SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2018

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 1:16

1:16a

Here in 1:16 Peter quoted from Leviticus 19:2. You might want to include this information as a cross-reference or footnote.

for: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for can also be translated as “because.” This conjunction introduces the reason/basis for the command in 1:15b. Peter used this conjunction to join 1:15 with a quotation from the Old Testament in 1:16.

This conjunction can be translated in different ways:

• Explicitly, using a conjunction such as for, “because,” or “since.” For example:

because it is written (New American Standard Bible)

• Implicitly. For example:

The Scripture says (Good News Translation)

Translate the conjunction in whichever of these ways is the most clear and natural in your language.

it is written: When Jesus taught people, he frequently used the phrase it is written to introduce a quotation from the Old Testament (for example, see Matthew 11:10). Some writers of the New Testament also used it is written to introduce quotations from the Old Testament. See, for example, Romans 12:19, 14:11; 1 Corinthians 3:19; Galatians 3:10, 3:13.

Your language may require you to refer to the Old Testament in your translation. If you do not already know what you are going to call the writings in the Old Testament, you may be able to refer to the whole Old Testament as:

the Book ⌊of God⌋
-or-
the ⌊Holy⌋ Writing(s)
-or-
the Scriptures

You may want or need a more specific key term for the first five books of the Old Testament, which includes Leviticus. For example:

the Law

The phrase it is written uses a passive verb. If your language requires you to say who did the writing, since Moses wrote Leviticus, you may be able to say:

⌊Moses⌋ wrote in the ⌊Holy⌋ Writing(s)

1:16b

Be holy: This is a command that is a quotation of Leviticus 19:2. God was commanding his people to Be holy. Try to use the same word for holy that you used to describe God in 1:15.

The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Be holy is literally “You shall be holy.” God used a future statement to give a command. Many translations (for example, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible) translate this as a future statement. Translate it in the way that would be most natural in your language.

I am holy: God was the original speaker of these words. At Leviticus 19:2, God identifies himself as the speaker. If in this context it would be natural in your language for God to identify himself, then you may be able to translate this in a similar way to the Contemporary English Version, which says:

I am the holy God (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 1:16a–b

In some languages it may be natural to give the reason why God’s people were to be holy before the command to be holy. For example:

For ⌊God says⌋ in the Scriptures/Writings, “I am holy, so you ⌊too⌋ must be holy.”

© 2018 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2:23

2:23a

When they heaped abuse on Him: With the phrase they heaped abuse on Him, the Berean Standard Bible is using a figure of speech to indicate that people insulted Jesus. The Jewish leaders and Roman soldiers said that Jesus was evil and had said and done evil things. This is literally a passive verbal phrase in Greek, “who, being reviled.” Some other ways to translate this phrase include:

When he was insulted (Good News Translation)
-or-
When people spoke against him

He did not retaliate: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as retaliate means to strike back against someone either physically or verbally. In this context, it refers to answering in an evil way to someone who has spoken evil about you. An English idiom for this expression is “get even.” Other translation models include:

he did not answer back (NET Bible)
-or-
he did not insult them in return (New Century Version)

2:23b

when He suffered: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when He suffered is applied by Peter to the time when Jesus suffered and died on the cross. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate who was responsible for Jesus suffering. For example:

when ⌊people⌋ caused him to suffer

He made no threats: The phrase He made no threats means that the Messiah did not say that he would harm to the people who were insulting him. Other ways to translate this include:

he threatened no retaliation (NET Bible)
-or-
he uttered no threats (Revised English Bible)

2:23c

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces what Christ did instead of reviling and threatening his enemies. The New International Version translates this conjunction as:

Instead (New International Version)

entrusted Himself to: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he entrusted means to commit or hand over someone or something to someone else. The Greek text does not have a direct object. The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word Himself. It is also possible to supply words meaning “his affair” or “what concerned him.” Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

left everything to (God’s Word)
-or-
placed his hopes in (Good News Translation)
-or-
left his case in (New Living Translation (2004))

Him who judges justly: The one who judges justly is God. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

⌊God⌋ who judges justly
-or-
God, who always judges fairly (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 4:8

4:8a

Above all: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Above all here means that what Peter is about to say is very important. He is not necessarily saying that what he is about to say is more important than what he has just said. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

Most important of all (Contemporary English Version)

love one another deeply: The Greek word translated as deeply intensifies the command to love each other. Peter wanted his readers to care a lot about one another. You could also translate this as:

warmly (God’s Word)
-or-
sincerely (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
fervently

This word also occurred in 1:22. See how you translated it there.

