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1 Peter 3:10-15

10. For he that will love life, and see good ays, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

10. Qui enim vult vitam diligere, et videre dies bonos, contineat
linguam suam `a malo, et labia sua, ne loquantur dolum;

11. Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

11. Declinet `a malo et faciat bonum, quaerat pacem et persequatur eam:

12. 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.

12. Quoniam oculi Domini super justos, et aures ejus in preces eorum;
vultus autem Domini super facientes mala.

13. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which
is good?

13. Et quis est qui vobis male faciat, si boni aemuli sitis?

14. But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be
not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

14. Verum etiam si patiamini propter justitiam, beati; timorem vero
eorum ne timeatis neque turbemini;

15. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:

15. Sed Dominum exercituum sanctificate in cordibus vestris.


10 For he He confirms the last sentence by the testimony of David. The
passage is taken from the thirty-fourth Psalm, [Psalm 34:12-16,] where
the Spirit testifies that it will be well with all who keep themselves
from all evil-doing and wrong-doing. The common feeling indeed favors
what is very different; for men think that they expose themselves to
the insolence of enemies, if they do not boldly defend themselves. But
the Spirit of God promises a happy life to none except to the meek, and
those who endure evils; and we cannot be happy except God prospers our
ways; and it is the good and the benevolent, and not the cruel and
inhuman, that he will favor.

Peter has followed the Greek version, though the difference is but
little. David's words are literally these, -- "He who loves life and
desires to see good days," etc. It is indeed a desirable thing, since
God has placed us in this world, to pass our time in peace. Then, the
way of obtaining this blessing is to conduct ourselves justly and
harmlessly towards all.

The first thing he points out are the vices of the tongue; which are to
be avoided, so that we may not be contumelious and insolent, nor speak
deceitfully and with duplicity. Then he comes to deeds, that we are to
injure none, or cause loss to none, but to endeavor to be kind to all,
and to exercise the duties of humanity.

11 Let him seek peace It is not enough to embrace it when offered to
us, but it ought to be followed when it seems to flee from us. It also
often happens, that when we seek it as much as we can, others will not
grant it to us. On account of these difficulties and hindrances, he
bids us to seek and pursue it.

12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, or, on the
righteous. It ought to be a consolation to us, sufficient to mitigate
all evils, that we are looked upon by the Lord, so that he will bring
us help in due time. The meaning then is, that the prosperity which he
has mentioned depends on the protection of God; for were not the Lord
to care for his people, they would be like sheep exposed to wolves. And
that we for little reason raise a clamor, that we suddenly kindle unto
wrath, that we burn with the passion of revenge, all this, doubtless,
happens, because we do not consider that God cares for us, and because
we do not acquiesce in his aid. Thus in vain we shall be taught
patience, except our minds are first imbued with this truth, that God
exercises such care over us, that he will in due time succor us. When,
on the contrary, we are fully persuaded that God defends the cause of
the righteous, we shall first attend simply to innocence, and then,
when molested and hated by the ungodly, we shall flee to the protection
of God. And when he says, that the ears of the Lord are open to our
prayers, he encourages us to pray.

But the face of the Lord By this clause he intimates that the Lord will
be our avenger, because he will not always suffer the insolence of the
ungodly to prevail; and at the same time he shews how it will be, if we
seek to defend our life from injuries, even that God will be an
adversary to us. But it may, on the other hand, be objected and said,
that we experience it daily far otherwise, for the more righteous any
one is, and the greater lover of peace he is, the more he is harassed
by the wicked. To this I reply, that no one is so attentive to
righteousness and peace, but that he sometimes sins in this respect.
But it ought to be especially observed, that the promises as to this
life do not extend further than as to what is expedient for us to be
fulfilled. Hence, our peace with the world is often disturbed, that our
flesh may be subdued, in order that we may serve God, and also for
other reasons; so that nothing may be a loss to us.

