SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2018 – Page 10

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2:9

Paragraph 2:9–10

In this paragraph, Peter described the honorable status that God had given his readers. He used titles that OT writers had used to speak of the people of Israel. Many of Peter’s readers were not Jews. Peter meant that all believers, whether Jew or Gentile, are now united as God’s chosen people.

2:9a

But you are: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But you are mark a contrast between the fate of unbelievers and the honor that God gives believers. Other ways you may be able to show this contrast include:

But ⌊as for you⌋, you are…
-or-
But you ⌊are different from them⌋. You ⌊who believe⌋ are…

a chosen people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as people often refers to a distinct large group of people who are related to each other by a blood relationship. Believers are not literally one race, but they are spiritually brothers and sisters, in that God is their heavenly Father.

Many English versions have translated people as “race.” For example:

a chosen race (Revised Standard Version)

chosen: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as chosen is also found at 2:4b and 2:6c. It is a passive verb. If in your language you must use an active verb and say who did the choosing, then you may make it explicit that it is God who chooses his people. For example:

But you are God’s chosen…people. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
You, however, are the people ⌊God⌋ has chosen.
-or-
But ⌊you are different. God⌋ chose you.

2:9b

a royal priesthood: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as royal may be translated as:

(1) an adjective, meaning royal, or belonging to the king. For example:

the King’s priests (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, God’s Word, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, New International Version, Revised English Bible, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation)

(2) a noun, meaning kingdom. The believers are priests who together form a nation ruled by a king. For example:

a kingdom of priests (New Jerusalem Bible)

(New Living Translation (2004), New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) as most English versions do. The priesthood is royal in the sense that it belongs to or serves the king, who is God.

priesthood: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as priesthood occurs in only one other place in the New Testament, at 2:5b. See how you translated it there. It is recommended that you also translate it here in a way that shows that the believers together form a priesthood.

2:9c

a holy nation: Peter continued to describe the church in terms borrowed from the Old Testament. Like the people of Israel in the Old Testament, all believers in Christ together form a holy nation.

holy: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as holy here means “set apart for God” or “dedicated to God.” God chose believers to be in fellowship with him, dedicated to serve him willingly. See how you translated holy in 1:15 and 1:16. Here is another way to translate this word:

dedicated (Revised English Bible)

nation: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as nation is different from the one translated as “people” or “race” in 2:9a. However, these two Greek words had a similar meaning. A nation was a group of people linked or united by language or culture or race.

2:9d

a people for God’s own possession: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a people for God’s own possession is literally “a people for possession.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word God in order to make the meaning clear. Some English translations simply supply the pronoun “his”:

a people of his own (NET Bible)

a people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a people is similar in meaning to the words translated as “people” in 2:9a and “nation” in 2:9c. You should use the word in your language that is most accurate and natural, even if it is one of the words that you have already used in this verse.

2:9e

to: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to introduces the purpose for which God chose Christians to be his own holy people. Some ways to translate this include:

in order that… (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
You were chosen to… (New Century Version)
-or-
so that… (NET Bible)

proclaim the virtues of Him: God chose the believers and made of them a priesthood and holy nation for a purpose. He intended them to tell other people the wonderful things that God has done.

proclaim: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proclaim can also be translated as:

make known
-or-
declare (New International Version)
-or-
tell (Contemporary English Version)

Your language may require you to say to whom the believers were to make these things known. In that case you may be able to say:

for you to make known ⌊to people⌋
-or-
for you to tell ⌊other people⌋

the virtues of Him: There are several ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the virtues of Him :

(1) It refers to the wonderful things that God has done. For example:

the wonderful acts of God (Good News Translation)

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

(2) It refers to the virtues or excellencies of God, the attributes of God. For example:

the excellent qualities of God (God’s Word)

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

(3) It refers to the words of praise spoken about God by his people. For example:

the praises of God (New Jerusalem Bible)

(King James Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), which has the support of leading commentaries.

