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To Continue:

1 Peter 2:9-10

9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

9. Vos autem genus electum, regale sacerdotium, gens sancta, populus in
acquisitionem, ut virtutes enarretis ejus qui vos ex tenebris vocavit
in admirabile lumen suum:

10. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of
God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

10. Qui aliquando non populus, nunc autem populus Dei, qui non
consequuti eratis misericordiam, nunc misericordiam consequuti estis.


9 But ye are a chosen generation, or race. He again separates them from
the unbelieving, lest driven by their example (as it is often the case)
they should fall away from the faith. As, then, it is unreasonable that
those whom God has separated from the world, should mix themselves with
the ungodly, Peter here reminds the faithful to what great honor they
had been raised, and also to what purpose they had been called. But
with the same high titles which he confers on them, Moses honored the
ancient people, (Exodus 19:6,) but the Apostle's object was to shew
that they had recovered again, through Christ, the great dignity and
honor from which they had fallen. It is at the same time true, that God
gave to the fathers an earthly taste only of these blessings, and that
they are really given in Christ.

The meaning then is, as though he had said,

"Moses called formerly your fathers a holy nation, a priestly kingdom,
and God's peculiar people: all these high titles do now far more justly
belong to you; therefore you ought to beware lest your unbelief should
rob you of them." (Exodus 19:6)

In the meantime, however, as the greater part of the nation was
unbelieving, the Apostle indirectly sets the believing Jews in
opposition to all the rest, though they exceeded them in number, as
though he had said, that those only were the children of Abraham, who
believed in Christ, and that they only retained possession of all the
blessings which God had by a singular privilege bestowed on the whole
nation.

He calls them a chosen race, because God, passing by others, adopted
them as it were in a special manner. They were also a holy nation; for
God had consecrated them to himself, and destined that they should lead
a pure and holy life. He further calls them a peculiar people, or, a
people for acquisition, that they might be to him a peculiar possession
or inheritance; for I take the words simply in this sense, that the
Lord hath called us, that he might possess us as his own, and devoted
to him. This meaning is proved by the words of Moses,

"If ye keep my covenant, ye shall be to me a peculiar treasure beyond
all other nations." (Exodus 19:5.)

There is in the royal priesthood a striking inversion of the words of
Moses; for he says, "a priestly kingdom," but the same thing is meant.
So what Peter intimated was this, "Moses called your fathers a sacred
kingdom, because the whole people enjoyed as it were a royal liberty,
and from their body were chosen the priests; both dignities were
therefore joined together: but now ye are royal priests, and, indeed,
in a more excellent way, because ye are, each of you, consecrated in
Christ, that ye may be the associates of his kingdom, and partakers of
his priesthood. Though, then, the fathers had something like to what
you have; yet ye far excel them. For after the wall of partition has
been pulled down by Christ, we are now gathered from every nation, and
the Lord bestows these high titles on all whom he makes his people."

There is further, as to these benefits, a contrast between us and the
rest of mankind, to be considered: and hence it appears more fully how
incomparable is God's goodness towards us; for he sanctifies us, who
are by nature polluted; he chose us, when he could find nothing in us
but filth and vileness; he makes his peculiar possession from worthless
dregs; he confers the honor of the priesthood on the profane; he brings
the vassals of Satan, of sin, and of death, to the enjoyment of royal
liberty.

That ye should shew forth, or declare. He carefully points out the end
of our calling, that he might stimulate us to give the glory to God.
And the sum of what he says is, that God has favored us with these
immense benefits and constantly manifests them, that his glory might by
us be made known: for by praises, or virtues, he understands wisdom,
goodness, power, righteousness, and everything else, in which the glory
of God shines forth. And further, it behoves us to declare these
virtues or excellencies not only by our tongue, but also by our whole
life. This doctrine ought to be a subject of daily meditation, and it
ought to be continually remembered by us, that all God's blessings with
which he favors us are intended for this end, that his glory may be
proclaimed by us.

We must also notice what he says, that we have been called out of
darkness into God's marvellous or wonderful light; for by these words
he amplifies the greatness of divine grace. If the Lord had given us
light while we were seeking it, it would have been a favor; but it was
a much greater favor, to draw us out of the labyrinth of ignorance and
the abyss of darkness. We ought hence to learn what is man's condition,
before he is translated into the kingdom of God. And this is what
Isaiah says,

"Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but
over thee shall the Lord be seen, and his glory shall in thee shine
forth." (Isaiah 60:2.)

And truly we cannot be otherwise than sunk in darkness, after having
departed from God, our only light. See more at large on this subject in
[6]the second chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians.

10 Which in time past were not a people He brings for confirmation a
passage from Hosea, and well accommodates it to his own purpose. For
Hosea, after having in God's name declared that the Jews were
repudiated, gives them a hope of a future restoration. Peter reminds us
that this was fulfilled in his own age; for the Jews were scattered
here and there, as the torn members of a body; nay, they seemed to be
no longer God's people, no worship remained among them, they were
become entangled in the corruptions of the heathens; it could not then
be said otherwise of them, but that they were repudiated by the Lord.
But when they are gathered in Christ, from no people they really become
the people of God. Paul, in Romans 9:26, applies also this prophecy to
the Gentiles, and not without reason; for from the time the Lord's
covenant was broken, from which alone the Jews derived their
superiority, they were put on a level with the Gentiles. It hence
follows, that what God had promised, to make a people of no people,
belongs in common to both.

Which had not obtained mercy This was added by the Prophet, in order
that the gratuitous covenant of God, by which he takes them to be his
people, might be more clearly set forth; as though he had said, "There
is no other reason why the Lord counts us his people, except that he,
having mercy on us, graciously adopts us." It is then God's gratuitous
goodness, which makes of no people a people to God, and reconciles the
alienated. [25]
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[25] This verse is a quotation from Hosea 2:23, only the two clauses
are inverted. The same is quoted by Paul in Romans 9:25, in the same
inverted form, and with this difference, that Peter follows the Hebrew,
and Paul the Septuagint. The Hebrew is, "I will have mercy upon her
that had not obtained mercy;" but according to the Septuagint, "I will
love her that had not been loved." The meaning is the same, though the
words are different. -- Ed.