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1Pe 2:9. Ὑμεῖς δὲ, but ye) Supply are. After the mention of a subject so sorrowful he consoles the pious; as 2Th 2:13.-γένος-εἰς περιποίησιν, a generation-for a peculiar possession) He twice mentions two remarkable sentences, which signify the relation of believers, as towards their Father and towards their God: Isa 43:20-21, Septuagint, τὸ γένος μου τὸ ἐκλεκτόν· λαόν μου ὃν περιεποιησάμην, τὰς ἀρετάς μου διηγεῖσθαι: My nation [“people”], My chosen: My people whom I have reserved as a possession [“formed”] for Myself, to “show forth My praises.” Exo 19:5-6, λαὸς περιούσιος ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, καὶ ἔθνος ἅγιον: a peculiar people from all the nations, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. Περὶ in composition often denotes something surviving: as περιγίνεσθαι, to conquer, the enemy being driven back; περιποιεῖσθαι, to reserve something, when you give up the rest; περιβιοῦν, not to put to death; περιόντες, שרידים, the surviving, Job 27:15. And thus for סגלה the Septuagint has περιούσιος, Exodus, as quoted above, etc.; περιουσιασμὸς and περιποίησις, Mal 3:17. Peter does not add, ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔθνων, from all the nations; because he honours the Gentiles also with this title: 1Pe 2:10.-ἐκλεκτὸν) chosen, excellent.-βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον, λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a peculiar possession) A kingdom of priests is a Hebrew expression. God is a king; His priests are the faithful: Rev 1:6. Comp. 2Sa 8:18 with 1Ch 18:17. A holy nation, the property of God. Περιποίησις in the abstract is the same as περιούσιος in the concrete, in the Septuagint. Comp. Eph 1:14, note.-τὰς ἀρετὰς, His excellencies) His wonderful glory in this verse, His mercy in the following verse, His goodness in 1Pe 2:3.[15] St Paul only once uses the word ἀρετὴ, Php 4:8, of the righteous: St Peter, in this one passage only of this Epistle, of God: in the second Epistle, ch. 1Pe 1:3, he employs it a second time of God, and in 1Pe 2:5 (of the same chapter) he uses it of the faithful. The Hebrew is תהלתי at the passage already quoted; which word in Isa 42:8; Isa 42:12; Isa 63:7, the Septuagint translates by ἀρετὰς, just as they put ἀρετὴ for הוד, Hab 3:3; Zec 6:13. Eustathius on Hom. Odyss. Σ., ἀρετὴν οὐ μίαν τινὰ λέγει, ἀλλὰ τὸ εὔδαιμον τῆς ζώῆς καὶ μακαριστὸν, ἢ καὶ πᾶσαν δεξιότητα, οὐ μόνον τὴν κατὰ φρένας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν κατὰ ἔργα καὶ οἰκονομίαν καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα: he does not speak of any one excellency, but of the happiness and blessedness of life, or even all cleverness, not only in mind, but in deed and in management, and things of this kind. And so he says everywhere.-ἘΞΑΓΓΕΊΛΗΤΕ, should show forth or declare) The sense is, that ye acknowledge and declare. Septuagint, Isa 42:12, ΤᾺς ἈΡΕΤᾺς ΑὐΤΟῦ ἘΝ ΤΑῖς ΝΉΣΟΙς ἈΝΑΓΓΕΛΟῦΣΙ, they shall declare His praises in the islands. Ἐξ in ἐξαγγείλητε expresses the ignorance of many, to whom the faithful ought to declare the excellencies of God.-τοῦ) of God: 2Pe 1:3, note.
[15] Comp. Num 14:17.-V. g.