2:9f

who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light: Peter was referring to God. God is the one who called Peter’s readers out of darkness and into…light. This is one of the wonderful deeds for which Peter’s readers were to praise him. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit. You may want to begin a new sentence here:

⌊For God⌋ called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

called: If in your language a verb like called is unnatural in this context, then you may be able to say something like:

brought (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
summoned
-or-
led

darkness: Here, darkness is a metaphor representing the miserable condition of unbelievers because of their sinfulness. Peter’s readers were in that darkness before they became reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. By believing in Jesus Christ as their Savior, they moved out of the darkness of sin and into the light of God. Another way to translate this is:

⌊spiritual⌋ darkness

marvelous: Other ways to translate the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as marvelous include:

wonderful (New International Version)
-or-
amazing (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

light: Here, light is a metaphor for the goodness, purity and truth that come from God. Another way to translate this is:

⌊spiritual⌋ light

General Comment on 2:9

It may be more natural in your language to make explicit that each of the phrases in 2:9 identifies the believers as being God’s people. For example, the Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English shows this by making explicit that they are “his”:

But you are God’s “chosen generation,” his “royal priesthood,” his “holy nation,” his “peculiar people”…. It is for you now to demonstrate the goodness of him who has called you out of darkness into his amazing light. (Underlining added.)

© 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 3:16

3:16a

Christians should behave well so that those who insult them might become ashamed of what they have said.

keeping a clear conscience: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as keeping a clear conscience is literally “having a good conscience.” A person’s conscience is said to be clear or good when they have not done anything to feel ashamed of. They have only done what is right. Translators should think what idiom or expression their language uses for conscience.

3:16b–c

those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your good behavior in Christ has been interpreted in two ways:

(1) It indicates what other people slander. These people slander their good behavior in Christ. For example:

you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ (Contemporary English Version)

(Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, NET Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) It indicates how other people are put to shame. They are put to shame by your good behavior in Christ. For example:

if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ (New Living Translation (2004))

(Berean Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), as most English versions do.

3:16b

so that: The phrase so that introduces the purpose for keeping a clear conscience, or doing what is right.

those who slander you: This is referring to people who were making false accusations about the Christians. Other ways to translate this include:

they speak evil of you (King James Version)
-or-
people speak against you (New Living Translation (2004))

3:16c

may be put to shame: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as may be put to shame here means “will be humiliated.” Peter was saying that these people would be brought into public disgrace and embarrassment. Another way to translate this is:

they will become ashamed (Easy English Bible)

your good behavior in Christ: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in Christ here identifies Peter’s readers as Christians, members of Christ’s body, his church. Other ways to translate this include:

your good conduct as followers of Christ (Good News Translation)
-or-
what a good life you live because you belong to Christ (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 5:7

5:7a

Cast all your anxiety on Him: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Cast all your anxiety on Him is literally “casting all your anxiety on him,” continuing the sentence from the previous verse. The Berean Standard Bible has chosen to begin a new sentence here, as do many other English translations.

This Greek clause connects with the previous verse and suggests that one way in which we humble ourselves before God (5:6) is by casting all our anxiety onto him. The word anxiety means “fear, worry.” Peter wanted his readers to tell God about their concerns and trust him to take care of them. He used a figure of speech to express this idea, as if he wanted his readers literally to Cast or throw their worries onto God. Other ways of translating this clause include:

give all your worries to him (New Century Version)
-or-
Leave all your worries with him (Good News Translation)
-or-
If you have any kind of trouble in your mind, give it to God (Easy English Bible)

5:7b

because He cares for you: This verse part gives the reason why believers can freely cast their anxiety upon God. The reason is that God loves them and is concerned about their well-being. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

he provides what you need
-or-
he is watching over you

General Comment on 5:7a–b

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of these verse parts and to give first the reason for the command:

7b God cares for you, so 7a turn all your worries over to him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

7b He cares for you, so 7a cast all your anxiety on him (Revised English Bible)

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 1:13

Section 1:13–25

God wants believers to live holy lives

In this section Peter urged his readers to live holy lives (vv. 13–16). Christ had paid a great price to save them (vv. 17–21) and had given them new life (vv. 23–25). In response to God’s kindness they should love one another (1:22).

