1 Peter 3:12

1 Peter 3:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
• New International Version (NIV)For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Context of 1 Peter 3:12

10For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. 11He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against evildoers.” 13And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be in dread,

1 Peter 3:12 word by word

ὅτι ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους, καὶ ὦτα αὐτοῦ εἰς δέησιν αὐτῶν, πρόσωπον δὲ κυρίου ἐπὶ ποιοῦντας κακά.¶Read the interlinear

• For the eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
• of the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• are towardἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the righteousδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
• And His earsοὖςous · earG3775
• attend to their prayerδέησιςdeēsis · petitionG1162
• But the faceπρόσωπονprosōpon · faceG4383
• evildoersκακόςkakos · evil/harm: evilG2556
• evildoersποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160

Cross-references for 1 Peter 3:12

• Deuteronomy 11:12a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year.
• 2 Chronicles 16:9For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will have wars.”
• Psalms 11:4The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
• Proverbs 15:3The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.
• Zechariah 4:10For who has shown contempt for the day of small things? But these seven will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel--they are the eyes of the Lord roaming throughout the earth.”
• 2 Chronicles 7:15Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.
• Psalms 65:2You who hear prayer, To You all mankind comes.
• Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
• John 9:31We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if someone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him.
• James 5:16Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.
• Leviticus 17:10‘And anyone from the house of Israel, or from the strangers who reside among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats the blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
• Leviticus 20:3I will also set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given some of his children to Molech, so as to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name.
• Leviticus 26:17And I will set My face against you so that you will be defeated before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.
• Psalms 80:16It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish from the rebuke of Your face.
• Jeremiah 21:10For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good,” declares the Lord. “It will be handed over to the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.”’
• Ezekiel 15:7and I set My face against them. Though they have come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them.

Commentaries on 1 Peter 3:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous - That is, He is continually under God's notice and his care; God continually watches for him and watches over him, and he is under his constant protection. And his ears are open unto their prayers - The original is very emphatic: The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears to their prayers. The righteous man ever attracts the Divine notice, and wherever he is, there is the ear of God; for, as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous - That is, he is their Protector. His eyes are indeed on all people, but the language here is that which describes continual guardianship and care. And his ears are open unto their prayers - He hears their prayers. As he is a hearer of prayer, they are at liberty to go to him at all times, and to pour out their desires before him. This passage is taken from Psalm 34:15, and it is designed to show the reason…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. 10-12Peter emphasizes the connection between a person’s conduct and the blessing that God gives by quoting Psalm 34:12–16. This psalm was important in early Christian teaching (see also 1 Peter 2:3; Hebrews 12:14). The passage teaches believers to control their speech, resist evil, and do good. It also highlights God’s promise to bless those who obey him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Ground of the promised present and eternal life of blessedness to the meek (1Pe 3:10). The Lord's eyes are ever over them for good. ears ... unto their prayers--(1Jo 5:14, 15). face ... against--The eyes imply favorable regard; the face of the Lord upon (not as English Version, "against") them that do evil, implies that He narrowly observes them, so as not to let them really and lastingly hurt His people (compare 1Pe 3:13).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 3:12

• Anthropomorphisms
• Commandments
• Eye
• Quotations and Allusions
• Reward
• Righteous
• Wicked (People)

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