1 Peter 4:6

For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
for	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
cause	τοῦτο toûto	G5124	that thing
preached	εὐηγγελίσθη, euēngelisthē	G2097	to announce good news ("evangelize") especially the gos… · verb — aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular
also	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
dead	νεκροῖς nekrois	G3498	dead (literally or figuratively · adjective — dative plural masculine
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
judged	κριθῶσιν krithōsin	G2919	by implication · verb — aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd person plural
to	κατὰ kata	G2596	(prepositionally) down (in place or time) · preposition
men	ἀνθρώπους anthrōpous	G444	from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)) · noun — accusative plural masculine
flesh	σαρκί, sarki	G4561	flesh (as stripped of the skin) · noun — dative singular feminine
but	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
live	ζῶσιν zōsin	G2198	to live (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active subjunctive, 3rd person plural
to	κατὰ kata	G2596	(prepositionally) down (in place or time) · preposition
God	θεὸν theon	G2316	figuratively · noun — accusative singular masculine, a title
spirit	πνεύματι.¶ pneumati	G4151	a current of air · noun — dative singular neuter

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

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
1 Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
John 5:25-26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear sha…
Romans 8:9-11 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,…
Ephesians 2:3-5 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; an…
Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful,…
Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:4-6

I. Here you have the visible change wrought in those who in the foregoing verse were represented as having been in the former part of their life very wicked. They no longer run on in the same courses, or with the same companions, as they used to do. Hereupon observe the conduct of their wicked acquaintance towards them. 1. They think it strange, they are surprised and wonder at it, as at something new and unusual, that their old friends should be so much altered, and not run with as much violence as they used to do to the same excess of riot, to the same sottish excesses and luxury which before they had greedily and madly followed. 2. They speak evil of them. Their surprise carries them to b…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:6

For--giving the reason for Pe1 4:5, "judge the dead." gospel preached also to . . . dead--as well as to them now living, and to them that shall be found alive at the coming of the Judge. "Dead" must be taken in the same literal sense as in Pe1 4:5, which refutes the explanation "dead" in sins. Moreover, the absence of the Greek article does not necessarily restrict the sense of "dead" to particular dead persons, for there is no Greek article in Pe1 4:5 also, where "the dead" is universal in meaning. The sense seems to be, Peter, as representing the true attitude of the Church in every age, expecting Christ at any moment, says, The Judge is ready to judge the quick and dead--the dead, I say…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:6

Was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead - This is a most difficult verse; the best translations I have seen of it are the following: - "For this indeed was the effect of the preaching of the Gospel to the dead, (the unconverted Gentiles), that some will be punished as carnal men; but others, (those converted to Christianity), lead a spiritual life unto God." - Wakefield. "For this purpose hath the Gospel been preached even to the dead, (i.e. the Gentiles), that although they might be condemned, indeed, by men in the flesh, (their persecutors), yet they might live eternally by God in the Spirit." - Macknight. "For this cause was the Gospel preached to them that were dead; that the…

The Church Fathers

Also in the same place: "For in this also was it preached to them that are dead, that they might be raised again."
— Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews

The gospel is preached to the Gentiles who are dead in sin, but this may also refer to the fact that when the Lord was buried in the tomb he went to preach to those who live in hell.
— Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER

He [John the Baptist] also first preached to those in Hades, becoming a forerunner there when he was put to death by Herod, that there too he might intimate that the Saviour would descend to ransom the souls of the saints from the hand of death.
— Hippolytus of Rome, On Christ and Antichrist, Section 45

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

Devotedness To God · Should be: With our spirit — Should be: With our spirit
Holiness · 2:17;5:22-25;6:15; — 2:17;5:22-25;6:15;
Life, Spiritual · The word of God is the instrument of — The word of God is the instrument of

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 4:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:4-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:6

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Peter 4:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 4:4-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Peter 4:6

Adam Clarke on 1 Peter 4:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Peter 4:6

John Calvin on 1 Peter 4:6-11

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Peter 4:6