God’s Word Translation
1 Peter 2:18
18Slaves, place yourselves under the authority of your owners and show them complete respect. Obey not only those owners who are good and kind, but also those who are unfair.
1 Peter 2:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
- New International Version (NIV)Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
Context of 1 Peter 2:18
16Live as free people, but don’t hide behind your freedom when you do evil. Instead, use your freedom to serve God. 17Honor everyone. Love your brothers and sisters in the faith. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Slaves, place yourselves under the authority of your owners and show them complete respect. Obey not only those owners who are good and kind, but also those who are unfair. 19God is pleased if a person is aware of him while enduring the pains of unjust suffering. 20What credit do you deserve if you endure a beating for doing something wrong? But if you endure suffering for doing something good, God is pleased with you.
Read all of 1 Peter 21 Peter 2:18 word by word
Οἱ οἰκέται ὑποτασσόμενοι ἐν παντὶ φόβῳ τοῖς δεσπόταις, οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς καὶ ἐπιεικέσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς σκολιοῖς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Servantsοἰκέτηςoiketēs · slaveG3610
- subjectὑποτάσσωhupotassō · to subjectG5293
- toδεσπότηςdespotēs · masterG1203
- withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- fearφόβοςphobos · fearG5401
- notοὐou · noG3756
- onlyμόνονmonon · onlyG3440
- to the goodἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- gentleἐπιεικήςepieikēs · gentleG1933
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- to the frowardσκολιόςskolios · crookedG4646
Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:18
- Ephesians 6:5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with proper respect. Be as sincere as you are when you obey Christ.
- Colossians 3:22Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master.
- 1 Timothy 6:1All slaves who believe must give complete respect to their own masters. In this way no one will speak evil of God’s name and what we teach.
- 2 Corinthians 10:1I, Paul, make my appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. I’m the one who is humble when I’m with you but forceful toward you when I’m not with you.
- Galatians 5:22But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- James 3:17However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere.
- Psalms 101:4I will keep far away from devious minds. I will have nothing to do with evil.
- Proverbs 3:32The devious person is disgusting to the Lord. The Lord’s intimate advice is with decent people.
- Proverbs 8:13To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and twisted speech.
- Proverbs 10:32The lips of a righteous person announce good will, but the mouths of wicked people are devious.
- Proverbs 11:20Devious people are disgusting to the Lord, but he is delighted with those whose ways are innocent.
Commentaries on 1 Peter 2:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Servants, be subject - See the notes on Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; (note); and Titus 2:9; (note). With all fear - With all submission and reverence. The good and gentle - Those who are ever just in their commands, never requiring more work than is necessary or proper, and always allowing sufficient food and sufficient time. The froward - · The crooked, perverse, unreasonable morose, and austere. Your time belongs to your master; obey him in every…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Servants, be subject to your masters - On the duty here enjoined, see the notes at Ephesians 6:5-9. The Greek word used here ( ̓́ oiketai) is not the same which is employed in Ephesians, ( ͂ douloiThe word here means properly “domestics” - those employed about a house, or living in the same house - from ̓͂ oikos“house.” These persons might have been slaves, or might not. The word would apply to them, whether they were hired, or whether they were owned as…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 18-25 Servants in those days generally were slaves, and had heathen masters, who often used them cruelly; yet the apostle directs them to be subject to the masters placed over them by Providence, with a fear to dishonour or offend God. And not only to those pleased with reasonable service, but to the severe, and those angry without cause. The sinful misconduct of one relation, does not justify sinful behaviour in the other; the servant is bound to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18Many slaves in the Roman Empire held responsible positions and earned a decent income. However, most slaves were treated harshly, and all slaves lacked legal status and basic rights. with all respect (literally with all fear): Peter might be urging slaves to fear God (see 2:17; compare 1:17) or fear the master's punishment. However, he often uses this kind of language to describe the respectful attitude that Christians should show toward others (3:16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Servants--Greek, "household servants": not here the Greek for "slaves." Probably including freedmen still remaining in their master's house. Masters were not commonly Christians: he therefore mentions only the duties of the servants. These were then often persecuted by their unbelieving masters. Peter's special object seems to be to teach them submission, whatever the character of the masters might be. Paul not having this as his prominent design…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Peter 2:18
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries