The Meaning of 1 Peter 2:22 Explained

1 Peter 2:22

KJV: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

YLT: who did not commit sin, nor was guile found in his mouth,

Darby: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;

ASV: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who  did  no  sin,  neither  was guile  found  in  his  mouth: 

What does 1 Peter 2:22 Mean?

Study Notes

sin
Sin.
sinned
Sin, Summary: The literal meanings of the Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία sin," "sinner," etc)., disclose the true nature of sin in its manifold manifestations. Sin is transgression, an overstepping of the law, the divine boundary between good and evil Psalms 51:1 ; Luke 15:29 , iniquity, an act inherently wrong, whether expressly forbidden or not; error, a departure from right; Psalms 51:9 ; Romans 3:23 , missing the mark, a failure to meet the divine standard; trespass, the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority Ephesians 2:1 , lawlessness, or spiritual anarchy 1 Timothy 1:9 , unbelief, or an insult to the divine veracity John 16:9 .
Sin originated with Satan Isaiah 14:12-14 , entered the world through Adam Romans 5:12 , was, and is, universal, Christ alone excepted; Romans 3:23 ; 1 Peter 2:22 , incurs the penalties of spiritual and physical death; Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:19 ; Ezekiel 18:4 ; Ezekiel 18:20 ; Romans 6:23 and has no remedy but in the sacrificial death of Christ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Acts 4:12 availed of by faith Acts 13:38 ; Acts 13:39 . Sin may be summarized as threefold: An act, the violation of, or want of obedience to the revealed will of God; a state, absence of righteousness; a nature, enmity toward God.

Verse Meaning

Peter applied this prophecy to Jesus Christ ( Isaiah 53:9).
"The OT statement is applied to Christ to indicate that in his total conduct, especially in his words, he followed God"s will." [1]
This is quite a statement. Peter had lived with Jesus for more than three years and had observed Him closely, yet he could say that Jesus never sinned.
The absence of deceitful speech would have been "... particularly applicable to slaves in the empire, where glib, deceitful speech was one of their notorious characteristics, adroit evasions and excuses being often their sole means of self-protection." [2]

Context Summary

1 Peter 2:18-25 - Following The Shepherd Of Souls
The argument from this point seems to be: Since you have been redeemed, live worthily of your heavenly calling in relation to your fellow-believers, to God, and to the state, 1 Peter 2:17; to your employers, 1 Peter 2:18; to husbands, 1 Peter 2:1; to wives, 1 Peter 2:7; to everyone, 1 Peter 2:8.
Some of the tenderest words in the Epistles are addressed to the household slaves, who constituted a very important part of the primitive Church. Masters and mistresses had absolute control over their chattels; and might put them to death without interference from the state. The Apostle endeavors to cheer them while bearing their nameless wrongs. They were to bear all their sorrows patiently and silently, following in the footsteps of their Lord, and certain that He would vindicate them.
Let employees remember that they have been placed in worldly and ungodly homes as lamps on dark landings, in order to bear witness to Jesus by the simplicity and beauty of their conversation. And the way of the Cross is the only safe way for us all, if we would keep in touch with our Shepherd and Protector. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Peter 2

1  He exhorts to put away wickedness;
4  showing that Christ is the foundation whereupon they are built
11  He beseeches them also to abstain from sinful desires;
13  to be obedient to authorities;
18  and teaches servants how to obey their masters;
20  patiently suffering for well doing, after the example of Christ

Greek Commentary for 1 Peter 2:22

Who did no sin [ος αμαρτιαν ουκ εποιησεν]
Quotation from Isaiah 53:9. He has already expressed the sinlessness of Christ in 1 Peter 1:19. The next clause is a combination of Isaiah 53:9; Zephaniah 3:13. For “guile” (δολος — dolos) see 1 Peter 2:1. [source]
Was found [ευρετη]
First aorist passive indicative of ευρισκω — heuriskō Christ‘s guilelessness stood the test of scrutiny (Vincent), as Peter knew (Matthew 26:60; John 18:38; John 19:4, John 19:6). [source]
Found [εὑρέθη]
Stronger than the simple was, and indicating a guilelessness which had stood the test of scrutiny. Compare Matthew 26:60; John 18:38; John 19:4, John 19:6. Christ's sinlessness had also stood the test of Peter's intimacy. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Peter 2:22

John 1:29 On the morrow [τηι επαυριον]
Locative case with ημηραι — hēmērāi (day) understood after the adverb επαυριον — epaurion “Second day of this spiritual diary” (Bernard) from John 1:19. Seeth Jesus coming Dramatic historical present indicative Graphic picture. Behold the Lamb of God Exclamation ιδε — ide like ιδου — idou not verb, and so nominative αμνος — amnos Common idiom in John (John 1:36; John 3:26, etc.). For “the Lamb of God” see 1 Corinthians 5:7 (cf. John 19:36) and 1 Peter 1:19. The passage in Isaiah 53:6. is directly applied to Christ by Philip in Acts 8:32. See also Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:22.; Hebrews 9:28. But the Jews did not look for a suffering Messiah (John 12:34) nor did the disciples at first (Mark 9:32; Luke 24:21). But was it not possible for John, the Forerunner of the Messiah, to have a prophetic insight concerning the Messiah as the Paschal Lamb, already in Isaiah 53:1-12, even if the rabbis did not see it there? Symeon had it dimly (Luke 2:35), but John more clearly. So Westcott rightly. Bernard is unwilling to believe that John the Baptist had more insight on this point than current Judaism. Then why and how did he recognize Jesus as Messiah at all? Certainly the Baptist did not have to be as ignorant as the rabbis. Which taketh away the sin of the world Note singular αμαρτιαν — hamartian not plural αμαρτιας — hamartias (1 John 3:5) where same verb αιρω — airō to bear away, is used. The future work of the Lamb of God here described in present tense as in 1 John 1:7 about the blood of Christ. He is the Lamb of God for the world, not just for Jews. [source]
2 Corinthians 5:21 Him who knew no sin [τον μη γνοντα αμαρτιαν]
Definite claim by Paul that Jesus did not commit sin, had no personal acquaintance This statement occurs also in 1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:26; 1 John 3:5. Christ was and is “a moral miracle” (Bernard) and so more than mere man. [source]
James 2:9 Ye commit sin [ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεσθε]
Lit., “work sin.” Compare Matthew 7:23; Acts 10:35; Hebrews 11:33. The phrase is rather stronger than the more common ἁμαρτίαν ποιεῖν , to do sin John 8:34; James 5:15; 1 Peter 2:22. The position of sin is emphatic: “it is sin that ye are working.” [source]
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self [ος αυτος]
Intensive pronoun with the relative referring to Christ (note relatives also in 1 Peter 2:22, 1 Peter 2:23). [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Peter 2:22 mean?

Who sin not committed neither was found trickery in the mouth of Him
Ὃς ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ

ἁμαρτίαν  sin 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἁμαρτία  
Sense: equivalent to 264.
ἐποίησεν  committed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
οὐδὲ  neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὐδέ  
Sense: but not, neither, nor, not even.
εὑρέθη  was  found 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.
δόλος  trickery 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: δόλος  
Sense: craft, deceit, guile.
στόματι  mouth 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: στόμα  
Sense: the mouth, as part of the body: of man, of animals, of fish, etc.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.