1 Peter 4:8

4:8 Above all keep ¹  your love for one another fervent, ²  because love covers a multitude of sins. ³ 

1 Peter 4:3

4:3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians ⁴  desire. ⁵  You lived then ⁶  in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking bouts, ⁷  and wanton idolatries. ⁸ 

1 Peter 1:2

1:2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling ⁹  with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure! ¹⁰ 

¹ tn The primary verb of v. 8 is a participle (“having”) but it continues the sense of command from v. 7.

² tn Or “constant.”

³ sn The statement of v. 8b, love covers a multitude of sins, is proverbial: It is quoted from Prov 10:12 (cf. Jas 5:20). It speaks of the forbearance that comes with love: Christian love is patient and forgiving toward the offenses of a fellow Christian (Matt 18:21-22; 1 Cor 13:4-7).

⁴ tn Grk “the Gentiles,” used here of those who are not God’s people.

⁵ tn Grk “to accomplish the desire of the Gentiles.”

⁶ tn Grk “having gone along,” referring to the readers’ behavior in time past.

⁷ tn According to BDAG 857 s.v. πότος the term refers to a social gathering at which wine is served, hence “drinking parties” (cf. TEV, NASB). However, the collocation with the other terms in v. 4 suggests something less sophisticated and more along the lines of wild and frenzied drinking bouts.

⁸ tn The Greek words here all occur in the plural to describe their common practice in the past.

⁹ sn For obedience and for sprinkling indicates the purpose of their choice or election by God.

¹⁰ tn Grk “be multiplied to you.”