13 Who is he that will harm you He further confirms the previous
sentence by an argument drawn from common experience. For it happens
for the most part, that the ungodly disturb us, or are provoked by us,
or that we do not labor to do them good as it behoves us; for they who
seek to do good, do even soften minds which are otherwise hard as iron.
This very thing is mentioned by Plato in his first book on the
Republic, "Injustice," he says, "causes seditions and hatreds and
fightings one with another; but justice, concord and friendship." [41]
However, though this commonly happens, yet it is not always the case;
for the children of God, how much soever they may strive to pacify the
ungodly by kindness, and shew themselves kind towards all, are yet
often assailed undeservedly by many.

14. Hence Peter adds, But if ye suffer for righteousness' sake The
meaning is, that the faithful will do more towards obtaining a quiet
life by kindness, than by violence and promptitude in taking revenge;
but that when they neglect nothing to secure peace, were they to
suffer, they are still blessed, because they suffer for the sake of
righteousness. Indeed, this latter clause differs much from the
judgment of our flesh; but Christ has not without reason thus declared;
nor has Peter without reason repeated the sentence from his mouth; for
God will at length come as a deliverer, and then openly will appear
what now seems incredible, that is, that the miseries of the godly have
been blessed when endured with patience.

To suffer for righteousness, means not only to submit to some loss or
disadvantage in defending a good cause, but also to suffer unjustly,
when any one is innocently in fear among men on account of the fear of
God.

Be not afraid of their terror He again points out the fountain and
cause of impatience, that we are beyond due measure troubled, when the
ungodly rise up against us. For such a dread either disheartens us, or
degrades us, or kindles within us a desire for revenge. In the
meantime, we do not acquiesce in the defense of God. Then the best
remedy for checking the turbulent emotions of our minds will be, to
conquer immoderate terrors by trusting in the aid of God.

But Peter no doubt meant to allude to a passage in the eighth chapter
of Isaiah; [Isaiah 8:12-17;] for when the Jews against the prohibition
of God sought to fortify themselves by the aid of the Gentile world,
God warned his Prophet not to fear after their example. Peter at the
same time seems to have turned "fear" into a different meaning; for it
is taken passively by the Prophet, who accused the people of unbelief,
because, at a time when they ought to have relied on the aid of God and
to have boldly despised all dangers, they became so prostrate and
broken down with fear, that they sent to all around them for unlawful
help. But Peter takes fear in another sense, as meaning that terror
which the ungodly are wont to fill us with by their violence and cruel
threatenings. He then departs from the sense in which the word is taken
by the Prophet; but in this there is nothing unreasonable; for his
object was not to explain the words of the Prophet; he wished only to
shew that, nothing is fitter to produce patience than what Isaiah
prescribes, even to ascribe to God his honor by recumbing in full
confidence on his power.

I do not, however, object, if any one prefers to render Peter's words
thus, Fear ye not their fear; as though he had said, "Be ye not afraid
as the unbelieving, or the children of this world are wont to be,
because they understand nothing of God's providence." But this, as I
think, would be a forced explanation. There is, indeed, no need for us
to toil much on this point, since Peter here did not intend to explain
every word used by the Prophet, but only referred to this one thing,
that the faithful will firmly stand, and can never be moved from a
right course of duty by any dread or fear, if they will sanctify the
Lord.

But this sanctification ought to be confined to the present case. For
whence is it that we are overwhelmed with fear, and think ourselves
lost, when danger is impending, except that we ascribe to mortal man
more power to injure us than to God to save us? God promises that he
will be the guardian of our salvation; the ungodly, on the other hand,
attempt to subvert it. Unless God's promise sustain us, do we not deal
unjustly with him, and in a manner profane him? Then the Prophet
teaches us that we ought to think honourably of the Lord of hosts; for
how much soever the ungodly may contrive to destroy us, and whatever
power they may possess, he alone is more than sufficiently powerful to
secure our safety. [42] Peter then adds, in your hearts. For if this
conviction takes full possession of our minds, that the help promised
by the Lord is sufficient for us, we shall be well fortified to repel
all the fears of unbelief.
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[41] Staseis gar pou hege adikia kai misea kai machas en allelois
parechei, hede dikaiosune homonoian kai philian. -- Rep. lib. 1.

[42] "Sanctify" here, seems to have the same meaning as in our Lord's
prayer, "Hallowed," or sanctified "be thy name;" where it means honored
or glorified. And to honor or glorify God in our hearts is what Calvin
very correctly explains. -- Ed.