1:18

People attach great value to silver and gold. However, these perishable material things do not have sufficient value to pay the price to free people from slavery to sin. Silver and gold are worthless compared to the blood of Christ, the price that was paid to free people from a life of sinning.

1:18a

For you know that: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For you know that is literally “knowing that,” continuing the sentence from v. 17. You may wish to begin a new sentence here, as the Berean Standard Bible does. This phrase introduces another reason for Peter’s readers to fear God. Ways to make this clear include:

⌊Do this⌋ because you know that…
-or-

⌊You should do this⌋ because you understand that…
-or-

⌊You should revere/fear him/God⌋ because you realize that…

1:18b

it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold: Silver and gold do not last forever. It is true that they last a long time, but one day they will perish, because they belong only to this world. Peter said something similar about gold perishing at 1:7b–c.

perishable things: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perishable things here means “things that will not last for ever”; that is, finite things. One day all material things, including silver and gold, will pass away or come to an end.

At 1:4b, Peter used the negative form of this same Greek word (“imperishable”). However, the way perishable is translated in this verse must go naturally with silver or gold. For this reason, you may not be able to use here a form of the word you used at 1:4b. Some other ways to translate perishable include:

things…that don’t last forever (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
not something that can be destroyed (Good News Translation)
-or-
something that ruins (New Century Version)

silver or gold: In Peter’s time, coins were made of silver or gold. So this is a way of speaking about money. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit:

silver or gold ⌊money⌋
-or-

⌊money made of⌋ precious metal

you were redeemed: This is a passive verbal phrase. If you need to use an active verb and supply the subject, you should supply the subject “God.”

⌊God⌋ redeemed you

redeemed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as redeemed refers to paying a price to free someone. People freed slaves or prisoners by paying money to their masters. Other verbs you may be able to use for redeemed are:

rescued (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
set free (Good News Translation)
-or-
ransomed (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
bought your freedom (Revised English Bible)

1:18c

from the empty way of life: Peter pictured his readers’ former way of life as a prison from which God had freed them.

empty: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as empty here means “of no benefit.” Other ways to translate it include:

futile (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
worthless (Good News Translation)
-or-
useless (Contemporary English Version)

Peter’s readers’ old way of life was futile, useless, and worthless because it did not lead them to God.

way of life: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as way of life refers to conduct and behavior. It is the same word that occurs in 1:15b. Here you may be able to translate it as:

manner of life (Good News Translation)

you inherited from your forefathers: The phrase you inherited from your forefathers means “that you received from your ancestors.” Each generation had learned this way of life from their parents, who in turn had learned it from their ancestors who lived before them. You may be able to say this as:

inherited from your ancestors (NET Bible)
-or-
learned from your ancestors (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
traditional (Revised English Bible)
-or-
passed down from the people who lived before you (New Century Version)

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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