This is a quotation from Isaiah 53.9, with two variations: Peter has sin (Greek hamartia) where Isaiah had “violence” (Greek anomia); and “was found” (Revised Standard Version) is not found in the Hebrew text, but is in the Septuagint.

He committed no sin recalls 1.19 and accents not only Jesus’ complete innocence of the crimes he was accused of, but also his never having done wrong against God. The idea of Jesus’ sinlessness is also found in other books of the New Testament (for example, 2 Cor 5.21; John 8.46; 1 John 3.5; Heb 7.26). He committed no sin may be translated as “he never sinned” or “he never did anything that was wrong.”

For a lie, see 2.1. From his lips is literally “in his mouth,” indicating that what is being talked about is verbal activity. It is quite possible and acceptable to simply indicate this fact in the translation, without referring to either “mouth” or “lips,” for example, Barclay “No one ever heard him speak a twisted word”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “never did anyone hear a lie from him”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “nor did he deceive anyone.” No one ever heard a lie come from his lips may be succinctly rendered as “no one ever heard him lie,” but in some languages it might be expressed even more forcefully as “he never lied.”

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 .