1 Peter 2:19
in 1 Peter 2For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully.
KJV
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
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This verse in 1 Peter 2
Commentary
10 notes on this verseYou will be approved by God if you suffer unjustly, because you know that that is exactly what he did.
This site's exposition
Servants, submit yourselves to your masters
on 1 Peter 2:18-20
Household slaves are told to submit even to those who are unreasonable, regulating a real institution as Ephesians 6:5 to 9 does. A beating for doing wrong earns no credit. Suffering for doing good, borne by one conscious of God, is commendable before God.
This site's exposition
conscious of God
Albert Barnes notes that the Greek for commended is the word grace, meaning a thing God regards with favour. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown render the phrase as a sense of God that weighs more than the regard of men. Hilary of Arles points to Christ, who suffered unjustly first.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust. For this is grace, if anyone endures grief for the sake of conscience toward God when suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, …
The Medieval Church1 voice
The word "fear" is used in various meanings. Fear is called, first, conscious fear; the apostle now calls it conscience; it is also called reverence. Fear is called, second, passionate fear, experienced in the face of impending punishment; this fear is observed even in animals. …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Sufferings in this world are not always pledges of our future happiness; if children or servants be rude and undutiful, and suffer for it, this will neither be acceptable with God nor procure the praise of men. (2.) More reasons are given to encourage Christian servants to patience under unjust sufferings,
For this is thankworthy,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
For this is thank-worthy - Margin, “thank.” Greek, “This is grace,” (χάρις charis). Doddridge renders the expression, “This is graceful indeed.” Various interpretations of this expression have been proposed; but the meaning evidently is, that it is acceptable to God, (see 1Pe 2:20, “this is acceptable to God” - χάρις παρὰ Θεῷ charis para Theō;) that is, this will be regarded by him with favor. It does not mean that it was worthy of thanks, or that God would thank them for doing it, (compare Luk 17:9-10;) but that such conduct would meet with his approbation.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
A course out of the common, and especially praiseworthy in the eyes of God: not as Rome interprets, earning merit, and so a work of supererogation (compare 1Pe 2:20). for conscience toward God--literally, "consciousness of God": from a conscientious regard to God, more than to men. endure--Greek, "patiently bear up under": as a superimposed burden [ALFORD]. grief--Greek, "griefs."
For this is thankworthy - If, in a conscientious discharge of your duty, you suffer evil, this is in the sight of God thankworthy, pleasing, and proper; it shows that you prefer his authority to your own ease, peace, and emolument; it shows also, as Dr. Macknight has well observed, that they considered their obligation to relative duties not to depend on the character of the person to whom they were to be performed, nor on their performing the duties they owed to their servants, but on the unalterable relations of things established by God.
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοῦτο | touto | This | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| χάρις, | charis | [is] acceptable, | G5485 → | 153 times |
| εἰ | ei | if | G1487 → | 508 times |
| διὰ | dia | for sake of | G1223 → | 664 times |
| συνείδησιν | suneidesin | conscience | G4893 → | 30 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | toward God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ὑποφέρει | hupopherei | endures | G5297 → | |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| λύπας | lupas | griefs | G3077 → | |
| πάσχων | paschon | suffering | G3958 → | 42 times |
| ἀδίκως. | adikos | unjustly. | G95 → |
τοῦτοThis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
χάρις,[is] acceptable,
charisG5485 →153 times
εἰif
eiG1487 →508 times
διὰfor sake of
diaG1223 →664 times
συνείδησινconscience
suneidesinG4893 →30 times
θεοῦtoward God
theouG2316 →1312 times
ὑποφέρειendures
hupophereiG5297 →
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
λύπαςgriefs
lupasG3077 →
πάσχωνsuffering
paschonG3958 →42 times
ἀδίκως.unjustly.
adikosG95 →
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
1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of…
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- Ephesians 3:7–8
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace, given me through the working of His power.
- Ephesians 2:7–8
in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 4:13
Through
Luke 6:32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
it leads to
- Matthew 5:46–47
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?
- 1 Peter 2:19–20
For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.
- Matthew 5:46–47
Through
1 Peter 2:20How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 3:17
For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
- 1 Peter 3:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
On this verse
About 1 Peter
This page draws on 11 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); Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER; Hilary of Arles, Introductory 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 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Peter.