1 Peter 2:2
New International Version
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

New Living Translation
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment,

English Standard Version
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

Berean Standard Bible
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

Berean Literal Bible
like newborn babies, crave pure reasonable milk, so that by it you may grow up in respect to salvation,

King James Bible
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

New King James Version
as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

New American Standard Bible
and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

NASB 1995
like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

NASB 1977
like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

Legacy Standard Bible
like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

Amplified Bible
like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment],

Christian Standard Bible
Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up into your salvation,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation,

American Standard Version
as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And be as nursing infants, and yearn for the word as for pure and spiritual milk by which you shall grow strong for life,

Contemporary English Version
Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved.

Douay-Rheims Bible
As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation:

English Revised Version
as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Desire God's pure word as newborn babies desire milk. Then you will grow in your salvation.

Good News Translation
Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved.

International Standard Version
Like newborn babies, thirst for the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your salvation.

Literal Standard Version
as newborn babies, desire the reasonable, unspoiled milk, so that you may grow up to salvation,

Majority Standard Bible
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow,

New American Bible
like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation,

NET Bible
And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation,

New Revised Standard Version
Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—

New Heart English Bible
as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby to salvation,

Webster's Bible Translation
As new-born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Weymouth New Testament
Thirst, like newly-born infants, for pure milk for the soul, that by it you may grow up to salvation;

World English Bible
as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow,

Young's Literal Translation
as new-born babes the word's pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Lord is Good
1Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.…

Cross References
Matthew 18:3
"Truly I tell you," He said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Mark 10:15
Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Luke 18:17
Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

1 Corinthians 3:2
I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,

1 Corinthians 14:20
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

Ephesians 4:15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.


Treasury of Scripture

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby:

new-born.

1 Peter 1:23
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Matthew 18:3
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 10:15
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

the sincere.

Psalm 19:7-10
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple…

1 Corinthians 3:2
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Hebrews 5:12,13
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat…

grow.

2 Samuel 23:5
Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

Job 17:9
The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Jump to Previous
Babes Babies Born Breasts Crave Desire Full Grow Guile Infants Milk Mothers Newborn Pure Respect Salvation Sincere Soul Spiritual Thereby Thirst Word Word's
Jump to Next
Babes Babies Born Breasts Crave Desire Full Grow Guile Infants Milk Mothers Newborn Pure Respect Salvation Sincere Soul Spiritual Thereby Thirst Word Word's
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.














(2) As newborn babes.--The word "newborn" is, of course, newly, lately born, not born anew, although the birth meant is the new birth of 1Peter 1:23. They are said to be still but newborn because they are still so far from maturity in Christ, as these sins testified. The metaphor is said to be not uncommon in Rabbinical writers to denote proselytes. St. Peter would, therefore, be describing Jews who had newly received the word of God, as proselytes of the new Israel. "As" means "in keeping with your character of." (Comp. 1Peter 1:14.)

Desire the sincere milk.--The word for "desire" here is a strong word--get an appetite for it. Bengel is perhaps right when he says on "newborn babes," "It is their only occupation, so strong is their desire for it." St. Peter here again seems to lend a thought to the writer to the Hebrews (Hebrews 5:12-14). In both places Jewish Christians are beginning to rebel against the Gospel instructions, and in both places they are warned that they have not yet outgrown the need of the very simplest elements of the Gospel. The epithet "sincere" should have been rendered guileless, as it contains a contrast with "guile" in the verse before; perhaps the intention of the epithet may be to rebuke the attempt to deal deceitfully with the Old Testament Scriptures after the example of the Septuagint passage quoted above.

