New King James Version
1 Peter 2:15
15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—
1 Peter 2:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
- New International Version (NIV)For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
- New Living Translation (NLT)It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.
Context of 1 Peter 2:15
13Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
Read all of 1 Peter 21 Peter 2:15 word by word
ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθοποιοῦντας φιμοῦν τὴν τῶν ἀφρόνων ἀνθρώπων ἀγνωσίαν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- that with well doingἀγαθοποιέωagathopoieō · to do goodG15
- ye may put to silenceφιμόωphimoō · to muzzleG5392
- the ignoranceἀγνωσίαagnōsia · ignoranceG56
- of foolishἄφρωνaphrōn · foolishG878
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:15
- 1 Peter 4:2that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
- Ephesians 6:6not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- 1 Peter 2:12having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
- Job 5:16So the poor have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth.
- Psalms 107:42The righteous see it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth.
- 1 Timothy 1:13although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
- 2 Peter 2:12But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,
- Jude 1:10But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
- Deuteronomy 32:6Do you thus deal with the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?
- Job 2:10But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
- Psalms 5:5The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.
- Proverbs 9:6Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.
- Jeremiah 4:22“For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.”
- Matthew 7:26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
Commentaries on 1 Peter 2:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15For so is the will of God - God, as their supreme governor, shows them that it is his will that they should act uprightly and obediently at all times, and thus confound the ignorance of foolish men, who were ready enough to assert that their religion made them bad subjects. The word , which we translate put to silence, signifies to muzzle, i.e., stop their mouths, leave them nothing to say; let them assert, but ever be unable to bring proof to support it.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15For so is the will of God - That is, it is in accordance with the divine will that in this way you should put them to silence. That with well doing - By a life of uprightness and benevolence. Ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - See the notes at Titus 2:8. The reference here is to men who brought charges against Christians, by accusing them of being inimical to the government, or insubordinate, or guilty of crimes. Such charges, it is well…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 A Christian conversation must be honest; which it cannot be, if there is not a just and careful discharge of all relative duties: the apostle here treats of these distinctly. Regard to those duties is the will of God, consequently, the Christian's duty, and the way to silence the base slanders of ignorant and foolish men. Christians must endeavour, in all relations, to behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a cloak or covering for…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-25This section focuses on the key instruction to submit to all human authority. Peter applies this instruction to several relationships: Christians should accept the authority of those in government (2:13–17). Christian slaves should accept the authority of their masters (2:18–25). Christian wives should accept the authority of their husbands (3:1–6). Peter appears to follow an early Christian use of the traditional household code. This code gave a series…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Ground of his directing them to submit themselves (1Pe 2:13). put to silence--literally, "to muzzle," "to stop the mouth." ignorance--spiritual not having "the knowledge of God," and therefore ignorant of the children of God, and misconstruing their acts; influenced by mere appearances, and ever ready to open their mouths, rather than their eyes and ears. Their ignorance should move the believer's pity, not his anger. They judge of things which they…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Peter 2:15
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries