Translation commentary on 1 Peter 3:15

Instead of worrying or being afraid, the readers are urged to have reverence for Christ and to honor him as Lord. These two expressions are literally “sanctify the Lord Christ,” a quotation from Isaiah 8.13, except that “God” in the original passage has been changed to “Christ.” To “sanctify” God is to acknowledge him as holy, to worship and honor him as the only God. To sanctify Christ has the same sense: to recognize, worship, and honor him as the only Lord. In your hearts is not found in the Old Testament quotation; it is added here to show that this acknowledgment of Christ as Lord must be from the very center of their being; they must honor him completely and wholeheartedly.

The closest equivalent of have reverence for Christ may be “worship Christ,” to which, of course, may be added “in your heart.” Honor him as Lord may be expressed as “acknowledge him as Lord” or “give him the honor he deserves as Lord.”

Just in case his readers should understand this reverence for Christ as only inward, and therefore as something to be kept for oneself, Peter hastens on to add that this inward state must result in a readiness to share this faith with others. They are to be ready at all times to answer anyone and to explain the hope that is in them. Be ready is literally “prepared,” taken here in an imperative sense, as it is obvious from the Greek (in the Greek “prepared” etc. is part of the sentence beginning with “sanctify,” and the force of the imperative verb carries itself therefore into the following adjective). The tone of the expression is one of urgency; it is as if Peter expected his readers to be called upon to explain their faith in the immediate future, if they had not already done so.

At all times may frequently be rendered as “always,” but in some languages it may seem more natural to say “on any day.”

To answer anyone is literally “for an apology to anyone.” “Apology” is a Greek word meaning “defense,” and may be used in a formal sense, referring to defense before authorities, particularly before a court of law (compare Luke 12.21; Acts 19.33; 22.1; 26.1, 2, 24). If this is the sense here, then it could be that Peter expected his readers to be brought to trial because of their faith. There is, however, a less formal sense in which apologia is used, that is, referring to answers given to private accusations (compare 2 Cor 7.11), and this may be what is intended here, in view of asks, which is rather informal. If this sense is taken, then anyone would refer to pagan neighbors mentioned in 2.12.

Though the pronoun anyone is singular in form, it is in reality plural in reference. It may therefore be more satisfactorily rendered in some languages as “all,” for example, “be always ready to answer all who ask you….”

Asks you to explain is literally “asks you a word.” The translation of this expression depends in some way on how one takes “apology” (see above). If “apology” is formal and refers to legal defense, then “word” would be translated legally (for example, Knox, Barclay “to give an account”). If, however, the informal sense of “apology” is preferred, then, “word” would be translated accordingly (compare Jerusalem Bible “the reason for”; Phillips, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “an explanation”).

Who asks you to explain must frequently be restructured as direct discourse, for example, “who asks you, Please explain to us….”

For hope, see 1.3, 13, 21, and 3.5. Here, hope refers not primarily to future salvation but to the content of their Christian faith, although the former sense is not excluded.

It may be extremely difficult in some languages to “explain the hope,” for one can only explain a content and not an act of hoping, apart from what is hoped for. Therefore, one may translate explain the hope you have in you as “explain what it is you look forward to with confidence.”

In you could be “within you” (Phillips) or “among you,” that is, the hope that all of them have and share together (for example, Jerusalem Bible “the hope that you all have”; Barclay “the hope all Christians share”; Knox “the hope which you cherish”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “your hope”). If in you is to be understood as something within the individual, then one may translate “the hope that you have in your hearts,” but if this is the hope which Christians shared, then one may speak of “the hope which you all have as believers.”

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 3:15

3:15a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces a contrast to the negative commands in 3:14b–c. This is what the believers were to do instead of being frightened and disturbed. Introduce this contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

in your hearts: Peter used the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hearts as a figure of speech. It refers to a person’s inner being, his deepest affections and convictions. See the General Comment on 3:15a below for translation advice on translating the meaning of this figure of speech.

sanctify Christ as Lord: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “sanctify” means to recognize or acknowledge Christ to be holy. In this context Peter was saying that believers are to honor and revere Jesus Christ as their Lord.

Other ways to translate this include:

revere Christ as Lord (New International Version)
-or-
hold Christ…in reverence as Lord (Revised English Bible)

General Comment on 3:15a

Peter was not referring to doing something privately and secretly, as the translation “in your hearts” might suggest. To avoid suggesting this meaning, some English versions translate hearts with “life” or “lives.” For example:

dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord (God’s Word)
-or-
Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you must worship Christ as Lord of your life (New Living Translation (2004))

3:15b

Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone: Peter wanted his readers to be ready and willing to speak about Christ at any time. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you (Good News Translation)
-or-
Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you (New Century Version)

3:15c

the reason for the hope that is in you: In some languages it may be natural to simplify this expression. For example:

about your hope (Contemporary English Version)

the hope that is in you: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hope here refers to trusting in Christ for salvation. See how you translated this word in 1:3, 1:13, 1:21 and 3:5. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

your Christian hope (New Living Translation (2004))

In many languages it may be natural to translate hope as a verb:

you are hoping/trusting ⌊in Christ⌋

General Comment on 3:15b–c

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of 3:15b and 3:15c. For example:

15c When anyone asks you why you are trusting ⌊in Christ⌋, 15b be ready to tell him ⌊the reason⌋.

