New International Version
1 Peter 2:9
9But 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.
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:
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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
7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 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. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, 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 1:2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
- Deuteronomy 10:15Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today.
- Psalms 22:30Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
- Psalms 33:12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.
- Psalms 73:15If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.
- Isaiah 41:8“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,
- Isaiah 44:1“But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.
- Exodus 19:5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
- Isaiah 61:6And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
- Isaiah 66:21And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
- Revelation 1:6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
- Revelation 5:10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
- Revelation 20:6Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
- Psalms 106:5that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.
- Isaiah 26:2Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.
- John 17:19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
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
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