The Meaning of 1 Peter 3:6 Explained

1 Peter 3:6

KJV: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

YLT: as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, calling him 'sir,' of whom ye did become daughters, doing good, and not fearing any terror.

Darby: as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose children ye have become, doing good, and not fearing with any kind of consternation.

ASV: as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Even as  Sara  obeyed  Abraham,  calling  him  lord:  whose  daughters  ye are,  as long as ye do well,  and  are  not  afraid  with any  amazement. 

What does 1 Peter 3:6 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Peter 3:1-12 - Christian Family-Life
In the previous chapter the Apostle had been urging the poor slaves of wealthy householders to submit quietly to wrongs, leaving God to vindicate. Here he turns to the wives of unbelieving husbands, showing that their chaste behavior, their meek and quiet spirit, their pleasant subordination of self, are the greatest arguments for our religion. What we are is more important than what we say. Our life is our best sermon. If we would expend as much care on the hidden man of the heart as many do on the outer, what lovely characters would result! When Massillon had preached on this subject of the inner and outer man before Louis XIV, the king exclaimed as he left the church, "I know those two men!"
The same temper becomes us all. Let us be compassionate to the faults of others, even when they repay our good with evil and revile our blessing. God sends rain and sun irrespective of the character of the recipients. In this way we shall inherit the blessedness to which we have been called, and see good days. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Peter 3

1  He teaches the duty of wives and husbands to each other;
8  exhorting all men to unity and love;
14  and to suffer persecution
19  He declares also the benefits of Christ toward the old world

Greek Commentary for 1 Peter 3:6

As Sarah [ως Σαρρα]
(ως Σαρρα — hōs Sarra). [source]
Obeyed Abraham [υπηκουεν τωι Αβρααμ]
Imperfect active of υπακουω — hupakouō “used to obey” (with dative).Calling him lord (κυριον αυτον καλουσα — kurion auton kalousa). Present active participle of καλεω — kaleō See Genesis 18:12.Whose children ye now are First aorist passive indicative of γινομαι — ginomai “whose children ye became.”If ye do well (αγατοποιουσαι — agathopoiousai). Present active feminine plural participle of αγατοποιεω — agathopoieō (1 Peter 2:15), “doing good.”And are not put in fear by any terror Free quotation from Proverbs 3:25, “and not fearing any terror” (cognate accusative of πτοησις — ptoēsis after ποβουμεναι — phoboumenai present middle participle, late and rare word from πτοεω — ptoeō to terrify, as in Luke 21:9, here only in N.T.). Perhaps Peter regards Sarah‘s falsehood as the yielding to a sudden terror (Hart). Hannah could also be named along with Sarah. The women somehow do not organize “daughters of Sarah” societies. [source]
Calling him lord [κυριον αυτον καλουσα]
Present active participle of καλεω — kaleō See Genesis 18:12. [source]
Whose children ye now are [ης εγενητητε τεκνα]
First aorist passive indicative of γινομαι — ginomai “whose children ye became.”If ye do well (αγατοποιουσαι — agathopoiousai). Present active feminine plural participle of αγατοποιεω — agathopoieō (1 Peter 2:15), “doing good.”And are not put in fear by any terror Free quotation from Proverbs 3:25, “and not fearing any terror” (cognate accusative of πτοησις — ptoēsis after ποβουμεναι — phoboumenai present middle participle, late and rare word from πτοεω — ptoeō to terrify, as in Luke 21:9, here only in N.T.). Perhaps Peter regards Sarah‘s falsehood as the yielding to a sudden terror (Hart). Hannah could also be named along with Sarah. The women somehow do not organize “daughters of Sarah” societies. [source]
If ye do well [αγατοποιουσαι]
Present active feminine plural participle of αγατοποιεω — agathopoieō (1 Peter 2:15), “doing good.” [source]
And are not put in fear by any terror [και μη ποβουμεναι μηδεμιαν πτοησιν]
Free quotation from Proverbs 3:25, “and not fearing any terror” (cognate accusative of πτοησις — ptoēsis after ποβουμεναι — phoboumenai present middle participle, late and rare word from πτοεω — ptoeō to terrify, as in Luke 21:9, here only in N.T.). Perhaps Peter regards Sarah‘s falsehood as the yielding to a sudden terror (Hart). Hannah could also be named along with Sarah. The women somehow do not organize “daughters of Sarah” societies. [source]
Amazement [πτόησιν]
Rev., terror. Compare the kindred verb πτοηθῆτε , be terrified, Luke 21:9; Luke 24:37; on which, see note. The word means a scare, or nervous excitem ent. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Peter 3:6

1 Peter 3:14 Fear not their fear [τον ποβον αυτων μη ποβητητε]
Prohibition with μη — mē and the first aorist (ingressive) passive subjunctive of ποβεομαι — phobeomai to fear, and the cognate accusative ποβον — phobon (fear, terror). “Do not fear their threats” (Bigg). Quotation from Isaiah 8:12.Neither be troubled (μηδε ταραχτητε — mēde taraxthēte). Prohibition with μηδε — mēde and the first aorist (ingressive) subjunctive of ταρασσω — tarassō to disturb (Matthew 2:6; John 12:27). Part of the same quotation. Cf. 1 Peter 3:6. [source]
1 Peter 3:14 Neither be troubled [μηδε ταραχτητε]
Prohibition with μηδε — mēde and the first aorist (ingressive) subjunctive of ταρασσω — tarassō to disturb (Matthew 2:6; John 12:27). Part of the same quotation. Cf. 1 Peter 3:6. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Peter 3:6 mean?

as Sarah obeyed - Abraham lord him calling of whom you have become children doing good and not fearing not one consternation
ὡς Σάρρα ὑπήκουσεν τῷ Ἀβραάμ κύριον αὐτὸν καλοῦσα ἧς ἐγενήθητε τέκνα ἀγαθοποιοῦσαι καὶ μὴ φοβούμεναι μηδεμίαν πτόησιν

Σάρρα  Sarah 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: Σάρρα  
Sense: the wife of Abraham.
ὑπήκουσεν  obeyed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ὑπακούω  
Sense: to listen, to harken.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἀβραάμ  Abraham 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἀβραάμ  
Sense: the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation.
κύριον  lord 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
καλοῦσα  calling 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: καλέω  
Sense: to call.
ἧς  of  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἐγενήθητε  you  have  become 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
τέκνα  children 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: τέκνον  
Sense: offspring, children.
ἀγαθοποιοῦσαι  doing  good 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: ἀγαθοποιέω  
Sense: to do good, do something which profits others.
φοβούμεναι  fearing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: φοβέομαι 
Sense: to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away).
μηδεμίαν  not  one 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μηδείς 
Sense: nobody, no one, nothing.
πτόησιν  consternation 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πτόησις  
Sense: to be afraid of with terror.