1 Peter 2:9

{8} But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (8) On the other hand, he describes the singular excellency of the elect, and also lest any man should doubt whether he is chosen or not, the apostle calls us back to the effectual calling, that is, to the voice of the gospel sounding both in our ears and minds by the outward preaching and ordinances, by which we may certainly understand that everlasting decree of our salvation (which otherwise is most secret and hidden) and that through the only mercy of God who freely chooses and calls us. Therefore only this remains, faith, that by all means possible we set forth the great goodness of the most mighty God.

1 Peter 2:9-10 . But ye — Who have been born again of incorruptible seed, and have purified your souls by obeying the truth, &c., ( 1 Peter 1:22-23 ,) and have tasted that the Lord is gracious, ( 1 Peter 2:3 ,) and are built up upon him as lively stories; ye, who bear this character are a chosen generation — Εκλελτον γενος , an elect race; all such, and such only, have that title, and other titles of a similar import, in the New Testament. See on Ephesians 1:3-7 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 . A royal priesthood — Kings and priests unto God, Revelation 1:6 . As princes, you have power with God, and victory over sin and Satan, the world and the flesh: as priests, ye are consecrated to God for the purpose of offering spiritual sacrifices; a holy nation — Under Christ, your King; a peculiar or purchased people, as λαος εις περιποιησιν is rendered in the margin; that is, a people who, being purchased by the blood of Christ, and dedicated to, and accepted of, God, are taken into covenant with him, and are his in a peculiar sense.

See on Titus 2:14 ; that ye should show forth — In your spirit and conduct, in all your tempers, words, and works; the praises — Τας αρετας , the virtues, that is, the perfections; the wisdom, power, goodness, truth, justice, mercy, the holiness, the love; of him — Christ, or the Father, in and through Christ; who hath called you out of darkness — Out of that state of ignorance and error, sin and misery, in which you lay formerly involved; into his marvellous light — The light of knowledge, wisdom, holiness, and happiness, into which you are now brought. Which in time past were not a people — (Much less the people of God,) but scattered individuals of many nations. This is a quotation from Hosea 2:23 , where the conversion of the Gentiles is foretold, as the Apostle Paul informs us, Romans 9:25 . Upon which passages see the notes; which had not, formerly, obtained mercy — Namely, the pardoning, saving mercy of God; but now — In consequence of repentance, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; have obtained mercy — Are forgiven, accepted, and made God’s children.

Generation (γένος) Better, Rev., race: a body with a common life and descent. Nation (ἔθνος). People (λαὸς) The distinction between these three words cannot be closely pressed. Race emphasizes the idea of descent; nation, of community. Λαὸς people, occurring very often in the Septuagint, is used there mostly of the Israelites, the chosen people. The same use is also frequent in the New Testament; but it is employed in a more general sense, as by Luke 2:10. It would seem that this idea, however, in its metaphorical and Christian application, the chose Israel of God, directed Peter's choice of the word, since he adds, a people for God's own possession. Peculiar (εἰς περιποίησιν) Lit., a people for acquisition. Rev., a people for God's own possession. Wyc., a people of purchasing. Cranmer, a people which are won. The word occurs 1 Thessalonians 5:9, rendered obtaining (Rev.); Ephesians 1:14, God's own possession (Rev.). See Isaiah 43:21 (Sept.), where the kindred verb occurs: "This people have I formed for myself (περιεποιησάμην). Shew forth (ἐξαγγείλητε) Only here in New Testament. Proclaim, tell abroad. The praises (τὰς ἀρετὰς) Lit., the virtues. So Rev., excellencies. The word occurs Isaiah 43:21 (Sept., see above), and is rendered praise. See, also, Isaiah 42:12 (Sept.), "Declare his praise (ἀρετὰς) in the islands."

