introduced here; they are to be on guard because of the Devil. Two preliminary notes need to be made at this point. (1) References to the Devil are found in later books of the Old Testament, (for example, Zech 3.1; 1 Chr 21.1). It became quite popular in the last two centuries before the Christian era to portray the Devil as the prince of evil, the anti-Christ, God’s enemy, who nevertheless is allowed by God to have temporary dominion over the world (compare John 14.30; 1 John 5.19). (2) Christian eschatological belief accents the fact that in the age immediately before the end, the Devil will show forth his power in order to lead the believers astray (for example, Matt 24.4-28; 2 Thes 2.3-12; 2 Tim 3.1-9; Rev 20.7, 8).
Enemy (compare Matt 5.25) is literally “plaintiff” or “opponent in a lawsuit” (compare Prov 18.7), but in an extended sense is used to mean an enemy (compare Est 8.11). Devil also carries the same meaning (that is, “accuser”), but with the implication that the charge is false. It is possible, however, that Devil has already become a title or a name, and the Good News Translation indicates this understanding by capitalizing the word (also Barclay).
Both enemy and Devil are translations of the same Hebrew word Satan, which literally means “adversary” or “opponent,” that is, of God and his people.
In this context Your enemy may be readily rendered as “the one who is against you” or “the one who accuses you.” Such an expression must then be placed in apposition to the Devil.
In a number of languages a proper name for the Devil already exists, and it may therefore be employed. However, such a term may refer to a local evil demon which has certain characteristics which one may not wish to introduce into the Scriptures. Therefore, it is possible, as in some languages, to use a phrase for the Devil, namely, “the chief of the demons” or “the great demon.”
The Devil is compared to a roaring lion. The lion is chosen because of its nature as a cruel, ferocious beast of prey. In Judaism, the opponents of God and his people are frequently pictured as lions (for example, Psa 22.13 Revised Standard Version “They open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion”). Roams around may be reminiscent of Job 1.7, where Satan is described as “going to and fro on the earth, and … walking up and down on it” (Revised Standard Version). Roams around may be expressed as “goes from place to place” or “walks here and there” or “walks about.”
Like a roaring lion may be rendered as “like a lion who is roaring.” In some instances a term for lion is not known and therefore needs to be borrowed. This may require some kind of classifier so that one may use a phrase such as “a fierce animal called lion.”
Looking for someone to devour describes the typical activity of the lion. That the intended victims are the Christians is clear from someone. Devour is literally “swallow” or “drink down,” “eat up”; in the present context, it refers to the activity of the Devil in trying to destroy believers, particularly their faith, and lead them into apostasy, that is, to deny their faith in Jesus Christ. Implied in all these is the thought that the sufferings experienced by Christians are not simply the work of people, but are instigated by the Devil himself.
Rarely can one translate literally looking for someone to devour, since a term which relates to “eating” may not suggest the process of “destroying.” Therefore, one can sometimes better render looking for someone to devour as “looking for someone to destroy” or “… to ruin.”
There is a minor textual problem in that some manuscripts have “someone he may devour” instead of “someone to devour,” but in a dynamic equivalent translation, this would not present any difficulties, since the two variants have the same meaning.
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 .