English Standard Version
1 Peter 2:9
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
- New International Version (NIV)But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
- New Living Translation (NLT)But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Context of 1 Peter 2:9
7So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," 8and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
Read all of 1 Peter 21 Peter 2:9 word by word
ὑμεῖς δὲ γένος ἐκλεκτόν, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον, λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν, ὅπως τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐξαγγείλητε τοῦ ἐκ σκότους ὑμᾶς καλέσαντος εἰς τὸ θαυμαστὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- yeσύsu · youG4771
- a chosenἐκλεκτόςeklektos · selectG1588
- generationγένοςgenos · family: descendantG1085
- a royalβασίλειοςbasileios · kinglyG934
- priesthoodἱεράτευμαhierateuma · priesthoodG2406
- an holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
- nationἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
- a peculiarπεριποίησιςperipoiēsis · acquiringG4047
- ·εἰςeis · towardG1519
- peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- thatὅπωςhopōs · thatG3704
- ye should shew forthἐξαγγέλλωexaggellō · to proclaimG1804
- the praisesἀρετήaretē · virtueG703
- of him who hath calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- darknessσκότοςskotos · darknessG4655
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- marvellousθαυμαστόςthaumastos · marvellousG2298
- lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:9
- 1 Peter 1:2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
- Deuteronomy 10:15Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.
- Psalms 22:30Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
- Psalms 33:12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
- Psalms 73:15If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
- Isaiah 41:8But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
- Isaiah 44:1"But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen!
- Exodus 19:5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
- Isaiah 61:6but you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast.
- Isaiah 66:21And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.
- Revelation 1:6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- Revelation 5:10and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."
- Revelation 20:6Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
- Psalms 106:5that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.
- Isaiah 26:2Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
- John 17:19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
Commentaries on 1 Peter 2:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Ye are a chosen generation - The titles formerly given to the whole Jewish Church, i.e. to all the Israelites without exception, all who were in the covenant of God by circumcision, whether they were holy persons or not, are here given to Christians in general in the same way; i.e. to all who believed in Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, and who received baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Israelites were a chosen…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9But ye are a chosen generation - In contradistinction from those who, by their disobedience, had rejected the Saviour as the foundation of hope. The people of God are often represented as his chosen or elected people. See the notes at 1 Peter 1:2. A royal priesthood - See the notes at 1 Peter 2:5. The meaning of this is, probably, that they “at once bore the dignity of kings, and the sanctity of priests” - Doddridge. Compare Revelation 1:6; “And hath made…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Peter uses descriptions of the Israelites in the Old Testament to refer to his mainly non-Jewish (Gentile) audience (see, for example, Exodus 19:5–6). By doing this, he shows that they are truly God’s people in the time of the new covenant, just as all Christians are.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Contrast in the privileges and destinies of believers. Compare the similar contrast with the preceding context. chosen--"elect" of God, even as Christ your Lord is. generation--implying the unity of spiritual origin and kindred of believers as a class distinct from the world. royal--kingly. Believers, like Christ, the antitypical Melchisedec, are at once kings and priests. Israel, in a spiritual sense, was designed to be the same among the nations of…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Peter 2:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Peter 2
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries