1 Peter 4:18

1 Peter 4:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
• New International Version (NIV)And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
• New Living Translation (NLT)And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”

Context of 1 Peter 4:18

16Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 19Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

1 Peter 4:18 word by word

καὶ εἰ ὁ δίκαιος μόλις σῴζεται, ὁ ἀσεβὴς καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸς ποῦ φανεῖται;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• the righteousδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
• scarcelyμόλιςmolis · hardlyG3433
• be savedσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• whereποῦpou · where?G4226
• shallφαίνωphainō · to shine/appearG5316
• the ungodlyἀσεβήςasebēs · ungodlyG765
• the sinnerἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlos · sinfulG268

Cross-references for 1 Peter 4:18

• 1 Peter 5:8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
• Proverbs 11:31If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, How much more the ungodly and the sinner.
• Jeremiah 25:29For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the Lord of hosts.’
• Ezekiel 18:24“But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.
• Zechariah 13:9I will bring the one–third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
• Matthew 24:22And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
• Mark 13:20And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
• Luke 23:31For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”
• Acts 14:22strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
• Acts 27:24saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’
• 1 Corinthians 10:12Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
• Hebrews 4:1Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
• Hebrews 10:38Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
• Psalms 1:4The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
• Romans 1:18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
• Romans 5:6For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Commentaries on 1 Peter 4:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18And if the righteous scarcely be saved - If it shall be with extreme difficulty that the Christians shall escape from Jerusalem, when the Roman armies shall come against it with the full commission to destroy it, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Where shall the proud Pharisaic boaster in his own outside holiness, and the profligate transgressor of the laws of God, show themselves, as having escaped the Divine vengeance? The Christians…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18And if the righteous scarcely be saved - If they are saved with difficulty. The word used here ( ́ molis) occurs in the following places: Acts 14:18, “scarce restrained they the people;” Acts 27:7, “and scarce were come over against Cnidus;” 1 Peter 4:8, “and hardly passing it;” 1 Peter 4:16, “we had much work to come by the boat” - literally, we were able with difficulty to get the boat; Romans 5:7, “scarcely for a righteous man will one die;” and in the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-19Verses 12-19 By patience and fortitude in suffering, by dependence on the promises of God, and keeping to the word the Holy Spirit hath revealed, the Holy Spirit is glorified; but by the contempt and reproaches cast upon believers, he is evil spoken of, and is blasphemed. One would think such cautions as these were needless to Christians. But their enemies falsely charged them with foul crimes. And even the best of men need to be warned against the worst…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-19Peter gives Christians one final instruction about how to face the trials that will surely come.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. scarcely--Compare "so as by fire," 1Co 3:15; having to pass through trying chastisements, as David did for his sin. "The righteous" man has always more or less of trial, but the issue is certain, and the entrance into the kingdom abundant at last. The "scarcely" marks the severity of the ordeal, and the unlikelihood (in a mere human point of view) of the righteous sustaining it; but the righteousness of Christ and God's everlasting covenant make it…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 4:18

• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Begin
• Cover
• Ungodly
• Charity
• Foreknow; Foreknowledge
• Peter, the First Epistle of
• Peter, the Second Epistle of
• Trinity
• Proverbs, Book of
• create, created, creation, creator

Commentaries on 1 Peter 4

• 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
• 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