4:8b

because: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because explains the reason why believers are to “love each other deeply” in 4:8b. This reason is stated here in this verse part. Connect 4:8b to 4:8a in a way that is natural in your language. Other ways that is word is translated include:

for (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Since (Revised Standard Version)

love covers over a multitude of sins: This may be a proverb that was in common use in New `Testament times. See Proverbs 10:12 and James 5:20. In this context it can be interpreted in two ways:

(1) If a person loves other people, he forgives and forgets the wrong they have done to him. For example:

NET Bible footnote: “Christian love is patient and forgiving towards the offences of a fellow Christian.”

(NET Bible)

(2) If you love one another, God will forgive your sins. This is perhaps implied by the New Century Version:

love will cause many sins to be forgiven

(New Century Version)

Most English translations do not say explicitly who loves and whose sins are covered. However, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The person who loves a fellow Christian covers or forgives their sins. This is the view of the majority of modern commentators.

covers over: In this context, covers over means “forgives.” A literal translation may suggest that sins are hidden, that is, concealed or kept secret. That is not what Peter meant here. A person who wishes his sins to be covered may first need to confess them to God and other people. Some other ways covers over has been translated are:

cancels (Revised English Bible)
-or-
wipes away (Contemporary English Version)

a multitude: The phrase a multitude means “many.” However, a literal translation may imply that there will be sins the believer can choose not to forgive. This is not the meaning here. In some languages, it may therefore be necessary to translate this as part of the verb, indicating that the one who loves forgives sins frequently or regularly. For example:

⌊you⌋ will keep on forgiving ⌊their⌋ sins

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2:2

2:2

Peter used the desire that newborn babies have for their mothers’ milk as an illustration. He told the believers to desire God’s word in the same way that babies desire their mothers’ milk. In this way they would continue to grow strong as Christians until they experienced the final salvation God had for them.

2:2a

Like newborn babies: This is a simile. Peter was saying that his readers should have a strong desire for God’s word, just as babies have a strong desire for their mother’s milk.

newborn babies: This is the only place in the New Testament where the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as newborn is used. Its use here probably implies that the babies in Peter’s illustration had no other food and wanted no other food. Those who are newborn babies are completely dependent on their mothers’ milk.

babies: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as babies refers to very small children. Several English versions translate it as “infants.” For example, the NET Bible says:

yearn like newborn infants for… (NET Bible)

If your language has a word or expression referring to babies in the first few weeks of their life, you may be able to use it here. In that case it may not be necessary to translate newborn separately and explicitly.

crave pure spiritual milk: The phrase crave pure spiritual milk describes how Peter wanted his readers to be like newborn babies. The pure spiritual milk is a metaphor for God’s word. Peter wanted them to crave it.

crave: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crave is a command meaning “desire.” Other ways to translate this include:

Be…thirsty for (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
long for (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
yearn…for (NET Bible)

The Greek text has a definite article that is not explicit in the Berean Standard Bible. Many English versions do make it explicit. For example, the Revised Standard Version says:

long for the pure spiritual milk

Consider if it is natural in your language to make the definite article explicit in this context. In some language doing so may help show that the pure spiritual milk is a metaphor.

pure: The Greek adjective that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pure can means “sincere” or “without deceit.” As a description of milk, it can be translated as “unadulterated,” that is, not watered down. As a description of God’s word, it can be translated as:

truthful

Consider if there is a word in your language that could cover both ideas. If not, you will have to choose between describing the metaphor (milk) or the topic the metaphor represents (God’s word).

spiritual milk: There is a play on words here. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spiritual is from a root meaning “word.” Peter was implying that the spiritual milk was a figure of speech referring to the word of God.

milk: Here, milk refers to a mother’s milk. It represents food that is nourishing and life-giving, and it is a metaphor for God’s word. If you make this explicit, you may want to consider how you translated “the word of God” and “the word of the Lord” at 1:23b and 1:25a. See the General Comment below for more information.

