1 Peter 2:17
in 1 Peter 2Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
KJV
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
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This verse in 1 Peter 2
Commentary
17 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Honor all men - That is, show them the respect which is due to them according to their personal worth, and to the rank and office which they sustain. See the notes at Rom 13:7. Love the brotherhood - The whole fraternity of Christians, regarded as a band of brothers. The word used here occurs only in this place and in 1Pe 5:9, where it is rendered “brethren.” The idea expressed here occurs often in the New Testament. See the notes at Joh 13:34-
This site's exposition
silence the ignorance of foolish men
on 1 Peter 2:15-17
Slander is answered by conduct: by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men. Freedom is lived as servants of God, and four short commands order every relationship: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
This site's exposition
Love the brotherhood of believers
Four commands sum up the passage. Honor is owed to all, love to fellow believers, fear to God and honor to the king. Theophylact observes that fear is given to God and honor to the king; a king who commands what God forbids is not to be obeyed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
How is it proved that we love the fellowship? Because we do not split unity; because we keep love.
Do not say to yourself: "What have I got to do with the emperor?" … The apostle intended that emperors should be served, and he wanted kings to be honored.
Stand fast, therefore, in these things, and follow the example of the Lord, being firm and unchangeable in the faith, loving the brotherhood, and being attached to one another, joined together in the truth, exhibiting the meekness of the Lord in your intercourse with one another, and despising no one. When you can do good, defer it not, because "alms delivers from death." Be all of you subject one to another, "having your conduct blameless among the Gentiles," that ye may both receive praise for your good works, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you.
The fear of God must come first and govern all the rest.
Full of holy designs, you did, with true earnestness of mind and a godly confidence, stretch forth your hands to God Almighty, beseeching Him to be merciful unto you, if you had been guilty of any involuntary transgression. Day and night you were anxious for the whole brotherhood, [1 Peter 2:17] that the number of God's elect might be saved with mercy and a good conscience.
9 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers2 voices
If you propose to us gods such as they should be if they do exist, and such as we feel that we all mean when we mention that name, how can we but give them even the greatest honour, since we have been taught by …
"Fear God." Consider carefully how the fear of God is said to be distributed, and honor to the king, so that if fear is to be given to God, who can destroy both soul and body (Matt. 10:28), we should by no means obey kings …
The Medieval Church3 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 5 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
In the father there is authority: and in this commandment a precept is given that the father be obeyed, because he has authority. Moreover, everyone who presides over public affairs, or political affairs, or monastic affairs has authority. He who presides over public affairs is …
It is wrong to be insubordinate and disobedient to earthly authorities. Let no one say that we have been set free from the world because we have become citizens of heaven. Are you still insisting that we should obey earthly powers? Yes, says Peter, but …
See what precision. To God, he says, render fear, and to the king honor. But if one must have fear before God, who is able to destroy "both soul and body" (Matt. 10:28), then we must not obey kings when they command us to do …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
honour all men - As being made in the image of God, bought by his Son, and designed for his kingdom. honour the king - Pay him all that regard both in affection and action which the laws of God and man require.
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Honour all men,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Christ has dignified our humanity by assuming it; therefore we should not dishonor, but be considerate to and honor our common humanity, even in the very humblest. The first "honor" is in the Greek aorist imperative, implying, "In every case render promptly every man's due" [ALFORD]. The second is in the present tense, implying, Habitually and continually honor the king.
Honour all men - That is, Give honor to whom honor is due, Rom 13:7. Respect every man as a fellow creature, and as one who may be a fellow heir with you of eternal life; and therefore be ready to give him every kind of succor in your power. Love the brotherhood - All true Christians, who form one great family of which God is the head. Fear God - Who gives you these commandments, lest he punish you for disobedience. Honour the king - Pay that respect to the emperor which his high authority requires, knowing that civil power is of God; that the authority with which he, in the course of his providence, has invested him, must be respected in order to its being obeyed; and that if the man be even bad, and as a man be worthy of no reverence, yet he should be respected on account of his office. If respect be banished, subordination will flee with it, and anarchy and ruin will rise up in their place. Truly religious persons are never found in seditions. Hypocrites may join themselves with any class of the workers of iniquity, and say, Hail, brethren!
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| πάντας | pantas | Everyone | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τιμήσατε, | timesate | do honor, | G5091 → | |
| τὴν | ten | The | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφότητα | adelphoteta | brotherhood | G81 → | |
| ἀγαπᾶτε, | agapate | do love, | G25 → | 143 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸν | theon | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| φοβεῖσθε, | phobeisthe | do fear, | G5399 → | 95 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλέα | basilea | king | G935 → | |
| τιμᾶτε.¶ | timate | do honor. | G5091 → |
πάνταςEveryone
pantasG3956 →1235 times
τιμήσατε,do honor,
timesateG5091 →
τὴνThe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφότηταbrotherhood
adelphotetaG81 →
ἀγαπᾶτε,do love,
agapateG25 →143 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεὸνGod
theonG2316 →1312 times
φοβεῖσθε,do fear,
phobeistheG5399 →95 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
βασιλέαking
basileaG935 →
τιμᾶτε.¶do honor.
timateG5091 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 2:3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
it leads to
- Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ephesians 5:21
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Galatians 5:26
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.
- Ephesians 4:2
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
- 1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Romans 12:10
Through
Romans 12:10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
it leads to
- Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Philippians 2:3
Through
1 Peter 5:5Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
it leads to
- James 4:6
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Proverbs 3:34
He mocks the mockers, but gives grace to the humble.
- James 4:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies26
On this verse
On this chapter
- Aaron
- An Eye for an Eye in the Law of Moses
- Elders and Deacons
- You Are Good, and You Do What Is Good
- Hanged on a tree
- Be Holy, Because I Am Holy
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About 1 Peter
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Arnobius of Sicca, Against the Heathen Book 7; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATES 2.3.2; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATES 6.26.1; Bonaventure, Collationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 5; Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians (Clement); Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 Peter; Polycarp of Smyrna, Epistle to the Philippians 10 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Peter.