This is a long and complicated sentence. In some languages it may be natural to translate it using shorter sentences. For example:

Some people may ask you why you hope in Christ. Be ready to give them an answer.

3:15d

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But and the Revised Standard Version as “yet” introduces a command. Peter told the believers not to explain their hope in an aggressive or discourteous manner. Translate this conjunction in a way that is natural for your language.

respond with gentleness and respect: The phrase respond with gentleness and respect means “answer gently and respectfully.” Other ways to translate this include:

you must do this in a gentle and respectful way (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
give a kind and respectful answer (Contemporary English Version)

gentleness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gentleness can also be translated as “meekness.” Here it refers to a quiet and humble manner of speaking. See “gentle” in 3:4b. Here is another way to translate this word:

courtesy (Revised English Bible)

respect: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as respect is literally “fear.” Commentators agree that in this context it refers to fearing God. There are at least two ways to translate this word:

‱ Use a word that implies that God is the object. For example:

reverence (New American Standard Bible)

‱ Supply the object “God.” For example:

fear/awe ⌊of God⌋

© 2018 by SIL InternationalŸ
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.

Commentaire sur la traduction de la premiĂšre lettre de Pierre 3.15

Mais : la conjonction Ύέ de, marque un contraste. Au lieu de s’effrayer face aux Ă©preuves (1 Pierre 3.14), les lecteurs/auditeurs sont exhortĂ©s Ă  sanctifier dans leurs cƓurs le Christ qui est Seigneur. Dans certaines langues, le contraste sera rendu plus explicitement : « ne soyez pas troublĂ©s. Au contraire, sanctifiez… »

Sanctifiez… le Christ qui est Seigneur : il y a lĂ  un rappel d’És 8.13, « C’est le Seigneur… que vous devez sanctifier ». Dans ce texte d’ÉsaĂŻe, il s’agit du Seigneur Dieu, tandis qu’ici Pierre applique le terme Seigneur au Christ. En grec, la proposition est prĂ©sentĂ©e dans l’ordre inverse : « mais Seigneur le Christ sanctifiez dans vos cƓurs ».

sanctifiez est un verbe transitif, de mĂȘme racine que le terme « saint » (1 Pierre 1.12, 1 Pierre 1.15, 1 Pierre 1.16 ; 1 Pierre 2.5, 1 Pierre 2.9 ; 1 Pierre 3.5). Il arrive souvent que ce verbe implique « mettre Ă  part (pour Dieu) », mais dans ce verset l’expression sanctifier dans vos cƓurs le Christ veut dire « reconnaĂźtre la saintetĂ© de Christ », c’est-Ă -dire l’adorer, l’honorer. En És 8.13, la Bible en français courant dit « C’est le Seigneur de l’univers qu’il faut reconnaĂźtre comme Dieu ». Mais ici, les fidĂšles sont appelĂ©s Ă  reconnaĂźtre le Christ comme Seigneur.

dans vos cƓurs ne figure pas dans le texte de l’AT. Pierre voudra peut-ĂȘtre montrer que la reconnaissance du Christ comme Seigneur n’est pas une forme extĂ©rieure d’adoration, mais un acte de foi se situant au plus profond de la personne. Les croyants sont exhortĂ©s Ă  honorer le Christ sincĂšrement et de tout leur ĂȘtre. La Parole de Vie propose « reconnaissez dans vos cƓurs que le Christ seul est saint, il est votre Seigneur ». Mais il vaut mieux Ă©viter le mot « seul » qui ne figure pas dans le texte grec.

le Christ qui est Seigneur : la Bible en français courant rend explicite en disant « honorez dans vos cƓurs le Christ, comme votre Seigneur ». Une autre possibilitĂ© sera « rendez au Christ l’honneur qui lui est dĂ» en tant que Seigneur ». La Bible en français courant ajoute le possessif « votre Seigneur », qui est sous-entendu dans le texte.

Soyez toujours prĂȘts Ă  justifier votre espĂ©rance : Pierre se hĂąte d’ajouter que le fait d’honorer le Christ ne doit pas rester purement intĂ©rieur, mais qu’il doit avoir pour consĂ©quence la disposition Ă  partager sa foi avec les autres. Le verbe Ă  l’impĂ©ratif sanctifiez donne Ă©galement la valeur de l’impĂ©ratif Ă  l’adjectif prĂȘts qui suit dans la mĂȘme phrase en grec (litt. « prĂȘts toujours Ă  »), d’oĂč Soyez toujours prĂȘts. Un Ă©quivalent sera aussi « vous devez toujours ĂȘtre prĂȘts ». Il y a une nuance d’urgence ici, comme si Pierre prĂ©voyait que ses lecteurs seraient appelĂ©s Ă  rendre compte de leur foi dans un trĂšs proche avenir.

toujours veut dire « en tout temps » ou « Ă  tout moment ».

