Kefa I 3:11

11 “Let him turn away from resha and let him do that which is good, let him seek shalom and pursue it");

Kefa I 3:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Peter 3:11

Let him eschew evil
Avoid all kinds of evil, hate it, abstain from the appearance of it, and have no fellowship with it; and particularly should avoid rendering evil for evil, or taking revenge on persons for doing him ill:

and do good;
everything that is good, all good works, according to the will of God, in the exercise of faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God; and without trusting to them, and depending upon them for life and salvation; and particularly do good for evil; do good to all men, acts of kindness and beneficence, even to enemies, and especially to them that are of the household of faith. The Jewish interpreters F23 on the psalm from whence these words are taken observe, that in the first of these clauses are contained all the negative precepts, whose number with them is three hundred, sixty, and five; and in the latter of them, all the affirmative precepts, which amount to two hundred and forty eight:

let him seek peace and ensue it:
"or pursue it"; let him seek after it, in the world, and with all men, as much as possible, yea, with his very enemies; and live a peaceable and quiet life, in the kingdom, city, town, and neighbourhood where he is; and particularly in the church of God, and with the saints; which he should seek with all diligence and eagerness, and pursue with all rigour to the utmost of his power; and endeavour to cultivate all he can, and follow the things which make for it. The note of one of the Jewish commentators F24 on this passage is, "seek peace", in thine own place; "and pursue it", in another place.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Aben Ezra & Kimchi in Psal. xxxiv. 14.
F24 Jarchi.

Kefa I 3:11 In-Context

9 Not rendering ra’ah for ra’ah or lashon hora for lashon hora, but, fahkert (on the contrary), rendering a bracha (blessing), because to this tachlis (purpose) you were given your kri’ah (calling), that you may inherit a bracha (blessing).
10 HAISH HECHAFETZ CHAYYIM OHEV YAMIM LIROT TOV ("For the one wanting to love life and to see good days") NETZOR L’SHONECHA MERAH U’SFATECHA MIDABER MIRMAH ("Let him stop his tongue from speaking lashon hora and his lips from speaking remiyah [guile, fraud, deceit]."
11 “Let him turn away from resha and let him do that which is good, let him seek shalom and pursue it");
12 EINEI ADONOI EL TZADDIKIM V’AZNAV EL SHAV’ATAM ("Because the tzaddikim are before the eyes of Hashem and His ears are open to their tefillos." P’NEI ADONOI B’OSEI RAH L’HACHRIT ME’A’RETZ ZICHRAM ("But the face of the L-rd is against the ones doing evil to cut off their memory from the earth" TEHILLIM 34:13-17).
13 And who is the one harming you if you have kana’ut (zeal) for HaTov (The Good)?
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.