Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
Parallel translations
- WEB Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.
- BSB 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.
- NKJV Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
- NASB 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.
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Household servants should submit respectfully to their masters, even harsh ones. Believers in lowly positions are called to faithful, reverent conduct regardless of how they are treated.
Overview
Peter addresses servants directly, dignifying them as moral agents who can honor God in their station. Submission is owed even to 'wicked' masters, not because injustice is good but because patient endurance reflects Christ. Scripture elsewhere condemns oppression; here Peter's aim is to guide believers to a faithful witness within structures they could not change, pointing ultimately to Christ's own unjust suffering.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Titus 2:9–10Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
- Eph 6:5–7Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
- Col 3:22–25Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
- 1 Tim 6:1–3Let 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.
- Prov 3:32For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
- Jas 3:17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- Ps 101:4A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
- Prov 8:13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
- Gal 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
- 2 Cor 10:1Now 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:
- Prov 11:20They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the LORD: but such as are upright in their way are his delight.
- Titus 3:2To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
- Prov 10:32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.
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Original language
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