1 Peter 3:12 Kommentar

Wherein the apostle describes the duties of husbands and wives one to another, beginning with the duty of the wife (Pe1 3:1-7). He exhorts Christians to unity, love, compassion, peace, and patience under sufferings; to oppose the slanders of their enemies, not by returning evil for evil, or railing for railing, but by blessing; by a ready account of their faith and hope, and by keeping a good conscience (Pe1 3:8-17). To encourage them to this, he proposes the example of Christ, who suffered, the just for the unjust, but yet punished the old world for their disobedience, and saved the few who were faithful in the days of Noah (Pe1 3:18 to the end).

INTRODUCTION TO 1 PETER 3 In this chapter the apostle instructs wives how to behave towards their husbands, and husbands how to behave towards their wives; and then exhorts to various things common to all Christians, and particularly to suffer patiently for righteousness sake; to which he encourages them from the sufferings of Christ, and the benefits resulting from them, on which he enlarges to the end of the chapter. He begins with the duty of wives to their husbands, even unbelieving ones, which is subjection to them, urged from the profitable effect of it; since hereby they might be won over to the Christian religion, without the use of the word, as a means, by their conversation, which is explained of chastity and fear, Pe1 3:1. And he proceeds to give some advice about their apparel, that they should have a greater regard to internal ornaments; particularly meekness and quietness of spirit, which is highly esteemed of by God, rather than to outward adorning; and which he enforces by the examples of godly women in former times, who were so adorned, and were subject to their husbands, particularly Sarah, the wife of Abraham, Pe1 3:3. And next the apostle directs husbands how to conduct towards their wives, to dwell with them, and honour them, because vessels, and weaker vessels, and also heirs of the same grace of life; and besides, to use them ill would be an hinderance of their praying together, Pe1 3:7. And then follow various exhortations to unity of judgment, compassion, brotherly love, pity, courteousness, and patience under the reproaches and revilings of men, which is the way to inherit a blessing they are called unto, Pe1 3:8 and that these are incumbent on the saints, and that they shall be blessed, who are helped to regard them, is proved by some passages out of Psa 34:12, which passages are cited, Pe1 3:10. And in order to encourage to the exercise of the above things, the apostle suggests, that they that so behaved should not be hurt by any; and if they did suffer for righteousness sake from wicked men, yet still they would be happy; nor should this deter them from making a public confession of their faith; to which should be added a good conscience and conversation, to the shame and confusion of them that spoke evil of them, and accused them, Pe1 3:13. And though they were distressed and injured by men, they should not be cast down, nor murmur, since it was the will of God it should be so; and since it was better to suffer for doing well than for doing ill; and especially the example of Christ should animate to patience, since he, an innocent person, suffered for the sins of unjust men, to reconcile them to God; and he is now glorified and happy, and so will his people be, Pe1 3:17. And having made mention of his being quickened by the Spirit, the apostle takes occasion from hence of observing, that by the same Spirit Christ preached in the times of Noah to disobedient persons, whose spirits were now in hell; and he takes notice of the longsuffering of God in that dispensation towards them, and of the goodness of God in saving Noah, and his family, in the ark, which was a figure of baptism; of which some account is given what it is, and is not, and which saves by the resurrection of Christ, Pe1 3:19 who is described by his ascension to heaven, session at the right hand of God, and dominion over angels, authorities, and powers, Pe1 3:22.