Some other headings for this section are:

Live Holy Lives (God’s Word)
-or-
Chosen To Live a Holy Life (Contemporary English Version)

Paragraph 1:13–16

1:13a

Therefore: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Therefore introduces Peter’s words of practical teaching based on what he had just written in the preceding section. In this new section, Peter began to tell his readers how to think and act. Other ways you might be able to say this include:

So then (Good News Translation)
-or-
Because ⌊of all that God has done for you⌋

prepare your minds for action: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as prepare your minds for action is literally “tie up the waist/loins of your(plur) mind.” This is a metaphor. In Peter’s time, men as well as women usually wore long robes. When they prepared to do hard work, the men pulled their robe up and tied it at their waist with a rope or belt. They were then ready for action.

Peter applied this metaphor to his readers’ minds. He was telling them to be mentally ready for action.

There are various ways to translate this. For example:

• Keep all of the metaphor:

gird up the loins of your mind (King James Version)

• Keep part of the metaphor:

gird up your minds (Revised Standard Version)

• Give the meaning without the metaphor:

Your minds…must be…ready for action (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
prepare your minds for action (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
be alert (Contemporary English Version)

Use the form that is the most clear and natural in your language.

for action: The phrase for action is not in the Greek text. Because the metaphor Peter used is not natural or understood in modern English, the Berean Standard Bible and some other versions have supplied the words for action to make the meaning of this metaphor clear.

1:13b

Be sober-minded: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Be sober-minded is literally “be sober.” Since the context refers to the mind, Peter is probably not telling his readers here not to get physically drunk. Rather, this is a metaphor. Peter wanted his readers to think clearly and be alert and in control of their thoughts and actions. Some ways this may be translated are:

your minds must be clear (God’s Word)
-or-
you must control your thoughts

A few translations understand the word “fully” to apply to “sober” rather than to “hope.” For example:

with minds that are alert and fully sober (New International Version)

1:13c

Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you: Peter told his readers to trust fully in God’s kindness towards them. Because of his kindness, God saved them. Peter wanted his readers to be completely confident that they would receive everything good associated with God saving them.

Set your hope: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Set your hope is literally the command “hope.” Other ways of translating this include:

put…your hope (Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Place your confidence (God’s Word)
-or-
Look forward to (New Living Translation (2004))

fully: The Greek adverb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fully means “completely.” In some languages it may be natural to translate it as an adjective:

put your full hope

on the grace to be given you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to be given you is literally “being brought to you.” This is a passive clause. If it is more natural in your language to use an active verb, you may be able to use one of these models:

in what God’s kindness will bring you… (God’s Word)
-or-
to the special blessings that will come to you… (New Living Translation (2004))

grace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grace means “kindness, goodwill.” Here it refers to all the good things that God is going to give believers on the last day. These include all the blessings of the inheritance that God is keeping for them in heaven (1:4a–b), including eternal life and freedom from sin. This grace also includes the praise, glory and honor to be given to them by God (1:7d). See the note on the word grace at 1:10a. Some other ways to translate this are:

⌊God’s⌋ kind/gracious help
-or-

⌊God’s⌋ loving kindness

1:13d

at the revelation of Jesus Christ: Peter used this phrase at 1:7e also. The meaning here is the same as it was at 1:7. Jesus Christ will return to this world on the last day. He will reveal himself to people everywhere in the world. Everyone will be able to see him. You may be able to translate this as:

when Jesus Christ reveals himself (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
when Jesus Christ appears again (God’s Word)
-or-
when Jesus Christ will return for everyone to see

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2:20

2:20a–b

How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it?: This is a rhetorical question. It implies a negative answer, “It is not to your credit at all.” It is really a strong negative statement. There are two ways to translate it:

• Translate it as a rhetorical question. For example:

What credit do you deserve if you endure a beating for doing something wrong? (God’s Word)

• Translate it as a statement. For example:

If you are beaten for doing wrong, there is no reason to praise you for being patient in your punishment. (New Century Version)

2:20a

This sentence begins with a Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible does not translate but which the New International Version translates as “But” and the Revised Standard Version as “For.” It introduces a reason why the punishment one endures has to be “unjust” for this to be commendable. You should introduce this in a way that is natural in your language.

