1 Peter 5:5-11

5 ¹You younger men, likewise, ²be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with ³humility toward one another, for ⁴GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

6 Therefore ⁵humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

7 casting all your ⁶anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

8 ⁷Be of sober spirit, ⁸be on the alert. Your adversary, ⁹the devil, prowls around like a roaring ¹⁰lion, seeking someone to devour.

9 ¹¹But resist him, ¹²firm in your faith, knowing that ¹³the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

10 After you have suffered ¹⁴for a little while, the ¹⁵God of all grace, who ¹⁶called you to His ¹⁷eternal glory in Christ, will Himself ¹⁸perfect, ¹⁹confirm, strengthen and establish you.

11 ²⁰To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:5-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 PETER 5

In this chapter the apostle first exhorts pastors and members of churches to their respective duties as such; and then to those which were common to them all, as Christians; and closes the epistle with prayers for them, salutations of them, and with his apostolic benediction. He begins with the pastors or elders, and describes himself as a fellow elder, an eyewitness of Christ's sufferings, and a partaker of his glory, 1Pe 5:1, and these he exhorts to feed the flock of God, where they were; to take the charge and oversight of them, freely, readily, and willingly, and not through force or covetousness; and not to exercise a tyrannical dominion over them, but to be examples to them, 1Pe 5:2,3, and the argument made use of to encourage them to all this is, that at the appearance of Christ, the chief Shepherd, they should receive a never fading crown of glory, 1Pe 5:4 and next, the members of the churches are exhorted to submit to the rule and government of their pastors, being according to the word of God; and to be subject to one another; and particularly to put on humility, as a garment very ornamental to them; and the rather, since God opposes himself to men that are proud, but gives more grace to the humble, 1Pe 5:5 and especially he exhorts them to be humble under the hand of God, since that is a mighty one, and this is the way to be exalted in due time; and also to cast their care upon him, seeing he cared for them, 1Pe 5:6,7 and then the apostle proceeds to the common duties of Christians, and to exhort them to sobriety and watchfulness, since Satan their adversary was a cruel and indefatigable one, and ever seeking the ruin of men; and to resist him in the steadfast exercise of faith, and patiently bear all afflictions, seeing the same were accomplished in their brethren in the world, 1Pe 5:8,9 and then he puts up some petitions for them, that they might be perfected, stablished, strengthened, and settled, 1Pe 5:10 and ascribes glory and dominion for ever to the God of grace, to whom he prays, 1Pe 5:11 after which he names the person by whom he sends this epistle, giving a summary of it; that it was an exhortation and a testimony to the true doctrine of grace wherein they stood, 1Pe 5:12, and next follow the salutations of the church at Babylon, and of his son Marcus, to them, 1Pe 5:13, and lastly, he desires they would salute one another with a kiss of love, and gives them his benedictory wish, 1Pe 5:14.

Cross References

• 1. Luke 22:26; 1 Timothy 5:1
• 2. Ephesians 5:21
• 3. 1 Peter 3:8
• 4. Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6
• 5. Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14; James 4:10
• 6. Psalms 55:22; Matthew 6:25
• 7. 1 Peter 1:13
• 8. Matthew 24:42
• 9. James 4:7
• 10. 2 Timothy 4:17
• 11. James 4:7
• 12. Colossians 2:5
• 13. Acts 14:22
• 14. 1 Peter 1:6
• 15. 1 Peter 4:10
• 16. 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 2:12
• 17. 2 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy 2:10
• 18. 1 Corinthians 1:10; Hebrews 13:21
• 19. Romans 16:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:3
• 20. Romans 11:36; 1 Peter 4:11

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "whom resist"
• [b]. Lit "brotherhood"