2:10
In this verse, Peter continued identifying his Christian readers as God’s people. Here he referred to the description of the children of Israel from Hosea 2:23 to describe believers in Christ.
Most English versions do not mark this verse as a quotation. The New Living Translation (2004) and Contemporary English Version, however, place this verse in quotation marks. The Contemporary English Version identifies it (at the end of 2:9) as being from the Scriptures by saying:
The Scriptures say… (Contemporary English Version)
Introduce this verse in a way that sounds natural in your language. You may wish to note in a footnote that it is taken from Hosea 2:23. It is not a direct quotation.
2:10a
Once: The word Once refers to the time period before these Gentile believers became part of the group identified as God’s people. Other ways to say this include:
In the past
-or-
At one time (New Century Version)
not a people: This phrase has been interpreted in different ways:
(1) Before they became believers, Peter’s readers had no common identity. They were not a community, a distinct people group. For example:
you were not a people at all (Revised English Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, NET Bible, New International Version, New Living Translation (2004), Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible)
(2) Before they became believers, Peter’s readers were not God’s people. For example:
you were not God’s people (Good News Translation)
(God’s Word, Good News Translation)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) as most English versions do.
people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as people twice in this verse is the same word as at 2:9d. These are the only places in this letter where Peter used this Greek word.
This word referred to a distinct group of related people. It could refer to an ethnic group, such as the Old Testament people of Israel.
but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a contrast between the past and the present. Express this contrast in a way that is natural for your language.
now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as now in this context means “ever since you became Christians.” It refers to the state of things at the time when Peter was writing.
you are the people of God: Peter said that his readers had become a people, a community, and that they as a community belonged to God.
2:10b
once: As in 2:10a, the term once refers to the time period before Peter’s readers had become Christians.
you had not received mercy…have received mercy: Peter gave another description of Gentile Christians, including his Gentile readers. Before God demonstrated that Gentiles, as well as Jews, could be his people, these Gentile Christians had not experienced God’s mercy.
In some languages it may not be possible to translate mercy as an abstract noun. Instead you may need to use an adjective or verb and make the subject God explicit:
⌊God⌋ had not been merciful to you…has been merciful to you
-or-
⌊God⌋ had not forgiven you…has forgiven you
had not received mercy: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as had not received mercy is a perfect tense verb. You may be able to translate this to show that this was an ongoing state or condition in the past. For example:
In the past you had never received mercy (New Century Version)
-or-
In the past you had no experience of his mercy (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
Once you were outside his mercy (Revised English Bible)
but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but again introduces a contrast between the past and the present.
now you have received mercy: Peter knew that his readers had at some time in the recent past received mercy from God. Now they were living as forgiven people, people who had received mercy.
mercy: The word mercy means compassion for those who suffer or are in need. Some other ways this word can be translated include:
pity (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
kindness (Contemporary English Version)
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