1 Peter 3:12
in 1 Peter 3For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil.
KJV
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
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This verse in 1 Peter 3
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"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.
This site's exposition
Finally, all of you, be like-minded
on 1 Peter 3:8-12
The household addresses close on the whole church, which repays insult with blessing and so will inherit a blessing. Psalm 34:12 to 16, the psalm echoed at 2:3, grounds it: the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous.
This site's exposition
the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
The psalm ends on two ways God looks. Matthew Henry notes that the wronged can bring their complaint to a Father whose ears are always attentive. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown add that the Lord watches evildoers closely so they cannot do lasting harm to His people.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
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 …
The Lord will accept those who repent but will punish those who remain in their sins.
The Medieval Church3 voices
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 …
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 …
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 …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
His ears are open to their prayers; so that if any injuries be offered to them they have this remedy, they may complain of it to their heavenly Father, whose ears are always attentive to the prayers of his servants in their distresses, and who will certainly aid them against their unrighteous enemies.
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The Lord's eyes are ever over them for good. ears . . . unto their prayers-- (1Jo 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 1Pe 3:13).
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous - That is, he is their Protector. His eyes are indeed on all people, but the language here is that which describes continual guardianship and care. And his ears are open unto their prayers - He hears their prayers. As he is a hearer of prayer, they are at liberty to go to him at all times, and to pour out their desires before him. This passage is taken from Psa 34:15, and it is designed to show the reason why a life of piety will contribute to length of days. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil - Margin, upon. The sense of the passage, however, is against. The Lord sets his face against them: an expression denoting disapprobation, and a determination to punish them. His face is not mild and benignant toward them, as it is toward the righteous. The general sentiment in these verses 1Pe 3:10-12 is, that while length of days is desirable, it is to be secured by virtue and religion, or that virtue and religion will contribute to it. This is not to be understood as affirming that all who are righteous will enjoy long life, for we know that the righteous are often cut down in the midst of their way; and that in fire, and flood, and war, and the pestilence, the righteous and the wicked often perish together. But still there is a sense in which it is true that a life of virtue and religion will contribute to length of days, and that the law is so general as to be a basis of calculation in reference to the future: I. Religion and virtue contribute to those things which are favorable to length of days, which are conducive to health and to a vigorous constitution. […]
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὅτι | hoti | Because | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ὀφθαλμοὶ | ophthalmoi | eyes | G3788 → | |
| κυρίου | kuriou | of [the] Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | [are] on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| δικαίους, | dikaious | [the] righteous, | G1342 → | 79 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὦτα | ota | [the] ears | G3775 → | |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | toward | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| δέησιν | deesin | prayer | G1162 → | |
| αὐτῶν, | auton | of them, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πρόσωπον | prosopon | [The] face | G4383 → | |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| κυρίου | kuriou | of [the] Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | [is] against | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ποιοῦντας | poiountas | those doing | G4160 → | 569 times |
| κακά.¶ | kaka | evil. | G2556 → | 50 times |
ὅτιBecause
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ὀφθαλμοὶeyes
ophthalmoiG3788 →
κυρίουof [the] Lord
kuriouG2962 →711 times
ἐπὶ[are] on
epiG1909 →883 times
δικαίους,[the] righteous,
dikaiousG1342 →79 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὦτα[the] ears
otaG3775 →
αὐτοῦof Him
autouG846 →5565 times
εἰςtoward
eisG1519 →1755 times
δέησινprayer
deesinG1162 →
αὐτῶν,of them,
autonG846 →5565 times
πρόσωπον[The] face
prosoponG4383 →
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
κυρίουof [the] Lord
kuriouG2962 →711 times
ἐπὶ[is] against
epiG1909 →883 times
ποιοῦνταςthose doing
poiountasG4160 →569 times
κακά.¶evil.
kakaG2556 →50 times
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
John 9:31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- Isaiah 1:15
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
- Proverbs 28:9
Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.
- Proverbs 15:29
Through
Proverbs 15:3The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
- Jeremiah 16:17
For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.
- Jeremiah 23:24
“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in…
- Proverbs 5:21
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
- Hebrews 4:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies21
About 1 Peter
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Clement of Alexandria, From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus; Hesychius of Jerusalem, CATENA; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 Peter and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Peter.