1 Peter 3:9

1 Peter 3:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
• New International Version (NIV)Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
• New King James Version (NKJV)not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Context of 1 Peter 3:9

7You husbands must also respect your wives. Be kind to your wife and help her. Remember that she is not as strong as you are. Because God is very kind, she has received his gift of true life, as you have. So you should respect her. Then God will answer you when you pray to him. 8Now I want to say this to you before I finish my letter. All of you should agree with each other in what you think. You should try to understand how other people are feeling. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be kind to each other. Do not think that you are more important than other people. If people do bad things to you, do not do anything bad to them in return. If people insult you, do not insult them in return. Instead, pray that God will bless those people. That is what God wants you to do. Then you will receive the gift of God's blessing. 10The Bible says this: ‘Do you want to enjoy your life? Do you want to be happy? Then you must be careful not to say evil things. Do not tell any lies. 11Stop doing evil things. Instead, do things that are good. Try to be friends with people. Help people to live in peace with each other.

1 Peter 3:9 word by word

μὴ ἀποδιδόντες κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἢ λοιδορίαν ἀντὶ λοιδορίας, τοὐναντίον δὲ εὐλογοῦντες ὅτι εἰς τοῦτο ἐκλήθητε ἵνα εὐλογίαν κληρονομήσητε.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Notμήmē · notG3361
• renderingἀποδίδωμιapodidōmi · to payG591
• evilκακόςkakos · evil/harm: evilG2556
• forἀντίanti · forG473
• orἤē · orG2228
• railingλοιδορίαloidoria · revilingG3059
• butδέde · thenG1161
• contrariwiseτοὐναντίονtounantion · insteadG5121
• blessingεὐλογέωeulogeō · to praise/blessG2127
• knowingεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• ye areκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• thereuntoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• ye should inheritκληρονομέωklēronomeō · to inheritG2816
• a blessingεὐλογίαeulogia · praiseG2129

Cross-references for 1 Peter 3:9

• 1 Peter 2:20But if you do something wrong, then your master ought to punish you. That is only fair. Even if you are brave when he is cruel to you, nobody should praise you for that. But your master may punish you even when you have done good things. Then God will be happy if you are patient and brave.
• Proverbs 17:13If people are kind to you, do not do evil things in return. Anyone who does that will always have trouble in his home.
• Proverbs 20:22Do not say, ‘I will pay you back for the evil thing you did to me.’ Trust the Lord to make it right for you.
• Matthew 5:39But what I tell you is this. If somebody does something bad to you, do not do anything against him. Somebody may slap you on one side of your face. Then you should also let him slap the other side of your face.
• Luke 6:27Jesus then said, ‘I say this to you who are listening carefully to me: Love the people who want to hurt you. Do good things to people that hate you.
• Romans 12:14Ask God to bless people who cause trouble for you. Yes, ask him to be kind to them. Do not ask him to do bad things to them.
• 1 Corinthians 4:12We work hard, so that we become very tired. When people insult us, we ask God to bless them. When people give us trouble, we are patient and brave.
• Ephesians 4:32Instead, help one another and be kind to each other. Forgive one another. Remember that God has forgiven you because of what Christ has done.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15If someone does something bad against you, do not do anything bad against them in return. Never do that. Instead, always try to do good things that will help one other and help everyone else.
• 1 Peter 2:21When God chose you to be his servants, he wanted you to be brave like that. Christ had trouble and pain on your behalf. He has shown you how you should live when trouble comes.
• 1 Peter 5:10Yes, you will have trouble like this for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He is completely kind and he will always help you. Because you belong to Christ, God has chosen you to live with him in heaven for ever. You will join him in that beautiful place. Then God will make you well again. He will make you strong in your spirits. You will be able to stand strongly.
• Romans 8:28We know that God works to help those people who love him. He uses everything that happens to them to bring something good. He does this for those people that he has chosen to serve him.
• Matthew 19:29Some people have left their homes. Or they may have left their brothers or sisters. Or they may have left their mother or their father. Or they may have left their wife or their children or their fields. They have done that because of me. God will give those people many more things than they have left behind, even 100 times more! And after they die, they will live for ever with God.
• Matthew 25:34The king will say to those people who are on his right side, “Come here. My Father has been good to you. He has prepared a place for you in his kingdom. That kingdom has been ready for you since the time that God made the world.
• Mark 10:17While Jesus was starting on his journey, a man ran to him. He went down on his knees in front of Jesus. He said to Jesus, ‘Good teacher, what must I do so that I can live with God for ever?’
• Luke 10:25A teacher of God's Law stood up. He wanted to see how Jesus would answer his question. So he asked Jesus, ‘Teacher, what must I do so that I can live with God for ever?’

Commentaries on 1 Peter 3:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Not rendering evil for evil - Purposing, saying, doing nothing but good; and invariably returning good for evil. Ye are thereunto called - This is your calling - your business in life, to do good, and to do good for evil, and to implore God's blessing even on your worst enemies. And this is not only your duty, but your interest; for in so doing you shall obtain God's blessing, even life for evermore.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Not rendering evil for evil - See the Matthew 5:39, Matthew 5:44 notes; Romans 12:17 note. Or railing for railing - See the notes at 1 Timothy 6:4. Compare Mark 15:29; Luke 23:39. But contrariwise blessing - In a spirit contrary to this. See the notes at Matthew 5:44. Knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing - “Knowing that you were called to be Christians in order that you should obtain a blessing infinite and eternal in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-13Verses 8-13 Though Christians cannot always be exactly of the same mind, yet they should have compassion one of another, and love as brethren. If any man desires to live comfortably on earth, or to possess eternal life in heaven, he must bridle his tongue from wicked, abusive, or deceitful words. He must forsake and keep far from evil actions, do all the good he can, and seek peace with all men. For God, all-wise and every where present, watches over the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9so that you may inherit a blessing: By blessing others, we receive a blessing from God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. evil--in deed. railing--in word. blessing--your revilers; participle, not a noun after "rendering." knowing that--The oldest manuscripts read merely, "because." are--Greek, "were called." inherit a blessing--not only passive, but also active; receiving spiritual blessing from God by faith, and in your turn blessing others from love [Gerhard in Alford]. "It is not in order to inherit a blessing that we must bless, but because our portion is blessing."…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 3:9

• Charitableness
• Commandments
• Fellowship
• Forgiveness
• Kindness
• Love
• Malice
• Railing
• Retaliation
• Revenge
• Reward
• Righteous
• Righteousness
• Speaking

In the dictionaries

• Adorning
• Chaste
• Contrariwise
• Ornament
• Pitiful
• Quiet
• Railing
• Reason
• Spirit
• Terror

Commentaries on 1 Peter 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings