1 Peter 2:18
New International Version
Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

New Living Translation
You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.

English Standard Version
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.

Berean Standard Bible
Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.

Berean Literal Bible
Servants, be subject to masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unreasonable.

King James Bible
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

New King James Version
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.

New American Standard Bible
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are harsh.

NASB 1995
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.

NASB 1977
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.

Legacy Standard Bible
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are crooked.

Amplified Bible
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all [proper] respect, not only to those who are good and kind, but also to those who are unreasonable.

Christian Standard Bible
Household slaves, submit to your masters with all reverence not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.

American Standard Version
Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
To those who are Servants among you: Submit to your masters in reverence, not only to the good and to the meek, but also to the severe and to the perverse;

Contemporary English Version
Servants, you must obey your masters and always show respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful, but also to those who are cruel.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

English Revised Version
Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Slaves, place yourselves under the authority of your owners and show them complete respect. Obey not only those owners who are good and kind, but also those who are unfair.

Good News Translation
You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

International Standard Version
You household servants must submit yourselves to your masters out of respect, not only to those who are kind and fair, but also to those who are unjust.

Literal Standard Version
Servants, be subject in all fear to the masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the crooked;

Majority Standard Bible
Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.

New American Bible
Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and equitable but also to those who are perverse.

NET Bible
Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are perverse.

New Revised Standard Version
Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh.

New Heart English Bible
Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.

Webster's Bible Translation
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

Weymouth New Testament
Household servants, be submissive to your masters, and show them the utmost respect--not only if they are kind and thoughtful, but also if they are unreasonable.

World English Bible
Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.

Young's Literal Translation
The domestics! be subjecting yourselves in all fear to the masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the cross;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Submission to Authorities
17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. 18 Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable. 19For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.…

Cross References
Ephesians 6:5
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

1 Timothy 6:1
All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God's name and our teaching will not be discredited.

Titus 3:2
to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.

James 3:17
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.


Treasury of Scripture

Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the fraudulent.

be.

Ephesians 6:5-7
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; …

Colossians 3:22-25
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: …

1 Timothy 6:1-3
Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed…

the good.

2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Titus 3:2
To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

but.

Psalm 101:4
A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

Proverbs 3:32
For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Jump to Previous
Considerate Cross Fear Froward Gentle Good Household Ill-Tempered Kind Masters Orders Overbearing Respect Servants Show Slaves Subject Subjecting Subjection Submissive Submit Thoughtful Unreasonable Utmost Wicked Yourselves
Jump to Next
Considerate Cross Fear Froward Gentle Good Household Ill-Tempered Kind Masters Orders Overbearing Respect Servants Show Slaves Subject Subjecting Subjection Submissive Submit Thoughtful Unreasonable Utmost Wicked Yourselves
1 Peter 2
1. He exhorts to put away wickedness;
4. showing that Christ is the foundation whereupon they are built.
11. He beseeches them also to abstain from sinful desires;
13. to be obedient to authorities;
18. and teaches servants how to obey their masters;
20. patiently suffering for well doing, after the example of Christ.














(18) Servants--Second division of the second prudential rule: subordination social. This word is not the same as is used by St. Paul--e.g., Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22Luke 16:13; Acts 10:7; Romans 14:4. It brings forward the family or household relation of servant or slave to master, and not (as does the common word used in 1Peter 2:16) the mere fact of ownership. We need not be surprised at directions for household servants, or slaves, in a letter addressed to Jewish Christians, for there were large numbers of Hebrews in this position both now and later; St. Clement, for example, was probably both. . . . Verse 18. - Servants. The word is not δοῦλοι, slaves,but οἰκέται, household servants, domestics. St. Peter may have used it as a less harsh term, in Christian kindliness and courtesy; or he may have chosen it purposely to include the large class of freedmen and other dependents who were to be found in the houses of the great. The frequent mention of slaves in the Epistles shows that many of the first Christians must have been in a condition of servitude (comp. 1 Corinthians 7:21-23; Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:22; 1 Timothy 6:1, 2, etc.). It was only natural that men should feel uneasy and irritable under the yoke of slavery as they came to learn the equality of all men in the sight of God, and to understand the blessed privileges and the high hopes of Christians. The apostles counseled submission and resignation to the will of God. Slavery was an unnatural institution; it must in time disappear under the softening influences of the gospel. But Christian slaves were to wait in faith and patience. The sacred writers use language of studied moderation, carefully avoiding any expressions which might be regarded as exciting to violence or revolutionary outbreaks. Be subject to your masters with all fear. The participle ὑποτασσόμενοι seems to look back to the imperative ὑποτάγητε in ver. 13; the relation of slaves to their lords being one of the ordinances of man alluded to there (comp. Ephesians 6:5, where St. Paul bids slaves to be obedient to their masters "with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ"). The holy fear of God, by whose providence they were set in that lowly station, would involve the fear of failing in their duty to their masters. All fear; not only fear of punishment, but also fear of neglecting duty. Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. Servants must not make the character of their masters an excuse for disobedience; if their masters are froward (σκολιοί, literally, "crooked, perverse"), still they must be submissive to the wilt of God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Servants,
οἰκέται (oiketai)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3610: A household servant. From oikeo; a fellow resident, i.e. Menial domestic.

submit yourselves
ὑποτασσόμενοι (hypotassomenoi)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5293: From hupo and tasso; to subordinate; reflexively, to obey.

to [your]
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

masters
δεσπόταις (despotais)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1203: A lord, master, or prince. Perhaps from deo and posis; an absolute ruler.

with
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

all
παντὶ (panti)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

respect,
φόβῳ (phobō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5401: (a) fear, terror, alarm, (b) the object or cause of fear, (c) reverence, respect. From a primary phebomai; alarm or fright.

not
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

only
μόνον (monon)
Adverb
Strong's 3440: Alone, but, only. Neuter of monos as adverb; merely.

to those who [are]
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

good
ἀγαθοῖς (agathois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 18: A primary word; 'good'.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

gentle,
ἐπιεικέσιν (epieikesin)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1933: Gentle, mild, forbearing, fair, reasonable, moderate. From epi and eiko; appropriate, i.e. mild.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

even
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

to those who [are]
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

unreasonable.
σκολιοῖς (skoliois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4646: Crooked, perverse, unfair, curved, tortuous. From the base of skelos; warped, i.e. Winding; figuratively, perverse.


Links
1 Peter 2:18 NIV
1 Peter 2:18 NLT
1 Peter 2:18 ESV
1 Peter 2:18 NASB
1 Peter 2:18 KJV

1 Peter 2:18 BibleApps.com
1 Peter 2:18 Biblia Paralela
1 Peter 2:18 Chinese Bible
1 Peter 2:18 French Bible
1 Peter 2:18 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: 1 Peter 2:18 Servants be in subjection to your masters (1 Pet. 1P iP i Pet)
1 Peter 2:17
Top of Page
Top of Page