1 Peter 2:14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

◄ 1 Peter 2:14 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

English Standard Version
or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

New American Standard Bible
or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

King James Bible
Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.

International Standard Version
or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.

American Standard Version
or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of the good:

Darby Bible Translation
or to rulers as sent by him, for vengeance on evildoers, and praise to them that do well.

Young's Literal Translation
whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evil-doers, and a praise of those doing good;

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

2:13-17 A Christian conversation must be honest; which it cannot be, if there is not a just and careful discharge of all relative duties: the apostle here treats of these distinctly. Regard to those duties is the will of God, consequently, the Christian's duty, and the way to silence the base slanders of ignorant and foolish men. Christians must endeavour, in all relations, to behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a cloak or covering for any wickedness, or for the neglect of duty; but they must remember that they are servants of God.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

14. governors—subordinate to the emperor, "sent," or delegated by Cæsar to preside over the provinces.

for the punishment—No tyranny ever has been so unprincipled as that some appearance of equity was not maintained in it; however corrupt a government be, God never suffers it to be so much so as not to be better than anarchy [Calvin]. Although bad kings often oppress the good, yet that is scarcely ever done by public authority (and it is of what is done by public authority that Peter speaks), save under the mask of right. Tyranny harasses many, but anarchy overwhelms the whole state [Horneius]. The only justifiable exception is in cases where obedience to the earthly king plainly involves disobedience to the express command of the King of kings.

praise of them that do well—Every government recognizes the excellence of truly Christian subjects. Thus Pliny, in his letter to the Emperor Trajan, acknowledges, "I have found in them nothing else save a perverse and extravagant superstition." The recognition in the long run mitigates persecution (1Pe 3:13).