1 Peter 4:18

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
if	εἰ ei	G1487	if · conditional particle
righteous	δίκαιος dikaios	G1342	equitable (in character or act) · adjective — nominative singular masculine
scarcely	μόλις molis	G3433	with difficulty · adverb
saved	σῴζεται, sōzetai	G4982	to save · verb — present passive indicative, 3rd person singular
where	ποῦ pou	G4226	as adverb of place · adverb — interrogative
shall	φανεῖται; phaneitai	G5316	to lighten (shine) · verb — future middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
ungodly	ἀσεβὴς asebēs	G765	irreverent · adjective — nominative singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
sinner	ἁμαρτωλὸς hamartōlos	G268	sinful · adjective — nominative singular masculine
appear	φαίνω phaínō	G5316	to lighten (shine)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Proverbs 11:31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner.
Ezekiel 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wi…
Luke 23:31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
2 Peter 2:5-6 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ung…
Jude 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed,…
1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the…
Hebrews 10:38-39 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:12–end

The frequent repetition of counsel and comfort to Christians, considered as sufferers, in every chapter of this epistle, shows that the greatest danger these new converts were in arose from the persecutions to which their embracing Christianity exposed them. The good behaviour of Christians under sufferings is the most difficult part of their duty, but yet necessary both for the honour of Christ and their own comfort; and therefore the apostle, having extorted them in the former part of this chapter to the great duty of mortification, comes here to direct them in the necessary duty of patience under sufferings. An unmortified spirit is very unfit to bear trials. Observe, I. The apostle's kin…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:18

scarcely--Compare "so as by fire," Co1 3:15; having to pass through trying chastisements, as David did for his sin. "The righteous" man has always more or less of trial, but the issue is certain, and the entrance into the kingdom abundant at last. The "scarcely" marks the severity of the ordeal, and the unlikelihood (in a mere human point of view) of the righteous sustaining it; but the righteousness of Christ and God's everlasting covenant make it all sure. ungodly--having no regard for God; negative description. sinner--loving sin; positive; the same man is at once God-forgetting and sin-loving. appear--in judgment.

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:18

And if the righteous scarcely be saved - If it shall be with extreme difficulty that the Christians shall escape from Jerusalem, when the Roman armies shall come against it with the full commission to destroy it, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Where shall the proud Pharisaic boaster in his own outside holiness, and the profligate transgressor of the laws of God, show themselves, as having escaped the Divine vengeance? The Christians, though with difficulty, did escape, every man; but not one of the Jews escaped, whether found in Jerusalem or elsewhere. It is rather strange, but it is a fact, that this verse is the Septuagint translation of Pro 11:31 : Behold, the righteous sh…

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The Church Fathers

It is the righteous man who is scarcely saved on the day of judgment. If he had no fault, he would easily be saved. As it is, he is righteous because he flourishes with many virtues, but he is scarcely saved because he stands in need of the mercy of God in some things.
— Jerome, Against the Pelagians 2.5

When I see Moses asking for forgiveness and not obtaining it, when I see him considered unworthy of pardon because of his few words, spoken against the rock in anger, in spite of his many good deeds, I truly realize what the severity of God is like and am persuaded that these words of the apostle are true.
— Basil of Caesarea, ON THE JUDGMENT OF GOD

Then, as if to console them, He adds: And, If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly. And this is confirmed by the Scripture which says: "If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (Prov. 11:31) However, this is what Scripture intends to signify: If the righteous attain salvation through labor and affliction (for the kingdom of heaven is taken by violence (Matt. 9:12), and through many afflictions one attains it Acts 14:21), what will those who lead a depraved and indulgent life attain? It must be understood in the future age regarding what concerns the wicked.
— Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 Peter

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs, Book of — A collection of moral and philosophical maxims of a wide range of subjects presented in a poetic form. This book sets forth the “philosophy of practical life. It is the sign to us that the Bible does…

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Peter 4:18

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:12–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:18

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:18

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Peter 4:18

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:12–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:18

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:18

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Peter 4:18

John Calvin on 1 Peter 4:17–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Peter 4:17