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4. εἰς κληρονομίαν. The goal to which our hope points forward is the spiritual Canaan, “the lot of our inheritance.” Unlike the earthly Canaan it can never be ravaged by hostile marauders (ἄφθαρτον) or polluted by heathen profanation (ἀμίαντον) nor scorched and withered (ἀμάραντον).
κληρονομία in the O.T. denotes possession rather than heirship. “Originally (S. and H. Rom. p. 204) meaning (i) the simple possession of the Holy Land, it came to mean (ii) its permanent and assured possession (Psalms 25 (24):13; 36 (37):9, 11, etc.); hence (iii) specially the secure possession won by the Messiah (Isa 60:21; Isa 61:7); and so it became a symbol of all Messianic blessings.”
In the N.T. the subst. occurs 13 times and seems primarily to denote possession of an inheritance rather than heirship to a future inheritance. E.g. Act 7:5, God gave Abraham no κληρονομίαν, i.e. present possession in Canaan (but cf. Gal 3:18; Heb 11:8). Eph 1:18, Christians are partakers of the κληρονομία of the Saints in light (i.e. fellow-citizens with the Saints). But as yet we only have an instalment (ἀῤῥαβὼν) of our full inheritance, Eph 1:14; and in Col 3:24, “the reward of the inheritance” is regarded as future.
The verb κληρονομεῖν occurs 18 times, generally in the future, of inheriting (i.e. possessing) the earth, the Kingdom of God, or eternal life. In Mat 25:24 it denotes entering into possession of the Kingdom.
κληρονόμος occurs Evv. (3), St Paul (8), Heb. (3), Jas. (1), and sometimes includes the idea of heirship; but in Galatians 4. Christians are described as heirs who have come of age.
In this passage therefore St Peter probably regards Christians as being already in partial possession of the inheritance so long reserved for them. This idea is included in the statement of the Catechism, “In my Baptism … I was made … an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.”
τετηρημένην … φρουρουμένους. τηρεῖν is to watch or keep safe; (φρουρεῖν to stand sentry over either to prevent escape, as in 2Co 11:32 (where the parallel passage in Act 9:24 has παρατηρεῖν), or to guard against attack, protect. Cf. Php 4:7; Gal 3:23.
Here the perfect participle, τετηρημένην, means that the inheritance destined by God to be extended to the Gentiles (εἰς ὑμᾶς) has been safely laid by in reserve in heaven all through the long years of silence when God’s mercy in including the Gentiles in the covenant was not yet made known (cf. Rom 16:25; Eph 3:5-11; 1Pe 1:11-12). The present participle, φρουρουμένους, describes the present position of Christians as heirs who still need God’s constant protection in order to attain to final salvation.
ἐν οὐρανοῖς suggests another mark of superiority of the Christian’s inheritance as compared with the earthly Canaan.