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous,.... Who are so not merely in the sight of men, but of God; nor in their own account, and by their own works, but in the esteem of God, through the imputation of the righteousness of his Son unto them: and because he loves this righteousness, and is well pleased with it, seeing by it his law is magnified and made honourable, therefore his countenance beholds with pleasure and delight those righteous ones who are clothed with it; his eyes of omniscience, love, care, and protection, are always upon them, watching over them, delighting in them, running to and fro in the earth on behalf of them; he sees every injury done them, and in his own time and way will do them justice; which is a reason why they should not take vengeance themselves, but leave it with him, whose it is: and his ears are open to their prayers; or "prayer"; in the Hebrew text, "to their cry"; he is a God hearing prayer, and his righteous ones have his ear; he hears them while they are speaking, and will sooner or later answer, and avenge his elect, who cry unto him day and night; for as he has an ear to hear their cries, which is not heavy, he has an arm to save them, which is not shortened; and this is another reason why they should behave as before directed, and which is still strengthened by what follows, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil; it is added in the psalm, "to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth": by "the face of the Lord" is meant, as the Jewish writers (y) interpret it, the anger of the Lord; it intends, not his kind, pleasant, and loving countenance, but his angry one with the former he beholds the upright, and with it he looks upon his righteous ones; but the latter is upon and against the wicked, and is dreadful and intolerable, and the consequence of it is everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, (y) Jarchi & Menachem apud ib. & Aben Ezra in loc.

"For the eyes of the Lord," he says, "are upon the righteous, and His ears on their prayers:" he means the manifold inspection of the Holy Spirit. "The face of the Lord is on them that do evil;" that is, whether judgment, or vengeance, or manifestation.

The Lord will accept those who repent but will punish those who remain in their sins.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil: Peter adds to these: If you live in this way, you will have God as gracious and obedient. Therefore, who, with Him standing by you, will boldly attack you? For all things are in His hand; death and life are in the hand of the Lord. Nevertheless, since the afflictions imposed for the sake of faith seemed to some to be evil, the blessed Peter correcting this said: not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead blessing. For the fear awaiting from men should not be regarded, but it lasts only for a very short time, as it comes from those who themselves pass away very quickly. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, threatening destruction to the wicked. Indeed, if these evils were present, surely the distributor of good things would not allow His beloved ones to be afflicted by evils: for He sends evils upon the wicked. Therefore, these are not evils, but afflictions inflicted for the sake of devotion.

It is not those who are still in their sins who are worthy of such divine oversight, but those who have been cleansed from them. The phrase “the eyes of God” is a metaphor for those divine powers which see everything. It is they who watch over the righteous, but his ears are also ready to hear their prayers. If you want to enjoy this experience, however, you must first turn your eyes away from evil. God never distances himself from the righteous. Whenever the hand of a righteous man does mercy, it has the eye of God watching over it. And whenever his tongue prays, it inclines the divine ear to hear, as for example the prayer of Cornelius was rewarded.

Because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, etc. Since blessed Peter forbade us to return evil for evil, rather ordered us to bless those who curse, he strengthens with prophetic testimony that both good and bad are always seen by the heavenly inspection, so that we may remember that both our patience by which we tolerate the wicked and our benevolence by which we wish good for our persecutors will be rewarded with an eternal reward, and that our persecutors, if they do not repent, shall rightly be punished, but if they do repent, we too will receive a crown of righteous rejoicing for their salvation which we implored from the Lord.

From the words of the prophet that he cited, he draws a conclusion. There it is said: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (1 Pet. 3:12), and the apostle adds to this: if you live in this way, then God will be gracious and merciful toward you. And in such a situation, who will harm you? For all things are in His hand, "life and death" (Wis. 16:13). But since some considered sufferings for the faith to be an evil, the apostle Peter, in order to correct such an opinion, says: do not consider this an evil; on the contrary, consider it a pledge of blessedness. For fear from men deserves no attention, but is short-lived. For if the eyes of the Lord are turned toward the righteous and His ears toward their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, threatening the wicked with destruction, then if this were an evil, the Giver of good things would certainly not repay with evil our love for Him. For He brings evil upon the evil: "Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man who does evil" (Rom. 2:9); therefore, afflictions for the sake of piety are not an evil. Together with Isaiah (Isa. 8:13), he commands to sanctify the Lord in our hearts, that is, not to exalt oneself through visible deeds, but in the secret chamber of the heart to accomplish the sanctification of the Lord, which consists in turning away from defilements, that is, from the evil customs of the pagans. Thus sanctify Him. And He is sanctified through your good conduct, when other people glorify Him, just as the God-Man Himself commands: "So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works" (Matt. 5:16).

