1 Peter 4:5
in 1 Peter 4But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead.
KJV
Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
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This verse in 1 Peter 4
Commentary
13 notes on this verse"Who shall give account," he says, "to Him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead." These are trained through previous judgments. Therefore he adds, "For this cause was the Gospel preached also to the dead"-to us, namely, who were at one time unbelievers. "That they might be judged according to men," he says, "in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." Because, that is, they have fallen away from faith; whilst they are still in the flesh they are judged according to preceding judgments, that they might repent.
This site's exposition
give an account to Him
on 1 Peter 4:5-6
The mockers answer to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Verse 6 says the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, read of believers who heard it in life and have died.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Wherefore, passing now to the words which we find farther on concerning unbelievers, "Who shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead," there is no necessity for our understanding the "dead" here to be those who have departed from the body. For it may be that the apostle intended by the word "dead" to denote unbelievers, as being spiritually dead, like those of whom it was said, "Let the dead bury their dead," and by the word "living" to denote those who believe in Him, having not heard in vain the call, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light;" of whom also the Lord said: "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." On the same principle of interpretation, also, there is nothing compelling us to understand the immediately succeeding words of Peter -- "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit" as describing what has been done in hell. "For for this cause has the gospel been preached" in this life "to the dead," that is, to the unbelieving wicked, "that" when they believed "they might be judged according to men in the flesh," -- that is, by means of various afflictions and by the death of the body itself; for which reason the same apostle says in another place: "The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God," -- "but live according to God in the spirit," since in that same spirit they had been dead while they were held prisoners in the death of unbelief and wickedness.
This will happen in the future, when everyone will have to be ready to give an account of himself, and no one will be able to stop him from doing so. For everything will be laid bare before God, who judges the righteous and the …
However, they will not bear such slander unpunished, but will give an account to the judge of all, who sits unchallengeable and firmly for this very purpose: for this is what it signifies in this place to be prepared: just as when it is said, …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Some people say that the soul is living and the body dead, but it is impossible for a soul to come to judgment without its own body. Rather here Peter calls the righteous "living," because they do the works of the life to come, and …
Who shall give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. Therefore (he says) care less, grieve less, if you are blasphemed by the reprobate while doing good, because even if you remain silent, God the judge, who is indeed …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
The connection is as follows: these people, who speak evil of you, will give an answer to Him who judges all the living and the dead. The dead are also judged. This is evident from the Lord's descent into Hades. For, having appeared there after …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Who shall give account to him,.... "To God himself", as the Syriac version reads; of all their blasphemies, and hard speeches spoken by them against God, Christ, the Gospel, and good men, and receive their just punishment.
Some of the strongest and best arguments against all sorts of sin are taken from the sufferings of Christ. All sympathy and tenderness for Christ as a sufferer are lost of you do not put away sin.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Who shall give account - That is, they shall not do this with impunity. They are guilty in this of a groat wrong and they must answer for it to God. That is ready to judge - That is, “who is prepared to judge” - τῷ ἑτοίμως ἔχοντι tō hetoimōs echonti.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
They who now call you to account falsely, shall have to give account themselves for this very evil-speaking (Jude 15), and be condemned justly. ready--very speedily (1Pe 4:7; Christ's coming is to the believer always near.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
To judge the quick and the dead - They shall give account of these irregularities to Him who is prepared to judge both the Jews and the Gentiles. The Gentiles, previously to the preaching of the Gospel among them, were reckoned to be dead in trespasses and sins, Eph 2:1-5; under the sentence of death, because they had sinned. The Jews had at least, by their religious profession, a name to live; and by that profession were bound to give to God.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἳ | hoi | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἀποδώσουσιν | apodosousin | will give | G591 → | |
| λόγον | logon | account | G3056 → | 329 times |
| τῷ | to | to Him who | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἑτοίμως | hetoimos | ready | G2093 → | |
| ἔχοντι | echonti | is | G2192 → | 707 times |
| κρῖναι | krinai | to judge | G2919 → | 114 times |
| ζῶντας | zontas | [the] living | G2198 → | 139 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| νεκρούς. | nekrous | [the] dead. | G3498 → | 128 times |
οἳwho
hoiG3739 →1405 times
ἀποδώσουσινwill give
apodosousinG591 →
λόγονaccount
logonG3056 →329 times
τῷto Him who
toG3588 →19766 times
ἑτοίμωςready
hetoimosG2093 →
ἔχοντιis
echontiG2192 →707 times
κρῖναιto judge
krinaiG2919 →114 times
ζῶντας[the] living
zontasG2198 →139 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
νεκρούς.[the] dead.
nekrousG3498 →128 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
2 Timothy 4:1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:
it leads to
- Acts 10:42
And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
- 2 Timothy 4:8
From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who…
- 1 Timothy 5:21
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
- Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Acts 10:42
Through
James 5:9Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
- 1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each…
- James 4:11
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. And if you judge the law, you are not a practitioner of…
- Leviticus 19:18
Through
Acts 10:42And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About 1 Peter
This page draws on 13 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; Augustine of Hippo, LETTERS 164; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Clement of Alexandria, From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 Peter; Severus of Antioch, CATENA and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Peter.