1 Peter 5:5b-7 English Standard Version (ESV)
5 ...Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
While context is important, verse 5b seems to begin a new thought with an imperative.
1. "ALL OF YOU" --This describes a general characteristic that applies to all
2. "CLOTHE" Middle imperative / clothe yourselves
The word speaks of a servant's apron or some garment that would be tied around the waist.
Reminiscent of John 13 where Jesus
"...and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him."
Peter must have remembered the fuss he put up to Jesus when it was his turn to have his feet washed.
(...occurs in the NT only in 1 Pet. 5:5, where it has the figurative sense “to make one’s essential characteristic.” Humility is to be a decisive mark of Christian conduct.)
Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey William Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1985), 196.
2. HUMILITY --- In this context, it primarily stands in contrast to those who exalt themselves when in a crisis to secure their own interests, with no trust in the Lord or concern for others.
(When were are paralyzed by care/anxiety, we turn inward and are preoccupied with ourselves at the expense of concern for others.)
Philippians 2
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
3. QUOTATION from Proverbs 3:34
Notice how the admonition to not envy the man of violence fits with the context of suffering in 1 Peter.
The picture is drawn of a man who is violent, devious, and plain wicked. Note the progressing intensity in 32-36. The scorner indicates someone who is hardened and bold in their opposition to the Lord and toward others.
Proverbs 3.31-
31 31 Do not envy a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
32 32 for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are in his confidence.
33 33 The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 34 Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he gives favor.
35 35 The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get disgrace.
4. OPPOSES
The word “proud” is the translation of a Greek word which means literally “to show above,” and thus describes the proud person as one who shows himself above others.
Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 127.
Lit., setteth himself in array against, as one draws out a host for battle.
Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 668.
God opposes (resists) those who set themselves up as independent of God, as not needing God, and are hardened in disbelief and distrust.
5. HUMBLE - passive voice/imperative “Be humbled” - ”permit yourselves to be humbled”--Wuest
"Submission is an act of faith. We are trusting God to direct in our lives and to work out His purposes in His time."
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 431.
6. THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD --A frequent symbol of God's delivering power in the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 7:8
but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
When we humble ourselves under his mighty hand,
we are abandoning our self-sufficiency to take care of ourselves first
and trust His strong hand to both lead and protect us.
7. IN DUE TIME
The key, of course, is the phrase “in due time.” God never exalts anyone until that person is ready for it. First the cross, then the crown; first the suffering, then the glory. ... One of the evidences of our pride is our impatience with God, and one reason for suffering is that we might learn patience (James 1:1–6). Here Peter was referring to words he heard the Master say: “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11).
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 432.
8. YOUR CARE/ANXIETY singular (RSV, ESV, NET, NLT anxieties, plurals)
Wuest clarifies it ...having deposited with Him once for all the whole of your worry
NOTE: having deposited -- It speaks of a one-time act, a change of attitude.
NOTE: the whole of your worries While we will bring many requests (i.e. Phil. 4.5-6) this verse speaks of a general decision and attitude of trust in the Lord.
APPLICATIONS:
1. "Anxiety is a self-contradiction to true humility. Unbelief is, in a sense, an exalting of self against God in that one is depending upon self and failing to trust God." --Kenneth S. Wuest
The humility in this passage that we clothe ourselves with is steeped in the patient trust in God to care for us. It is the attitude that protects us from preoccupation with our concerns to the exclusion of others.
2.
It so happens that egkombousthai (GSN1463) is used of another kind of garment. It is also used of putting on a long, stole-like garment which was the sign of honour and preeminence.
To complete the picture we must put both images together. Jesus once put on the slave's apron and undertook the humblest of all duties, washing his disciples' feet; so we must in all things put on the apron of humility in the service of Christ and of our fellow-men; but that very apron of humility will become the garment of honour for us, for it is he who is the servant of all who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. --Barclay, William. The Letters of James and Peter. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2017.-----------------------------------------------------------------
5.
clothed
· ... comes from a word referring to the apron that slaves put on over their regular clothes. This garment prepared them for service…” —Thomas Constable
· “...the figure carries an exhortation to put on humility as a working virtue employed in ministry.” —Marvin Vincent
· Proverbs 3.34 quote
· A proud man cuts himself off from God’s favor and enablement.
v.6
· Wuest—”permit yourselves to be humbled”
· “First aorist passive imperative of [tapeinoo], old verb, for which see Matt. 18:4. Peter here is in the role of a preacher of humility. “Be humbled.’ “ —A.T. Robertson
v.7
· “5:7This verse does not introduce a new command but explains how to humble oneself: by entrusting oneself and one’s troubles to God (Ps. 55:22; cf. Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6). We can do this because we have confidence that God cares for our welfare.” —Thomas Constable
· “These Christians were undergoing such persecution that the circumstances in which they found themselves gave abundant opportunity for that sin called worry.” —K. Wuest
· casting
“The aorist participle denoting an act once for all; throwing the whole life with its care on him.” —Marvin Vincent
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