Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - 1 Peter 5:5 - 5:5
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
5. ὁμοίως; cf. 1Pe 3:1. Such unassuming conduct on the part of the presbyters demands a corresponding or reciprocal duty of submission on the part of those who are under their authority.
νεώτεροι. Ye younger probably refers to age and not to office, as also in 1Ti 5:1; Tit 2:6, in which case πρεσβυτέροις also in this verse means older men in general, and not official “elders” as in 1Pe 5:1. At the same time such “elders” would generally, though not always, be seniors in age. Polycarp, 1Pe 5:6, however, borrowing from St Peter, mentions νεώτεροι between his instructions to διάκονοι and πρεσβύτεροι, and says that it is right to submit to the “elders” and deacons as to God and Christ. Therefore he probably interpreted πρεσβυτέροις here in an official sense, but the warnings which he gives to νεώτεροι are against impurity and lust, and are therefore suited to younger men rather than to minor officials of the Church. Others, however, explain νεώτεροι to mean subordinate officers of some kind who performed the menial duties. In support of this they refer to Act 5:6, where the νεώτεροι carried out Ananias for burial. But in 1Pe 5:10 those who buried Sapphira are called νεανίσκοι, evidently referring to the same persons. Therefore in both verses it probably means merely “young men,” cf. Luk 22:26.
πάντες sums up the duties of all alike, whether presbyters or their flock, whether seniors or juniors.
ἀλλήλοις. The dative denotes the persons whose interests are affected (dativus commodi et incommodi), and is used loosely with various verbs; so here gird yourselves to serve one another or in your dealings with one another. There is no need to supply ὑποτασσόμενοι as the T.R. does.
ἐγκομβώσασθε (see Suicer, Bigg, ad loc.). κόμβος, according to the glossaries, means a knot, a button in later Greek (Kennedy, Sources), and so ἐγκόμβωμα may mean a garment tied on over others. Suidas uses κόμβος of a knot by which a pair of sleeves were fastened behind the neck, possibly to leave the arms free for action, while Pollux describes it as a little white garment which slaves wore over their tunic. Hesychius in one passage uses the substantive of a kind of blacksmith’s apron, but elsewhere he explains the verb as meaning to put on a robe or to wrap oneself. Longus, Pastoralium, describes a shepherd casting off his ἐγκόμβωμα in order to run fast. In this ease the meaning here may be merely that humility is the proper robe for a Christian (cf. 1Pe 3:3-4). But, if the word was specially used of a slave’s dress or apron, it is better to translate as the R.V. “gird yourselves with humility,” in which case there is doubtless a reference to our Lord girding Himself with a towel at the Last Supper as an example of humility and service (Joh 13:4).
ταπεινοφροσύνην, lowliness of mind, in classical Greek would denote a mean-spirited or grovelling attitude of mind. It is only in Christian phraseology that humility is recognized as a virtue. The humility of Christians towards one another must not be merely superficial and limited to outward demeanour, but must be prompted by an inward attitude of mind. Cf. Col 3:12 ἐνδύσασθε … ταπεινοφροσύνην.
[ὁ] θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται κ.τ.λ. From Pro 3:34, occurs also in Jam 4:6 with the same variation from the LXX., viz. ὁ θεός for Κύριος. (See Introduction, p. lviii f.)
ὑπερηφάνοις from ὑπὲρ and φαίνομαι, those who are conspicuous above others, so in a bad sense, haughty. The word is frequently used in the LXX. and Luk 1:51; Rom 1:30; 2Ti 3:2.
δίδωσιν χάριν. In the LXX. δίδοναι χάριν means to give a person favour or acceptability in the eyes of another (Gen 39:21; Exo 12:36). So in Pro 3:34 the meaning is that God gives the lowly acceptance before true men as well as before Himself, and this may be the meaning in St James, viz. that God gives a far truer acceptance than can be won by courting the friendship of the world, but Parry explains, “bestows a greater favour,” i.e. the gift of regeneration. Here the thought of acceptance with man, which God grants to the humble, is subordinated to the higher acceptance with God. It is only the humble who “find favour” with God.