1 Peter 4:7

1 Peter 4:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
• New International Version (NIV)The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

Context of 1 Peter 4:7

5But those people will have to explain to God what they have done. He is ready to judge every person, whether they are alive now or they have already died. 6That is why even dead people needed to hear the good news about Christ. Their bodies had to die, as all people must die. But they heard the good news so that their spirits could live, as God wants them to live. All things in this world will soon come to an end. So you must think clearly. Then you will be able to pray in a serious way. 8Continue to love each other very much. That is more important than anything else. If you love people, you will forgive them for any wrong things that they have done. 9Always be happy to have other believers as visitors in your homes.

1 Peter 4:7 word by word

Πάντων δὲ τὸ τέλος ἤγγικεν· σωφρονήσατε οὖν καὶ νήψατε εἰς προσευχάς,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• the endὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the endτέλοςtelos · goal/taxG5056
• of all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
• is at handἐγγίζωeggizō · to come nearG1448
• be yeσωφρονέωsōphroneō · be of sound mindG4993
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• watchνήφωnēphō · be soberG3525
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• prayerπροσευχήproseuchē · prayerG4335

Cross-references for 1 Peter 4:7

• Ecclesiastes 7:2If you go to a house where there is a funeral, that is better for you than to go to a party. Everyone will die one day. People should think about death while they are still alive.
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets speak messages that are not true. The priests make their own rules for people to obey. And my people love to live like this! But when all this comes to an end, my people will be helpless!’
• Ezekiel 7:2‘Son of man, this is what I, the Almighty Lord, say to the land of Israel: The end is now here! I will soon destroy the whole land.
• Matthew 24:13But God will save the person who remains strong until the end.
• Romans 13:12The night has nearly finished and the day is almost here. So we must stop doing the bad things that belong to the dark. Instead, we must take weapons like soldiers who are ready to fight in the light.
• 1 Corinthians 7:29My Christian friends, this is what I mean: The time that remains is very short. So men who have wives should live as if they had no wife.
• 1 Corinthians 15:24After that, the end of everything will happen. Christ will win against every ruler and power and authority. He will give the kingdom to God, the Father. God will rule over everything.
• Philippians 4:5Be kind and patient in a way that everyone can see. Remember that the Lord is near.
• Hebrews 10:25Some people have stopped meeting with the group of Christians. But that is not good. We should all continue to meet together. We need to help one another to be strong and brave. That is now even more important, because the Lord's great day is coming. You know that the Lord will return soon.
• James 5:8You also must be patient, because the Lord will return soon. Be strong as you continue to trust him.
• 2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not being slow to do what he has promised to do. Some people may think that he is being slow to do it. But he is being patient with you. He does not want to destroy anyone. He wants all people to turn away from the wrong things that they do.
• 1 John 2:18My children, the world will soon end. You have heard that the enemy of Christ will appear. You can see that many enemies of Christ have already appeared. This shows us that the world will end soon.
• 1 Peter 1:13So now, prepare your minds, so that you are ready to live in a good way. Think clearly about how God helps you. Always remember that God will be very kind to you when Jesus Christ comes again.
• 1 Peter 5:8Think seriously about how you live. Watch carefully for danger. Remember that the Devil is your enemy. He wants to hurt you. He walks about like a hungry lion. He is looking for someone to kill and then eat them!
• 1 Thessalonians 5:6So we must watch carefully. We should be like people who stay awake. We should not be like other people who are sleeping.
• 1 Peter 3:7You 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.

Commentaries on 1 Peter 4:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7But the end of all things is at hand - I think that here also St. Peter keeps the history of the deluge before his eyes, finding a parallel to the state of the Jews in his own time in that of the antediluvians in the days of Noah. In Genesis 6:13, God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me. This was spoken at a time when God had decreed the destruction of the world by a flood. Peter says, The end of all things is at hand; and this he spoke…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7But the end of all things is at hand - This declaration is also evidently designed to support and encourage them in their trials, and to excite them to lead a holy life, by the assurance that the end of all things was drawing near. The phrase, “the end of all things,” would naturally refer to the end of the world; the winding up of human affairs. It is not absolutely certain, however, that the apostle used it here in this sense. It might mean that so far…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-11Verses 7-11 The destruction of the Jewish church and nation, foretold by our Saviour, was very near. And the speedy approach of death and judgment concerns all, to which these words naturally lead our minds. Our approaching end, is a powerful argument to make us sober in all worldly matters, and earnest in religion. There are so many things amiss in all, that unless love covers, excuses, and forgives in others, the mistakes and faults for which every one…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7The end of all things is near: With the coming of Christ, the "last days" predicted by the Old Testament prophets had begun (see 1:10–12). The next event in God’s plan to save people is the second coming of Christ. His return will bring an end to the world as we know it. This end could come at any time. Therefore, Christians must always be ready for it (see also Philippians 4:5; James 5:8; Revelation 1:3; 22:10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Resuming the idea in 1Pe 4:5. the end of all things--and therefore also of the wantonness (1Pe 4:3, 4) of the wicked, and of the sufferings of the righteous [Bengel]. The nearness meant is not that of mere "time," but that before the Lord; as he explains to guard against misapprehension, and defends God from the charge of procrastination: We live in the last dispensation, not like the Jews under the Old Testament. The Lord will come as a thief; He is…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 4:7

• Commandments
• Holiness
• Judgment
• Sobriety
• Temptation
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• Begin
• Cover
• Ungodly
• Charity
• Ethics
• Parousia
• Persecution
• Peter, the First Epistle of

Commentaries on 1 Peter 4

• 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
• 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