How is it to your credit…?: The phrase how is it to your credit means “what honor do you deserve ⌊from God⌋…?” Other translation models include:

who will praise you…?
-or-
what glory is there…?

2:20b

if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it: In some languages it may be natural to translate the events in this verse part in the order in which they happen. For example:

if you do wrong and then receive your punishment patiently

are beaten: The phrase you are beaten is a passive verbal phrase. It refers to being punished severely by being hit repeatedly. In some cases the master would beat the servant personally, but in others he would perhaps order another servant to do it. So you could translate this as:

⌊your master⌋ punishes you
-or-

⌊your master⌋ causes/orders you to be beaten

2:20c

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here introduces an alternative possibility. Translate this conjunction in a way that is natural in your language. An English idiom to express this idea is:

On the other hand (Revised English Bible)

if you suffer for doing good and you endure it: In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that the slave suffers “punishment,” or a beating, as in the previous verse part:

if you do nothing but what is right, ⌊and your master still punishes you⌋ and you endure ⌊that punishment⌋ patiently

2:20d

this is commendable before God: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as this is commendable before God is literally “this ⌊is⌋ grace/favor before God.” It means that this kind of suffering pleases God. See how you translated to be commended in 2:19a. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

this finds favor with God (NET Bible)

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 4:5

4:5a

But: In the Greek text the sentence that began at 4:4a continues here. The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions begin a new sentence here and supply the word But to connect this sentence to the previous one. It is recommended that you begin a new sentence here in a way that is natural for your language.

they will have to give an account: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they will have to give an account means “they will have to explain/justify their actions.” The pronoun they refers to the non-Christians in 4:4. People are responsible to God for how they act. At the end of the world he will call upon everyone to examine how they have lived their lives.

Some other ways this phrase has been translated include:

they will have to explain this (New Century Version)
-or-
they will have to answer (Contemporary English Version)

4:5b

to Him who is ready to judge: There are two ways of interpreting the pronoun Him here:

(1) It refers to God, as in 1:17 and 2:23. For example:

God, who is ready to judge (New Century Version)

(Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation, New Century Version)

(2) It refers to Christ. In several other verses in the New Testament he is spoken of as the judge (see Acts 10:42, 2 Timothy 4:1). For example:

Jesus Christ, who stands ready to judge (NET Bible)

(NET Bible)

Several English versions are ambiguous (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word). Either option is acceptable. If you must choose between the two options, it is recommended that you follow your national translation.

who is ready to judge: The phrase who is ready to judge implies that the judgment will take place soon. Christ will return before long, and then the final judgment will take place. Another way to translate this phrase is:

⌊God⌋ who will soon judge

the living and the dead: The phrase the living and the dead refers to those people who would be alive at the time of the judgment and those who would be already dead. Peter used this phrase in order to include all people throughout all of human history. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

everyone, both the living and the dead (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 1:24

1:24–25

In 1:24–25a, Peter quoted from the Old Testament (probably the LXX) to confirm what he had said in 1:23, that God’s word is permanent and cannot be destroyed. The quotation is from Isaiah 40:6–8. Isaiah illustrated how short the lives of people are by comparing them to grass and wild flowers that live for only a short time. In contrast, the word of the Lord endures for ever.

1:24a

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For signals that what follows supports or illustrates what Peter wrote in 1:23. What follows is a quotation from the Old Testament. Peter quoted the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:6–8). It is recommended that you make it clear to your readers that this is a quotation. You could do this in a footnote or make it explicit in the text. For example:

As the scripture says (Good News Translation)
-or-
That’s why ⌊Scripture says⌋ (God’s Word)
-or-
The prophet Isaiah said/wrote

If you follow the first or second example, you may translate “Scripture” with the term you use for the Old Testament. If you have a more specific term for the writings of the Old Testament prophets, you may use it here.