1 Peter 2:9 . Ὑμεῖς δὲ , but ye ) Supply are . After the mention of a subject so sorrowful he consoles the pious; as 2 Thessalonians 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: Isaiah 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 .” Exodus 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 , Malachi 3:17 . Peter does not add, ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔθνων , from all the nations; because he honours the Gentiles also with this title: 1 Peter 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: Revelation 1:6 . Comp. 2 Samuel 8:18 with 1 Chronicles 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. Ephesians 1:14 , note.— τὰς ἀρετὰς , His excellencies) His wonderful glory in this verse, His mercy in the following verse, His goodness in 1 Peter 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. 1 Peter 1:3 , he employs it a second time of God, and in 1 Peter 2:5 (of the same chapter) he uses it of the faithful. The Hebrew is תהלתי at the passage already quoted; which word in Isaiah 42:8 ; Isaiah 42:12 ; Isaiah 63:7 , the Septuagint translates by ἀρετὰς , just as they put ἀρετὴ for הוד , Habakkuk 3:3 ; Zechariah 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.

But ye; ye believers, in opposition to those reprobates that are disobedient to the word. He shows that those dignities and privileges, which were mentioned by Moses as belonging to their forefathers, did much more belong to them; and that they had the real exhibition in Christ, of those good things whereof their fathers had but a taste, and which the rest of the Jews had lost by their unbelief. Are a chosen generation; a people chosen of God, not only out of the world, but from among the rest of your own nation, and not only to an external adoption, and outward privileges, (as the whole body of the nation was), but to eternal salvation. A royal priesthood; or, kingdom of priests. He called them an holy priesthood, 1 Peter 2:5 , now he calls them a royal priesthood, to show that they were made not only spiritual priests, but spiritual kings; which privilege they had not as Jews, but as believers, who are all of them as priests in respect of God, to whom they are consecrated, and to whom they offer up spiritual sacrifices; so kings in respect both of their enemies, over whom they are victorious, and of the kingdom they are hereafter to inherit.

An holy nation; Moses calls your fathers an holy people, Deu 7:6 , in respect of their separation from the impurities of the Gentiles, their dedication to God, and the many laws God gave them, obliging them to external and ceremonial purity, whereby they were admonished of internal and real holiness; but ye are a holy nation in respect of that true and inward holiness itself, whereof that ceremonial holiness was but a signification. He seems particularly to allude to Isaiah 62:12 . A peculiar people: Exodus 19:5 , it is a peculiar treasure; so the same word is rendered, a special people, Deu 7:6 , and, a peculiar people, Deu 14:2 ; the word used by the LXX. implying as much; but Malachi 3:17 , where we render it jewels, the LXX. use the same word which Peter doth here, which is as much as, a people of acquisition, or which God hath acquired to himself for his peculiar possession or treasure. God had rescued the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage, and taken them to be his peculiar people above all others, and claimed a right to them, and counted them precious, as having redeemed them with a strong hand, and got possession of them at the expense of so much power, and so many miracles.

1 Peter 2:9 f. The Church, God’s new people, has all the privileges which belonged to the Jews. In enumerating them he draws upon a current conflation of Isaiah 43:20 f., ποτίσαι τὸ γένος μου το ἐκλεκτὸν (1) λαόν μου ὃν περιεποιησάμην (4) τὰς ἀρετάς μου διηγεῖσθαι with Exod. 19:65, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἔσεσθέ μοι βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα (2) καὶ ἔθνος ἅγιον (3) ἔσεσθέ μοι λαὸς περιούσιος (4) ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν (1); and Psalm 107:14 , καὶ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκ σκιᾶς θανάτου … ἐξομολογησάσθων τῷ κυρίῳ τὰ ἐλέη αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων —to which is appended Hosea 1:6 ; Hosea 1:8 .— γένος ἐκλεκτόν , Isa. l.c. LXX (Heb., my people my chosen ); γένος , race implies that all the individual members of it have a common Father (God) and are therefore brethren ( cf. υἱοὶ γένους Ἁβραάμ , Acts 13:26 ); cf. 1 Peter 1:1 ; 1 Peter 1:6 .— βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα , a royal priesthood , from Exod. l.c. LXX (Heb., a kingdom of priests = Revelation 1:6 , βασιλείαν ἱερεῖς ). Christians share Christ’s prerogatives. The priesthood is the chief point (see 1 Peter 2:5 ) it is royal . Clement of Alexandria says: “Since we have been summoned to the kingdom and are anointed ( sc. as Kings)”. The comparison of Melchizedek with Christ perhaps underlies the appropriation of the title.— ἔθνος ἅγιον , to the Jew familiar, with the use of ἔθνη for Gentiles, as much a paradox as Christ crucified . But λαός , the common rendering of עם in this connexion is wanted below, and St.