The duty of wives to their husbands, how they are to be adorned, and be in subjection as Sarah was to Abraham, Pe1 3:1-6. The duty of husbands to their wives, Pe1 3:7. How to obtain happiness, and live a long and useful life, Pe1 3:8-11. God loves and succours them that do good; but his face is against the wicked, Pe1 3:12, Pe1 3:13. They should suffer persecution patiently, and be always ready to give a reason of the hope that is in them; and preserve a good conscience, though they suffered for righteousness, Pe1 3:14-17. Christ suffered for us, and was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, Pe1 3:18. How he preached to the old world, while Noah was preparing the ark, Pe1 3:19, Pe1 3:20. The salvation of Noah and his family a type of baptism, Pe1 3:21. Christ is ascended to heaven, all creatures being subject to him, Pe1 3:22.

The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous - That is, He is continually under God's notice and his care; God continually watches for him and watches over him, and he is under his constant protection. And his ears are open unto their prayers - The original is very emphatic: The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears to their prayers. The righteous man ever attracts the Divine notice, and wherever he is, there is the ear of God; for, as every righteous man is a man of prayer, wherever he prays, there is the ear of God, into which the prayer, as soon as formed, enters. But the face of the Lord - Far from his eye being upon them, or his ear open to their requests, (for prayer they have none), his face, his approbation, his providence and blessing, are turned away from them; and he only looks upon them to abhor them, and to turn the arm of his justice against them.

RELATIVE DUTIES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES: EXHORTATIONS TO LOVE AND FORBEARANCE: RIGHT CONDUCT UNDER PERSECUTIONS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE, AFTER CHRIST'S EXAMPLE, WHOSE DEATH RESULTED IN QUICKENING TO US THROUGH HIS BEING QUICKENED AGAIN, OF WHICH BAPTISM IS THE SACRAMENTAL SEAL. (1Pe. 3:1-22) Likewise--Greek, "In like manner," as "servants" in their sphere; compare the reason of the woman's subjection, Co1 11:8-10; Ti1 2:11-14. your own--enforcing the obligation: it is not strangers ye are required to be subject to. Every time that obedience is enjoined upon women to their husbands, the Greek, "idios," "one's own peculiarly," is used, while the wives of men are designated only by heauton, "of themselves." Feeling the need of leaning on one stronger than herself, the wife (especially if joined to an unbeliever) might be tempted, though only spiritually, to enter into that relation with another in which she ought to stand to "her own spouse (Co1 14:34-35, "Let them ask their own [idious] husbands at home"); an attachment to the person of the teacher might thus spring up, which, without being in the common sense spiritual adultery, would still weaken in its spiritual basis the married relation [STEIGER]. that, if--Greek, "that even if." Even if you have a husband that obeys not the word (that is, is an unbeliever). without the word--independently of hearing the word preached, the usual way of faith coming. But BENGEL, "without word," that is, without direct Gospel discourse of the wives, "they may (literally, in oldest manuscripts, 'shall,' which marks the almost objective certainty of the result) be won" indirectly. "Unspoken acting is more powerful than unperformed speaking" [Å“CUMENIUS]. "A soul converted is gained to itself, to the pastor, wife, or husband, who sought it, and to Jesus Christ; added to His treasury who thought not His own precious blood too dear to lay out for this gain" [LEIGHTON]. "The discreet wife would choose first of all to persuade her husband to share with her in the things which lead to blessedness; but if this be impossible, let her then alone diligently press after virtue, in all things obeying him so as to do nothing at any time against his will, except in such things as are essential to virtue and salvation" [CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA].

Ground of the promised present and eternal life of blessedness to the meek (Pe1 3:10). The Lord's eyes are ever over them for good. ears . . . unto their prayers-- (Jo1 5:14-15). face . . . against--The eyes imply favorable regard; the face of the Lord upon (not as English Version, "against") them that do evil, implies that He narrowly observes them, so as not to let them really and lastingly hurt His people (compare Pe1 3:13).