1:24b

All flesh is like grass: This is a simile. Peter is quoting the prophet Isaiah, who was comparing people to grass in order to illustrate and emphasize that they only live for a short time. In some languages it may be necessary to make the point of comparison explicit. For example:

Humans wither like grass (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
People are like grass that dies away (New Living Translation (2004))

In other languages it may be more natural to make the comparison by using a metaphor. For example:

all humanity is grass (New Jerusalem Bible)

All flesh: This is the beginning of what Peter quoted from the Old Testament. The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as All flesh refer to people. Some English versions have chosen to translate it literally (King James Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, Revised Standard Version). In this context it refers to all human beings, both male and female. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

All people (God’s Word)

grass: Peter was referring to the wild grass that grows in an open area or field. The term grass here seems to include the various plants that grow in among the grass and have flowers. It is recommended that you use a general word for grass in your language.

1:24c

and all its glory like the flowers of the field: This is another simile. Peter quoted Isaiah, comparing human good looks to wild flowers. They are similar in that both last for only a short time. In some languages it may be natural or necessary to make this point of comparison explicit. For example:

their glory fades like wild flowers (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wildflowers (New Living Translation (2004))

its glory: In this context, the word that the Berean Standard Bible and most English versions translate as glory refers to human attractiveness or good looks. Several English versions have translated this as:

beauty (New Living Translation (2004))

the flowers of the field: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the flowers of the field is literally “flower of grass.” The Greek word for “grass” here is the same as in 1:24b. Apparently, this Greek word included the flowering plants that grow in fields with grass. (See the note on “grass” at 1:24b.) Some English versions have translated this as:

wild flowers (Good News Translation)

1:24d

the grass withers and the flowers fall: In this verse part, Peter quoted Isaiah, explaining in what way grass and wild flowers are like people and different from the word of God.

the grass withers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as withers here means that the grass dries up and dies. Other ways this has been translated include:

dies (New Century Version)
-or-
dries up (Contemporary English Version)

the flowers fall: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fall means “to fall off/from.” In this context, the flowers, having served their brief purpose, fell off the stems that supported them. Other ways you may be able to translate this include:

the flower drops off (God’s Word)
-or-
the flower falls away (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the flowers fall ⌊down⌋ ⌊from their stems⌋
-or-
the flowers fall ⌊to the ground⌋

You may use flower (sing.) or flowers (plur.), whichever sounds most natural in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 3:6

3:6a

just as Sarah obeyed Abraham: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as just as introduces an example of one of the holy women who adorned herself by submitting to her own husband. Peter is using Sarah as an example, not as a comparison. If using a comparison with “like” or “as” might suggest in your language that Sarah was not one of these holy women, you could say:

Sarah was ⌊an example of⌋ one of these

Sarah obeyed Abraham: In some languages it may be necessary to make it explicit that Sarah was Abraham’s wife or that Abraham was Sarah’s husband. For example:

Sarah, who obeyed her husband Abraham
-or-
Sarah, the wife of Abraham, who obeyed him

called him lord: This is an allusion to Genesis 18:12. In the Genesis passage, Sarah was speaking about rather than directly to her husband.

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lord was a common title of respect for any person in authority. It did not imply that the speaker was a servant or slave. In your translation, you could:

• Use a word that women in your culture use to speak politely of and to their husbands.

• Use a general expression such as:

gave honor to her husband when she spoke to/of him

3:6b

And you are her children: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you are her children is literally “you became her children.” The term could refer to descendants, but most of Peter’s readers were probably not physical descendants of Abraham and Sarah (that is, Jews). Peter meant this in a figurative sense: “you became like Sarah in character.” Consider if your readers would understand a literal translation. If not, you may need to say something like:

you have become like her

3:6c

refuse to give way to fear: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as refuse to give way to fear is literally “not fearing any terror.” Peter was probably implying that the women should not be afraid of their non-Christian husbands. But he did not limit it to this, and so it is better to supply a general object:

do not be terrified ⌊of anyone/anything⌋

General Comment on 3:6b–c

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of 3:6b and c. For example:

6c By doing good and showing no fear, 6b you have become her daughters. (Revised English Bible)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2018