1 Peter 2:17 kjv
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
1 Peter 2:17 nkjv
Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
1 Peter 2:17 niv
Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
1 Peter 2:17 esv
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
1 Peter 2:17 nlt
Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.
1 Peter 2 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 13:7 | Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due... honor to whom honor. | Honor all who deserve it. |
| Phil 2:3 | Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. | Humility and regard for others. |
| Lev 19:32 | Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man. | Respect for elders. |
| Mk 12:31 | And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. | Love for neighbor (general humanity). |
| 1 Thess 5:13 | And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. | Esteem for spiritual leaders. |
| Heb 13:1 | Let brotherly love continue. | Enduring love for fellow believers. |
| Jn 13:34-35 | A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another... By this shall all men know... | Defining characteristic of disciples. |
| Rom 12:10 | Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. | Affection and mutual honor within church. |
| Gal 6:10 | As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. | Prioritizing good for the brotherhood. |
| 1 Jn 4:20 | If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar... | Inseparability of love for God and brother. |
| Prov 9:10 | The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom... | Source of wisdom. |
| Deut 6:13 | Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. | Reverence and service to God alone. |
| Ps 111:10 | The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments. | Foundation of understanding. |
| Eccl 12:13 | Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. | Mankind's chief duty. |
| Acts 10:35 | But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. | Acceptable to God. |
| 2 Cor 7:1 | ...let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. | Motivator for holiness. |
| Rom 13:1-2 | Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers... not resisteth the ordinance of God... | Submission to governing authorities. |
| Tit 3:1 | Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates... | Reminder for obedience to rulers. |
| Mt 22:21 | They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. | Rendering to Caesar what is due. |
| Dan 2:21 | And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings... | God's sovereignty over rulers. |
| Acts 5:29 | Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. | God's ultimate authority over man. |
1 Peter 2 verses
1 Peter 2 17 Meaning
1 Peter 2:17 provides four distinct and hierarchical commands for Christian living: "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." These precepts encapsulate a holistic ethical framework for believers, outlining their proper disposition and duties towards all humanity, the Christian community, God, and the governing authorities, in that specific order of the first two commands and a strategic reversal in the latter two. It teaches Christians to extend general respect to all people, special sacrificial love to fellow believers, unique and ultimate reverence to God, and due respect and submission to human governmental powers.
1 Peter 2 17 Context
First Peter is an epistle written by the Apostle Peter to scattered believers across Asia Minor, whom he refers to as "exiles of the Dispersion." The overarching theme is to encourage them to persevere in faith amidst suffering and persecution, and to live holy lives that honor God and testify to their new identity in Christ. Chapter 2 specifically focuses on Christian submission to various human authorities and institutions, modeling Christ’s example of suffering and endurance. It begins by urging believers to cast off evil behaviors (2:1-3) and grow as spiritual stones built into a holy priesthood (2:4-10). It then transitions into the ethical imperative to "abstain from fleshly lusts" and maintain "honorable conduct" among unbelievers (2:11-12), serving as an argument for Christ to those who revile them. Verses 13-16 command submission to human governing authorities as an act for the Lord’s sake, demonstrating freedom in Christ not as an excuse for wickedness, but as servants of God. Verse 17 summarizes and climactically orders these relationships and duties. Historically, Christians were a minority group living within the Roman Empire, often viewed with suspicion, accused of disloyalty to the state (due to their refusal of emperor worship), and experiencing social marginalization or overt persecution. Peter's instructions aim to guide believers on how to live godly lives in a pagan society, maintaining their integrity while dispelling false accusations through exemplary conduct.
1 Peter 2 17 Word analysis
- Honor (Gk: timáo): To fix a value, to value highly, to respect, to treat with deference. Used both for "everyone" and "the emperor," implying a proper, due regard and respect for their status or position, though differing in nature and extent based on the object.
- everyone (Gk: pántes): Literally "all." This signifies universality; Christians are to show respectful behavior towards all people, regardless of their social standing, nationality, beliefs, or moral character. This demonstrates a general Christian decorum stemming from a recognition of human dignity.
- Love (Gk: agapáo): A distinct and higher form of affection than timáo. Agape love is unconditional, self-sacrificial, benevolent, and action-oriented. It's the unique love characteristic of God and expected among believers.
- the brotherhood (Gk: adelphótēs): Refers to the collective body of Christian believers, the community of "brothers" and "sisters" in Christ. It signifies a special, familial bond forged through shared faith in Christ, demanding a profound love distinct from general honor.
- Fear (Gk: phobéomai): In this context, it means profound reverence, awe, and submission to supreme authority, a dread of displeasing rather than mere terror. This is the unique posture appropriate only for God, acknowledging His ultimate power, holiness, and judgment.