General Comment on 2:2a

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit something of the meaning of the metaphor in 2:2a. There are various ways of doing this. For example:

Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk. (God’s Word)
-or-
As newborn babies want milk, you should want the pure and simple teaching. (New Century Version)

2:2b

so that by it you may grow up: Peter wanted his readers to desire God’s word (2:2a) so that they would continue to listen to it and/or read it. In this way they would receive spiritual nourishment and become strong and mature believers.

so that: The Greek preposition that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces the purpose for desiring (and therefore receiving) spiritual milk. Here is another way to translate this:

Then (God’s Word)

by it: God’s word/teaching was to be the means by which Peter’s readers received their spiritual food. Peter was implying that because they desired God’s word, the believers would actually hear and read it. The Good News Translation has made this explicit by including drinking as part of the milk metaphor:

so that by drinking it you may grow up (Good News Translation)

you may grow up: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you may grow up is a form of a Greek verb that could mean grow or “increase” or “spread.” It can also be translated as “thrive.” For example:

so that you may thrive on it (Revised English Bible)

Peter was not telling his readers that they would grow up and no longer need the milk of God’s word. In Peter’s metaphor, all Christians remain babies who continue to need the nourishment of this milk in order to grow. Peter wanted his readers to continue to feed on God’s word and grow until their final salvation.

The way you translate this may depend on what sounds natural in your language. Some ways to say this include:

you will ⌊drink⌋ it and grow
-or-
it will nourish you
-or-
that by ⌊continuing to drink⌋ it you will thrive
-or-
that will help you grow (Contemporary English Version)

in your salvation: There are two ways of interpreting the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in your salvation :

(1) It means “resulting in your salvation”; that is, towards the goal of receiving final salvation from God. For example:

grow and be saved (Contemporary English Version)

(Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Revised Standard Version)

(2) It means “in or in regards to your salvation,” that is, it refers to becoming a strong and mature believer. For example:

grow into a full experience of salvation (New Living Translation (2004))

(Berean Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New International Version, New American Standard Bible, God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Peter was probably talking about the same salvation he referred to in 1:5. This is the salvation when God will deliver believers from all sin and suffering.

your salvation: In some languages it may be necessary to translate the abstract noun salvation as a verb:

you may…be saved (Good News Translation)
-or-

⌊God⌋ may/will save you

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 3:9

3:9

This is similar to Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:27–28. If a Christian is treated badly by someone, he must do good to that person. God expects his people to behave like that, and he will bless them if they do.

3:9a

Do not repay evil with evil: The phrase Do not repay evil with evil means “Do not do evil to someone in return for the evil they have done to you.” In some languages it may be natural to translate it as a conditional statement:

If someone does evil to you, do not do evil back to them
-or-
When someone harms you, do not take revenge

3:9b

or: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as or here introduces another thing that believers were not to do. In some languages it may be natural to translate it as:

and

insult with insult: There is some implied information here. The words “Do not repay” from 9a are implied at the beginning of this verse part. The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ⌊Do not repay⌋ insult with insult in this context means “Do not speak evil to someone in return for the evil they have spoken to you.” Some other ways this phrase has been translated are:

Do not pay back…cursing with cursing (Good News Translation)
-or-
Do not repay…abuse with abuse (Revised English Bible)

General Comment on 3:9a–b

In some languages it may be natural to combine verse parts 9a–b after the model of the Contemporary English Version:

Don’t be hateful and insult people just because they are hateful and insult you.

3:9c

but: The Greek conjunction de that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces what believers were to do instead of returning evil for evil. Here is another way to translate this transition:

Instead (Contemporary English Version)

with blessing: In some languages it may be natural to supply a verb here, probably the same verb that you used in 3:9a and 3:9b. The New Century Version has:

repay with a blessing

In other languages it may be natural to translate the noun blessing as a verb:

bless them (God’s Word)
-or-
bless others (NET Bible)

blessing: There are two ways of interpreting the word blessing here:

(1) It means that Christians should ask God to bless their enemies. See Matthew 5:44.

(2) It means that Christians should do good to their enemies. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

treat everyone with kindness

(Berean Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version)

Most English versions are ambiguous. If you must choose between these two interpretations, it is recommended that you choose interpretation (1), which has the support of most commentaries.