Of the word.--This translation of the original adjective cannot possibly be right. The only other place in the New Testament where it is used, Romans 12:1, will show clearly enough its meaning here. There it is rendered "your reasonable service"--i.e., not "the service which may be reasonably expected of you," but "the ritual worship which is performed by the reason, not by the body." So here, "the reasonable guileless milk" will mean "the guileless milk which is sucked in, not by the lips, but by the reason." The metaphor of milk (though used by St. Paul, 1Corinthians 3:2) was not so hackneyed as now; and the Apostle wished to soften it a little, and explain it by calling it mental milk," just as (so Huther points out) he explained the metaphor in 1Peter 1:13, by adding "of your mind." It is needless to add that the "mental milk" would, as a matter of fact, be "the milk of the word," and that the Apostle is pressing his readers to cling with ardent attachment to the evangelical religion taught them by the Pauline party. . . .

Verse 2. - As newborn babes. The words look back to 1 Peter 1:3, 23. God begat them again; they were new-born babes in Christ, they must remember their regeneration. The rabbis used the same metaphor of their proselytes; but the apostle was doubtless thinking of the Savior's words (Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:14, 15). Desire the sincere milk of the Word. Desire, long for it eagerly (ἐπιποθήσατε), as babes long for milk, their proper food, the only food necessary for them. It seems that in the adjective λογικόν (paraphrased in the Authorized Version "of the Word," rendered "spiritual" or "reasonable" in the Revised Version) there must be a reference to the Word of God (λόγος Θεοῦ), mentioned in 1 Peter 1:23 as the instrument of regeneration, and called by our Lord (Matthew 4:4, from Deuteronomy 8:3) the food of man (but the Greek in Matthew is ῤῆμα, as in 1 Peter 1:25). The paraphrase of the Authorized Version gives the general meaning; but the adjective means literally, "reasonable" or "rational." The apostle is not thinking of natural milk, but of that nourishment which the Christian reason can regard as milk for the soul - spiritual food, pure and simple and nourishing, capable of supporting and strengthening those newborn babes who not long ago had been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the Word of God. The adjective occurs only in one other place of Holy Scripture (possibly St. Peter may have read it there) - Romans 12:1, τὴν λογικὴν λατερείαν ὑμῶν, where it means the service of the sanctified reason as opposed to the mechanical observance of formal rites. It is explained by Chrysostom as ebony ἔχουσαν σωματικὸν οὐδὲν ταχὺ οὐδὲν αἰσθηνπ´ν Thus it seems nearly to correspond with the use of the word πνευματικός, spiritual, by St. Peter in ver. 5 of this chapter, and by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:3, 4. St. Paul also speaks of milk as the proper food of babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:2; comp: also Hebrews 5:12), though the thought is somewhat different; for St. Peter's words do not convey any reproof for want of progress. This spiritual milk is ἄδολον, pure, unadulterated (comp. 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2). That ye may grow thereby; literally, therein, in the use of it. All the most ancient manuscripts add the words, "unto salvation." The soul which feeds upon the pure milk of the Word groweth continually unto salvation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Like
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

newborn
ἀρτιγέννητα (artigennēta)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 738: Newly begotten, newly born. From arti and gennetos; just born, i.e. a young convert.

infants,
βρέφη (brephē)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural
Strong's 1025: Infant, babe, child in arms. Of uncertain affinity; an infant literally or figuratively.

crave
ἐπιποθήσατε (epipothēsate)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1971: From epi and potheo; to dote upon, i.e. Intensely crave possession.

pure
ἄδολον (adolon)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 97: Unadulterated, pure, guileless. Undeceitful, i.e. unadulterated.

spiritual
λογικὸν (logikon)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3050: (a) reasonable, rational, (b) metaphorical, as contrasted with the literal. From logos; rational.

milk,
γάλα (gala)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1051: Milk. Of uncertain affinity; milk.

so that
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

by
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.

it
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

you may grow up
αὐξηθῆτε (auxēthēte)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 837: (a) I cause to increase, become greater (b) I increase, grow. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to grow, i.e. Enlarge.

in [your]
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

salvation,
σωτηρίαν (sōtērian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4991: Feminine of a derivative of soter as noun; rescue or safety.


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

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

NT Letters: 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babies long for the pure (1 Pet. 1P iP i Pet)
1 Peter 2:1
Top of Page
Top of Page