- God (Gk: Theós): The Almighty Creator and Sustainer, the supreme being, to whom absolute loyalty, obedience, and worship are due.
- the emperor (Gk: basileús): The king, or specifically here, the Roman emperor (e.g., Nero during the probable writing). It refers to the highest civil authority. This specific instruction applies the general principle of honoring governing authorities from Rom 13 and Tit 3.
Words-group analysis:
- "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood.": These first two commands establish the scope of Christian relational duties. "Honor everyone" sets a baseline of general respect for all humanity, acknowledging human dignity and good conduct in society. "Love the brotherhood" elevates the nature of relationship within the Christian community, requiring a unique, deeper, and sacrificial agape love due to the spiritual familial bond in Christ. This distinguishes Christian internal relationships from external ones.
- "Fear God. Honor the emperor.": These latter two commands establish the Christian's ultimate allegiance and practical submission. "Fear God" defines the Christian's supreme devotion, a singular awe and reverence reserved only for the divine; it underscores that no human authority can usurp God's place. "Honor the emperor" reiterates the duty of respect and obedience to the civil magistrate, a submission that is done "for the Lord’s sake" (2:13), but importantly, remains subordinate to the unique "fear" given to God alone. The structured parallelism of the commands (honor X, love Y, fear Z, honor A) coupled with the chiasmic ordering of the last two clauses (Honor Everyone, Love Brotherhood // Fear God, Honor Emperor) draws a clear distinction between the fear due to God and the honor due to human rulers, preventing idolatry or misplaced loyalty.
1 Peter 2 17 Bonus section
The verse 1 Peter 2:17 is often seen as a powerful chiastic structure (ABBA), though not perfectly, emphasizing the core relationship with God.A: Honor everyone. (general human relation)B: Love the brotherhood. (specific intra-Christian relation)B': Fear God. (specific divine relation)A': Honor the emperor. (general state relation)
This arrangement might highlight that the specific relationships (brotherhood and God) are central, bracketed by the more general relationships (everyone and the emperor). Alternatively, it shows a progressive widening then narrowing of focus, or perhaps a clear contrast in the nature of respect/awe due to each entity. The unique use of "fear" for God, set against "honor" for all others (including the most powerful human leader), fundamentally asserts God's ultimate supremacy and exclusive right to ultimate reverence, placing Him on a completely different plane from all human authorities and relationships. The sequence, especially with "Fear God" preceding "Honor the emperor," signifies that the believer's highest allegiance is to God, and submission to human authority flows from this supreme fear, being subservient to it.
1 Peter 2 17 Commentary
1 Peter 2:17 encapsulates the comprehensive Christian ethic concerning social, spiritual, and civic duties. It presents four concise, action-oriented imperatives that delineate distinct levels and objects of regard. Firstly, "Honor everyone" sets a foundational expectation of respect and good manners towards all people, fostering good societal relationships and removing cause for baseless accusation. This universal respect reflects the inherent dignity of all humanity created in God's image. Secondly, "Love the brotherhood" calls for a unique, profound agape love within the Christian community. This selfless love is the defining mark of true discipleship and strengthens the internal bonds of faith. Thirdly, "Fear God" establishes the absolute priority and singularity of ultimate allegiance. This command, the supreme and foundational one, indicates profound reverence, awe, and obedience due to God alone. It means fearing to displease Him and living in His awesome presence. This spiritual fear provides the boundary and context for all other relationships and commands. Finally, "Honor the emperor" reiterates the call to respectful submission to governing authorities, a principle elaborated in the preceding verses. This submission is a civic duty and an act of obedience to God, showing Christ's followers are not rebellious. Critically, the structure distinguishes the "fear" for God, which is absolute and exclusive, from the "honor" due to the emperor, which is significant but subordinate, thereby safeguarding against idolizing human rulers or civil power. The verse beautifully balances proper Christian conduct within society, within the church, and before God, with the "Fear God" command acting as the lynchpin that orders and grounds the other three.
- Example for "Honor everyone": Treating service staff, strangers, and those with whom we disagree politically or religiously with basic politeness, respect for their humanity, and acknowledging their inherent dignity, even when we don't condone their actions or beliefs.
- Example for "Love the brotherhood": Actively supporting fellow church members in times of need, praying for them, showing forgiveness, extending hospitality, and prioritizing the unity of the body of Christ over personal preferences.
- Example for "Fear God": Living with conscious awareness of God's omnipresence and holiness, seeking to obey His commands out of love and reverence, avoiding sin, and acknowledging His sovereignty over all life.
- Example for "Honor the emperor": Obeying just laws, paying taxes, and praying for governing officials, even if they are personally disliked or policies are disagreed with, while drawing a firm line where obedience to the state would mean disobeying God (Acts 5:29).