3:9d

to this you were called: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to this you were called :

(1) It refers backward to 3:9c and means “God called you to bless others.” For example:

That is what you were called to do (New Jerusalem Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It refers forward to 3:9e and means “God called you in order to bless you.” For example:

for a blessing is what God intends you to receive (Revised English Bible)

(New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, NET Bible, God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This agrees with 2:21, where the context is similar.

The phrase to this you were called is passive. God is the one who is doing the calling. In some languages it may be more natural to express this in an active form. For example:

to this God has called you

called: The word called in this context means “invited” or “summoned.” The Contemporary English Version translates this phrase as:

You are God’s chosen ones (Contemporary English Version)

3:9e

so that: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that here introduces the reason/purpose why God called his people to bless others. See how you translated similar expressions in 2:21 (“that”) and 2:24b (“so that”).

you may inherit a blessing: The phrase you may inherit a blessing means “you will receive a blessing.” It is implied that it is God who will give the blessing. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit:

⌊God⌋ will give you a blessing
-or-

⌊God⌋ will bless you

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 4:19

4:19a

So then: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So then introduces a conclusion to what Peter had just been saying. In view of 4:12–18, this is what suffering believers should do. Here is another way to translation this transition:

Therefore (Revised Standard Version)

those who suffer according to God’s will: There are two ways of understanding the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as those who suffer according to God’s will :

(1) It refers to people who suffer because it is God’s will; that is, because God permits it. For example:

because that is God’s will for them (Good News Translation)

(God’s Word, New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation)

(2) It refers to people who suffer in the way God wants; that is, for obeying God. For example:

If you suffer for obeying God… (Contemporary English Version)

(New Century Version, Contemporary English Version)

Many other English versions are ambiguous (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, NET Bible). It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This interpretation follows Peter’s general theme in this letter of God requiring believers to suffer.

4:19b

should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator: In some languages it may be natural to translate this as two separate clauses:

should commit themselves to their Creator, for he is faithful
-or-
entrust their souls to him…their Maker will not fail them (Revised English Bible)

should entrust their souls: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as entrust their souls uses the Greek word for “soul” to refer to a person’s whole being or whole life, including both their body and their spirit.

their…Creator: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as their…Creator is literally “a Creator.” In this context Peter was thinking particularly of the fact that God had created the people who were suffering. So the Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word their, and this may be natural in other languages also. Some other ways to translate this are:

their Maker (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the God who created you (New Living Translation (2004))

faithful: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faithful means “reliable, trustworthy.” God keeps his word, and he will not forsake anyone who believes in him. The Good News Translation has:

who always keeps his promise

4:19c

and continue to do good: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and continue to do good is literally “in good action.” The verb related to this is also used in 2:15, 2:20 and 3:6. For reasons of English style, many English versions translate it here as a command (New International Version, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, Revised Standard Version, God’s Word). Other ways to translate it include:

as they do good (NET Bible)
-or-
as they continue to do what is right (New Century Version)

General Comment on 4:18–19

Peter used the third person to speak about those who were suffering (“those who suffer”). But he was referring to those of his readers who were suffering. So in some languages it may be natural to use the second person “you (plur.) ”:

So those among you who are suffering in accordance with God’s will should entrust yourselves to your faithful Creator and continue to do good.

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 1:6

Paragraph 1:6–9

1:6

The two parts of this verse contrast with each other. The believers greatly rejoiced in what God had done for them, even while they were enduring various kinds of troubles. The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions supply a word like “though” to connect these ideas (1:6a and 1:6b). Consider the best way to connect them in your language, while also keeping the connection between verses 5 and 6.

In some languages it may be necessary to use two sentences. For example:

In this you greatly rejoice. It is true that now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

1:6a

In this you greatly rejoice: There are two ways to interpret the Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as In this you greatly rejoice :

(1) Peter’s readers rejoiced because of what God had done for them (1:3–5). For example:

This is a great joy to you (New Jerusalem Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Century Version, NET Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, God’s Word, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) Peter was encouraging his readers to rejoice because of what God had done for them (1:3–5). For example:

Be glad about this (Good News Translation)

(New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions.

