1 Peter 3:11

11 And bow he from evil, and do good; seek he peace, and perfectly follow it [and perfectly sue it].

1 Peter 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.

1 Peter 3:11 In-Context

9 not yielding evil for evil, neither cursing for cursing, but on the contrary blessing; for in this thing ye be called, that ye wield blessing by heritage.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, constrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, that they speak not guile [that they speak no guile].
11 And bow he from evil, and do good; seek he peace, and perfectly follow it [and perfectly sue it].
12 For the eyes of the Lord be on just men, and his ears on the prayers of them; but the face of the Lord is on men that do evils [forsooth the cheer of the Lord is on men doing evils].
13 And who is it that shall harm you, if ye be followers and lovers of goodness [if ye shall be good followers]?
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.