New Living Translation
1 Peter 3:4
4You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
1 Peter 3:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
- New International Version (NIV)Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
- English Standard Version (ESV)but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
- New King James Version (NKJV)rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
Context of 1 Peter 3:4
2by observing your pure and reverent lives. 3Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 5This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.
Read all of 1 Peter 31 Peter 3:4 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ ὁ κρυπτὸς τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος ἐν τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ τοῦ πραέως καὶ ἡσυχίου πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πολυτελές.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Butἀλλάalla · butG235
- the hiddenκρυπτόςkruptos · hiddenG2927
- manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- of the heartκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- that which is not corruptibleἄφθαρτοςaphthartos · incorruptibleG862
- of a meekπραΰςpraus · gentleG4239
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- quietἡσύχιοςhēsuchios · quietG2272
- spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- in the sightἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- of great priceπολυτελήςpolutelēs · valuableG4185
Cross-references for 1 Peter 3:4
- Psalms 45:13The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown.
- Psalms 51:6But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.
- Matthew 23:26You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.
- Luke 11:40Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside?
- Romans 2:29No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
- Romans 6:6We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
- Romans 7:22I love God’s law with all my heart.
- 2 Corinthians 4:16That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.
- Ephesians 4:22throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
- Colossians 3:3For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
- 1 Peter 1:23For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
- 1 Peter 3:15Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.
- Psalms 25:9He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.
- Psalms 147:6The Lord supports the humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust.
- Psalms 149:4For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.
- Isaiah 11:4He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
Commentaries on 1 Peter 3:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The hidden man of the heart - ̔ . This phrase is of the same import with that of St. Paul, Romans 7:22, ̔ , the inner man; that is, the soul, with the whole system of affections and passions. Every part of the Scripture treats man as a compound being: the body is the outward or visible man; the soul, the inward, hidden, or invisible man. The term , man, is derived, according to the best etymologists, from , turning the face upward. This derivation of the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4But let it be the hidden man of the heart - This expression is substantially the same as that of Paul in Romans 7:22, “the inward man.” See the notes at that place. The word “hidden” here means that which is concealed; that which is not made apparent by the dress, or by ornament. It lies within, pertaining to the affections of the soul. In that which is not corruptible - Properly, “in the incorruptible ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.” This is said to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4braided hair or gold jewelry or fine clothes: Peter is not saying that Christian women must avoid all forms of decoration. Instead, he teaches that their beauty should not come from clothing or jewelry but from the inner beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. See also 1 Timothy 2:9–10.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. But--"Rather." The "outward adornment" of jewelry, &c., is forbidden, in so far as woman loves such things, not in so far as she uses them from a sense of propriety, and does not abuse them. Singularity mostly comes from pride and throws needless hindrances to religion in the way of others. Under costly attire there may be a humble mind. "Great is he who uses his earthenware as if it were plate; not less great is he who uses his silver as if it were…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Peter 3:4
In the dictionaries
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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