2:13 Be subject to every human institution 5 for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme
all flesh 6 is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of the grass; 7
the grass withers and the flower falls off,
the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep 17 his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.
1 tn Grk “For this [is] favor/grace,” used as a metonymy of that which pleases him, which he looks on with favor (cf. BDAG 1079 s.v. χάρις 2). Cf. 1 Pet 2:20.
2 tc The expression “consciousness/conscience of God” (συνείδησιν θεοῦ; suneidhsin qeou) is unusual, occurring only here in the NT. Because θεοῦ was liable to misinterpretation, several witnesses altered the text, either replacing it with ἀγαθήν (agaqhn; C Ψ 323 614 630 945 1241 1505 1739 al sy) or expanding the expression by adding ἀγαθήν before θεοῦ (Ì72 [A* 33] 81). Replacing θεοῦ with ἀγαθήν conforms to other NT phrases, notably in this same letter (Acts 23:1; 1 Tim 1:5, 19; 1 Pet 3:16, 21), suggesting that such a reading is motivated. The reading θεοῦ, however, has superior support (א Ac B P 049 Ï lat co), and best explains the rise of the other readings.
3 tn Grk “where will he appear.”
4 tn The personal references in v. 18 are generic singulars, but they have been changed to the plural in English to maintain consistency with the plurals of v. 17.
5 tn Or “every human being”; Grk “every human creation,” denoting either everything created for mankind (NRSV mg: “every institution ordained for human beings”) or every creature who is human. The meaning of the verb “be subject” and the following context supports the rendering adopted in the text.
7 sn Here all flesh is a metaphor for humanity – human beings as both frail and temporary.
8 tn Or “a wildflower.”
9 tn Grk “the hidden man.” KJV’s “the hidden man of the heart,” referring to a wife, could be seriously misunderstood by the modern English reader.
11 tn Grk “the time of your sojourn,” picturing the Christian’s life in this world as a temporary stay in a foreign country (cf. 1:1).
13 tn The verb is implied by the context but not expressed; Grk “but if as a Christian.”
14 tn These are third-person imperatives in Greek (“if [one of you suffers] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed…let him glorify”), but have been translated as second-person verbs since this is smoother English idiom.
15 tn Grk “in this name.”
15 tn Grk “if anyone speaks – as God’s words.”
16 tn Or “oracles.”
17 tn Grk “if anyone serves – with strength…”
18 tn Grk “is/are.”
17 tn Grk “stop.”
19 tn Grk “serving it to one another.” The primary verb is a participle but it continues the sense of command from v. 7.
21 tn Grk “it contains,” “it stands.”
22 tn Grk “chosen, priceless.”
23 tn Grk “the one who believes.”
24 tn Grk either “in him” or “in it,” but the OT and NT uses personify the stone as the King, the Messiah whom God will establish in Jerusalem.
25 tn The negative (οὐ μή, ou mh) is emphatic: “will certainly not.”
26 sn A quotation from Isa 28:16.
23 tc Most later
24 tn Or “sanctify Christ as Lord.”
25 tn Grk “the hope in you.”