In this: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as this refers to all the blessings Peter mentioned in verses 3–5. It may be more natural in your language to use a plural form. For example:

You are extremely happy about these things (God’s Word)

greatly rejoice: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as greatly rejoice means “be very happy.” Some other ways to translate this word are:

extremely happy (God’s Word)
-or-
truly glad (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
are very glad

1:6b

though: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word though here to indicate contrast. See the note on 1:6 above. The believers had to suffer, but even so, they rejoiced. Some other ways to introduce this contrast is:

even though
-or-
although
-or-
in spite of

Use a natural way in your language to introduce such a contrast.

now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as now is a time word. It refers to the time when Peter was writing. It contrasts with the future time of salvation in 1:5. Some other ways this may be translated are:

presently
-or-
at this time

for a little while: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for a little while refers here to a brief time. In this context it means that Peter’s readers would only have to suffer for a short time. The Lord would soon deliver them. Another way to translate this is:

for a short time (NET Bible)

you may have had to suffer grief: There are two ways to interpret Peter’s statement concerning to suffer grief in this context:

(1) Peter spoke of his readers’ suffering as a fact. He implied that his readers were already suffering. For example:

even though for a short time yet you must bear all sorts of trials (New Jerusalem Bible)

(New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, King James Version; probably New International Version, Revised English Bible)

(2) Peter spoke of his readers’ suffering as a possibility. He implied that it was possible that his readers might have to suffer or might have suffered. For example:

even if you have to go through many hard trials (Contemporary English Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New Century Version, NET Bible, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version; possibly New American Standard Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), which agrees with most commentators.

The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you may have had to suffer grief is more literally “if necessary, you having been grieved.” This grieving from suffering had begun in the past, had continued in the present (“now”), and would continue for a little while in the future. So you should use an expression that would be as general as possible with regard to time.

suffer grief: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as suffer grief is literally “be grieved.” It refers to the grief, sadness or emotional pain that people feel when they have trouble. This is a passive verb, and it may be natural for some languages to translate it that way. For example, the English Standard Version says:

you have been grieved (English Standard Version)

1:6c

in various trials: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as various trials refers to the difficulties the people have been experiencing. Languages have different ways to express the experience of bearing such trials. Some ways to say this in English are:

to be sad…because of the many kinds of trials you suffer (Good News Translation)
-or-
to endure many trials (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
must bear all sorts of trials (New Jerusalem Bible)

trials: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as trials refers to the various problems and difficulties Peter’s readers were experiencing. These trials included troubles that came from other people who were persecuting them because they believed in Jesus Christ. Another way to say this is:

different kinds of trouble (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2:13

Section 2:13–25

God’s people should respect the rulers/chiefs of this world

In this section Peter explained in what way his readers should live good lives among their pagan neighbors. They should respect and obey their rulers, including those who ruled locally in the village or town and those who ruled the country. They should also respect and obey the chief ruler of all, the emperor of Rome. God had given these people authority to punish people who do evil and praise those who do good.

Some other headings for this section are:

Respect the Authority of Others (God’s Word)
-or-
Submission to Rulers and Masters (New International Version)

Paragraph 2:13–17

2:13a

Submit yourselves…to: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Submit yourselves…to means to recognize someone else’s authority. It is to accept their legal position and to act respectfully, as a subordinate. This would normally imply obeying their orders. Other translation suggestions include:

accept the authority of (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
place yourself under the authority of (God’s Word)

for the Lord’s sake: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for the Lord’s sake means “because of the Lord (Jesus Christ).” Peter wanted his readers to act in a way that would both please and honor the Lord. In your translation, you may need to focus on one of these aspects. For example:

the Lord wants you to… (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
to please the Lord (God’s Word)
-or-
to honor the Lord

every human institution: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as every human institution probably means “human authority.” This is the only time this Greek word that literally means “creation” is used in this way in the New Testament. The phrase has also been translated as:

human institution (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
human authority (Good News Translation)

Peter was referring to all people who have authority over others, whether in a single household, locally in a village or town, or in the whole country.

2:13b

the king: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as king here refers to the emperor, the head of the Roman Empire, who had power over all other government officials. Here is another way to translate this noun:

emperor (Revised English Bible)

as the supreme authority: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as as the supreme authority indicates both that the king was the supreme authority and that this was the reason why people should be subject to him.

the supreme authority: The word supreme means “highest in authority or rank.” The emperor had power over all other rulers in the Roman Empire. There was no one with the legal right to oppose him. Some other ways to translate this include:

who rules over everyone (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
who is the highest authority (New Century Version)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2018