1 Peter 2:16

1 Peter 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
• New International Version (NIV)Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
• New Living Translation (NLT)For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.

Context of 1 Peter 2:16

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. 15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as 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. 18Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.

1 Peter 2:16 word by word

ὡς ἐλεύθεροι καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐπικάλυμμα ἔχοντες τῆς κακίας τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς θεοῦ δοῦλοι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• freeἐλεύθεροςeleutheros · free/freedomG1658
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notμήmē · notG3361
• usingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• libertyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• libertyἐλευθερίαeleutheria · freedomG1657
• a clokeἐπικάλυμμαepikaluma · coveringG1942
• of maliciousnessκακίαkakia · evilG2549
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• the servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:16

• John 8:32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
• Romans 6:18And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
• 1 Corinthians 7:22For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.
• Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
• James 1:25But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
• James 2:12So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
• 2 Peter 2:19While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
• Jude 1:4For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Matthew 23:14Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
• John 15:22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:5For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness.
• Ephesians 6:6not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
• Colossians 3:24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Commentaries on 1 Peter 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16As free - The Jews pretended that they were a free people, and owed allegiance to God alone; hence they were continually rebelling against the Roman government, to which God had subjected them because of their rebellion against him: thus they used their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness - for a pretext of rebellion, and by it endeavored to vindicate their seditious and rebellious conduct. But as the servants of God - These were free from sin and Satan…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16As free - That is, they were to consider themselves as freemen, as having a right to liberty. The Jews boasted much of their freedom, and regarded it as a birthright privilege that they were free, John 8:33. They never willingly acknowledged their subjection to any other power, but claimed it as an elementary idea of their civil constitution that God only was their Sovereign. They were indeed conquered by the Romans, and paid tribute, but they did it…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. 1616. As free--as "the Lord's freemen," connected with 1Pe 2:15, doing well as being free. "Well-doing" (1Pe 2:15) is the natural fruit of being freemen of Christ, made free by "the truth" from the bondage of sin. Duty is enforced on us to guard against licentiousness, but the way in which it is to be fulfilled, is by love and the holy instincts of Christian liberty. We are given principles, not details. not using--Greek, "not as having your liberty for a…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 2:16

• Citizens
• Cloak
• Commandments
• Example
• Government
• Hypocrisy
• Self-Denial
• Servant

In the dictionaries

• God
• Bishop
• Chosen
• Cloke
• Disallow
• Fleshly
• Offer
• Sincere
• Spiritual
• Submit

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