complete verse (1 Peter 2:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 2:18:

  • Uma: “Slaves, submit to and honor your nobles, not just your nobles that are good and who have gentle character. Even your nobles that are harsh, you must submit to them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “You also, servants, respect really your masters and follow/obey what they command/tell you. Don’t just respect those masters who have good customs but respect even those who don’t have good customs and those who get easily angry.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for us (incl.) servants, let us submit ourselves to our master and may our respect for him be right. We must not only show respect to a master who is generous and good. Rather, we must also obey him who easily gets angry.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As for you who are being-sent-on-errands, submit-yourselves to your masters and thoroughly respect them. You should do this to your good and patient/gentle masters and even also to the masters who are cruel (doesn’t imply that a slave has more than one master).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well as for you slaves, you must truly submit with true respect to your masters. Whatever their nature/ways, a good/kind one giving good management, or strict, obey well anyway.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen, you workmen. Obey your bosses and respect them. Not only the good people who speak softly should you obey, but also those who speak harshly you should obey.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Peter 2:18

The word used for slaves (Greek oiketai) refers primarily to domestic helpers, slaves who worked within the household. But perhaps other groups of slaves are also included. For submit yourselves, see verse 13 above. Here, as in 3.1, the word is a participle with an imperative force. The word translated complete respect is from the same word family as the word which is translated “fear” in verse 17, where it is used of the Christian’s attitude toward God. Some scholars interpret it here in the same sense, that is, the slaves’ submission to their masters is motivated by their reverence for God. Most translations, however, take it as a reference to their attitude toward their masters, either as qualifying their submission (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New American Bible, Phillips, Barclay, Moffatt) or as an addition to it (Good News Translation, Jerusalem Bible, “respectful and obedient to their masters”; Knox, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

It may be difficult, if not impossible, to qualify respect by an adjective meaning “complete,” though it is usually possible to say “respect them very much” or “show them great respect.” The concept of “completeness” may be approximated by rendering this phrase as “show them all the respect they deserve.”

There are two kinds of masters: the kind and considerate and the harsh. It is easy to submit to the former, but rather difficult to the latter; Peter enjoins his readers, however, to submit to both. Kind is literally “good,” not as inward quality, but as a description of the master’s dealing with his slaves, hence kind, “friendly” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Considerate (Greek epieikēs) can also mean “gentle,” “fair,” and “reasonable.” The two words are very close in meaning, describing a master who treats his slaves properly, in contrast to the master who is harsh. The Greek word (skolios) literally means “crooked” or “curved,” but is used metaphorically in the sense of “cruel,” “wicked,” “unreasonable,” “unjust” (compare Jerusalem Bible “unfair”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “moody”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “bad”; Knox “hard to please”).

In rendering to those who are kind and considerate it may be important to indicate to whom the kindness and consideration is directed, for example, “to those who are kind to you and are thoughtful in dealing with you.” Similarly, in speaking about those who are harsh it may be useful to say “those who are mean to you” or “those who are unfair in the way they treat you.”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 2:18

Paragraph 2:18–25

Peter now deals with how Christian slaves should behave. The slaves must respect and obey their masters, even if their masters treat them harshly. God will bless the Christian slaves if they undergo suffering that they do not deserve (2:18–20). Christ has left us an example of how to behave in the face of undeserved suffering (2:21–25).

2:18a

Servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Servants refers specifically to those slaves who worked within a household. Some versions such as the New International Version translate this word as:

Slaves (New International Version)

submit yourselves: Peter wanted his believing slaves to choose to respect their masters, as all believers were to respect their rulers. See how you translated this same command in 2:13a.

to your masters: The word masters refers to the owners, the people who had authority over the slaves. They could be either male or female. Here is another way to translate this word:

owners (God’s Word)

with all respect: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all respect means “greatly respect” or “respect very much.”

respect: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as respect is literally “fear.” Peter does not say whom his readers should respect or fear. Scholars suggest two possibilities:

(1) They should respect their masters. For example:

always show respect to them (Contemporary English Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word; probably New American Standard Bible, New International Version, New Century Version, Revised Standard Version which use respect)

(2) They should fear God. This is the opinion of many commentators and is probably being followed by the NET Bible, which says:

with all reverence (NET Bible)

(NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of English versions.

2:18b–c

not only…but even: The Greek phrases that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not only…but even introduce two objects, the first one expected but the second unexpected. Consider what would be the natural way of introducing two such objects in your language.

2:18b

those who are good and gentle: The phrase those who are good and gentle describes some masters. They are kind and considerate in the way they treat their slaves.

gentle: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gentle means “mild, considerate.” Some other ways to translate this are:

thoughtful (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
reasonable (New Living Translation (2004))

2:18c

those who are unreasonable: The phrase those who are unreasonable refers to some others among the masters. These masters were treating their slaves in a harsh or hard way.

unreasonable: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unreasonable literally means “bent, crooked.” In this context it is the opposite of good and considerate and means “unjust, hard to please.” These masters probably often punished their slaves by beating them. Some other ways to translate this are:

cruel (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
unjust (Revised English Bible)

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