Ă  justifier votre espĂ©rance devant ceux qui vous en demandent compte : litt. « en vue d’une dĂ©fense Ă  quiconque vous demande une parole concernant l’espĂ©rance en vous ». Le terme grec correspondant Ă  « dĂ©fense » est celui qui a donnĂ© le mot « apologie » en français. Il peut ĂȘtre compris au sens de dĂ©fense devant les autoritĂ©s ou spĂ©cialement devant un tribunal (voir Luc 12.11 ; Act 19.33 ; 22.1 ; 26.1,2,24). Si tel est son sens dans le prĂ©sent verset, cela signifierait que, pour Pierre, les destinataires de sa lettre Ă©taient sur le point d’ĂȘtre amenĂ©s devant les tribunaux Ă  cause de leur foi. Mais le terme peut aussi ĂȘtre utilisĂ© pour Ă©voquer la dĂ©fense face aux accusations portĂ©es par des adversaires en gĂ©nĂ©ral (1 Cor 9.3 ; 2 Cor 7.11). C’est probablement ce qu’il faut comprendre ici. On pourra dire justifier, « expliquer », « donner des explications » (Parole de Vie). Dans certaines langues, on pourra dire « vous demandent d’expliquer pourquoi vous avez (tant d’) espĂ©rance ».

Pour espĂ©rance, voir 1 Pierre 1.3, 1 Pierre 1.13, 1 Pierre 1.21 ; 1 Pierre 3.5. Ici espĂ©rance ne se rapporte pas exclusivement au salut final, mais au contenu de la foi des chrĂ©tiens et Ă  la consĂ©quence de cette foi dans leur vie. L’espĂ©rance peut avoir le sens de « se rĂ©jouir d’avance avec confiance ». votre espĂ©rance ou « l’espĂ©rance en vous » peut ĂȘtre compris de deux maniĂšres en grec. soit « au-dedans de chacun de vous », soit « parmi vous ». Si « en vous » est compris au premier sens, la traduction pourra ĂȘtre « l’espĂ©rance que vous avez dans votre cƓur ». Par contre, si « en vous » se rĂ©fĂšre Ă  l’espĂ©rance commune Ă  tous les chrĂ©tiens, il sera possible de dire « l’espĂ©rance que vous avez tous en tant que croyants », c’est-Ă -dire l’espĂ©rance que tous les lecteurs/auditeurs ont en commun, c’est-Ă -dire, « l’espĂ©rance que vous avez, vous tous ». Les traducteurs ont la possibilitĂ© d’opter pour l’une ou l’autre de ces interprĂ©tations.

devant ceux qui vous en demandent compte : ceux qui est un singulier en grec, « quiconque », mais avec une valeur gĂ©nĂ©rale. Elle peut se rĂ©fĂ©rer aux non-croyants de 1 Pierre 2.12. BĂ©nĂ©treau pense qu’il s’agit d’« explications devant des concitoyens intriguĂ©s et surtout mal disposĂ©s agressant verbalement les fidĂšles » (p. 200). Cependant, la Bible en français courant opte pour le sens plus gĂ©nĂ©ral : « Soyez toujours prĂȘts Ă  vous dĂ©fendre face Ă  tous ceux qui… » On pourra aussi dire que les croyants doivent ĂȘtre prĂȘts Ă  « rĂ©pondre Ă  tous ceux qui… » Quelques versions restructurent le texte en recourant au pronom indĂ©fini « on » : « si l’on vous demande de justifier… » (La Bible du Semeur), « Quand on vous demande pourquoi vous espĂ©rez » (Parole de Vie). Toutefois le pluriel convient mieux par rapport aux nombreux adversaires que les chrĂ©tiens pourraient connaĂźtre.

En grec, le verbe demander signifie « poser des questions ». Comme dit ci-dessus, il ne se rĂ©fĂšre pas spĂ©cifiquement aux questions posĂ©es devant un tribunal. Dans certaines langues, il faudra remplacer le discours indirect par le discours direct, ainsi « …ceux qui vous demandent : “Expliquez-nous donc pourquoi vous avez une telle espĂ©rance” ou “pourquoi vous espĂ©rez” » (Parole de Vie).

La Traduction ƓcumĂ©nique de la Bible modifie l’ordre du grec, mais la Bible en français courant reste plus proche du texte original, qui place le mot espĂ©rance Ă  la fin de la phrase, d’oĂč « …Ă  vous dĂ©fendre face Ă  tous ceux qui vous demandent de justifier l’espĂ©rance qui est en vous ».

Source: Margot, Jean-Claude. La premiĂšre lettre de Pierre – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exĂ©gĂ©tique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.