1 Peter 3:1-5

Wives and Husbands

3:1 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, ¹  even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, ²  3:2 when they see your pure and reverent conduct. ³  3:3 Let your ⁴  beauty ⁵  not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry ⁶  or fine clothes – 3:4 but the inner person ⁷  of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God’s sight. 3:5 For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands,

[3:1]  ¹ tn Grk “that…they may be won over,” showing the purpose of “being subject” (vs. 1b). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[3:1]  ² tn Grk “by the wives’ behavior.”

[3:2]  ³ tn Grk “behavior,” the same word translated “the way you live” in vs. 1.

[3:3]  ⁴ tn Grk “whose,” referring to the wives.

[3:3]  ⁵ tn Or “adornment.”

[3:3]  ⁶ tn The word “jewelry” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate that gold ornaments or jewelry is intended; otherwise the reader might assume wearing gold-colored clothing was forbidden.

[3:4]  ⁷ 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.