1 Peter 3:12

12 quia oculi Domini super iustos et aures eius in preces eorum vultus autem Domini super facientes mala

1 Peter 3:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Peter 3:12

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous
Who are so not merely in the sight of men, but of God; nor in their own account, and by their own works, but in the esteem of God, through the imputation of the righteousness of his Son unto them: and because he loves this righteousness, and is well pleased with it, seeing by it his law is magnified and made honourable, therefore his countenance beholds with pleasure and delight those righteous ones who are clothed with it; his eyes of omniscience, love, care, and protection, are always upon them, watching over them, delighting in them, running to and fro in the earth on behalf of them; he sees every injury done them, and in his own time and way will do them justice; which is a reason why they should not take vengeance themselves, but leave it with him, whose it is:

and his ears are open to their prayers;
or "prayer"; in the Hebrew text, "to their cry"; he is a God hearing prayer, and his righteous ones have his ear; he hears them while they are speaking, and will sooner or later answer, and avenge his elect, who cry unto him day and night; for as he has an ear to hear their cries, which is not heavy, he has an arm to save them, which is not shortened; and this is another reason why they should behave as before directed, and which is still strengthened by what follows;

but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil;
it is added in the psalm, "to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth": by "the face of the Lord" is meant, as the Jewish writers ^F25 interpret it, the anger of the Lord; it intends, not his kind, pleasant, and loving countenance, but his angry one with the former he beholds the upright, and with it he looks upon his righteous ones; but the latter is upon and against the wicked, and is dreadful and intolerable, and the consequence of it is everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Jarchi & Menachem apud ib. & Aben Ezra in loc.

1 Peter 3:12 In-Context

10 qui enim vult vitam diligere et videre dies bonos coerceat linguam suam a malo et labia eius ne loquantur dolum

11 declinet autem a malo et faciat bonum inquirat pacem et persequatur eam

12 quia oculi Domini super iustos et aures eius in preces eorum vultus autem Domini super facientes mala

13 et quis est qui vobis noceat si boni aemulatores fueritis

14 sed et si quid patimini propter iustitiam beati timorem autem eorum ne timueritis et non conturbemini