SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:4
Para la herencia incorruptible, y que no puede contaminarse, ni marchitarse, conservada en los cielos,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Peter 1:4
Verse 4. To an inheritance] Called an inheritance because it belongs to the children of God. Eternal life cannot be a gift to any but these; for, even in heaven, the lot is dealt out according to law: if children, then heirs; if not children, then not heirs. Incorruptible] afqarton? It has no principles of dissolution or decay in it; and, therefore, must be totally different from this earth.
Undefiled] amianton? Nothing impure can enter it; it not only has no principles or seeds of dissolution in itself, but it can never admit any; therefore its deterioration is impossible.
Fadeth not away] amarnaton? It cannot wither, it is always in bloom; a metaphor taken from those flowers that never lose their hue nor their fragrance. From the Greek amarantov we have our flowers called amaranths, because they preserve their hue and odour for a long time.
Reserved in heaven] Such a place as that described above is not to be expected on earth; it is that which was typified by the earthly Canaan, and in reference to which the patriarchs endured all trials and difficulties in this life, as seeing Him who is invisible.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible , etc.] This is a further explanation of the lively hope, or hope laid up in heaven, which regenerate ones are begotten to: it is an inheritance; a large estate, and rich possession, they are born heirs apparent to; what is not to be got by industry, or obtained by the works of the law; for they that are of the law are not heirs; but what is the pure bequest and free gift of God, as a Father to his children; for an inheritance is proper and peculiar to children, nor does it belong to any but them; and it comes to them through the death of the testator, Christ, and of it the Holy Spirit is the pledge and earnest: and here it is said to be incorruptible ; it is free from corruption in itself; nor can it be corrupted by others, by moth, or rust, or other things, as gold, silver, and garments may, which are a part of earthly inheritances; nor can it be enjoyed by corrupt persons, either corrupted with sin, or clothed with frailty and mortality; wherefore, in order to inherit it, corruption must put on incorruption, in every sense; other epithets and commendations of it follow: and undefiled ; it is in its own nature pure and holy, and free from any defilement of sin; nor are there any of those impurities in it which Jews and Mahometans dream of in their vainly expected earthly paradise; nor will it be possessed by any but undefiled persons, such as are made so through the blood and righteousness of Christ: and that fadeth not away ; as do world, and the glory of it, and all inheritances and possessions in it; here is no continuing city, but there is one to come; in this inheritance are durable riches, everlasting habitations, an house eternal in the heavens, glories in it that will never wither and die, and pleasures which will never end, and which will be enjoyed without decrease or loathing: reserved in heaven for you ; the Alexandrian copy reads, for us; and the Ethiopic version renders it, for us and you; for all the saints; for all who are the elect, according to the foreknowledge of God, and who are begotten again to a lively hope; for these this inheritance is prepared, laid up, and secured in the hands or Christ their feoffee, who has it in trust for them, and with whom they are co-heirs; and it is safe for them in heaven; out of the reach of men and devils: this serves both to commend the inheritance, to set forth the excellency of it, lying in such a place as heaven; for the situation of an inheritance adds oftentimes to the valuableness of it; and also the safety and security of it; it is safe, being in heaven, and more so as it is in Christ's hands there. The Jews are wont to call the future state an inheritance of the land of the living: they say f24 this is called hljn , an inheritance; and add, but in this world a man has no inheritance, nor continuance; so they interpret that phrase, by the God of thy father, in ( Genesis 49:25) thus f25 this is ansja , the inheritance of the superior place, which is called heaven; and sometimes they style it hal[ atnsja , the superior inheritance, or the inheritance above f26 ; all which agrees with Peter's language.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - This epistle is addressed to believers in general, who are strangers in every city or country where they live, and are scattered through the nations. These are to ascribe their salvation to the electing love of the Father, the redemption of the Son, and the sanctification of the Holy Ghost; and so to give glory to one God in three Persons, int whose name they had been baptized. Hope, in the world's phrase, refer only to an uncertain good, for all worldly hopes are tottering, buil upon sand, and the worldling's hopes of heaven are blind and groundles conjectures. But the hope of the sons of the living God is a livin hope; not only as to its object, but as to its effect also. It enliven and comforts in all distresses, enables to meet and get over all difficulties. Mercy is the spring of all this; yea, great mercy an manifold mercy. And this well-grounded hope of salvation, is an activ and living principle of obedience in the soul of the believer. The matter of a Christian's joy, is the remembrance of the happiness lai up for him. It is incorruptible, it cannot come to nothing, it is a estate that cannot be spent. Also undefiled; this signifies its purit and perfection. And it fadeth not; is not sometimes more or les pleasant, but ever the same, still like itself. All possessions her are stained with defects and failings; still something is wanting: fai houses have sad cares flying about the gilded and ceiled roofs; sof beds and full tables, are often with sick bodies and uneasy stomachs All possessions are stained with sin, either in getting or in using them. How ready we are to turn the things we possess into occasions an instruments of sin, and to think there is no liberty or delight in their use, without abusing them! Worldly possessions are uncertain an soon pass away, like the flowers and plants of the field. That must be of the greatest worth, which is laid up in the highest and best place in heaven. Happy are those whose hearts the Holy Spirit sets on thi inheritance. God not only gives his people grace, but preserves the unto glory. Every believer has always something wherein he may greatl rejoice; it should show itself in the countenance and conduct. The Lor does not willingly afflict, yet his wise love often appoints shar trials, to show his people their hearts, and to do them good at the latter end. Gold does not increase by trial in the fire, it become less; but faith is made firm, and multiplied, by troubles an afflictions. Gold must perish at last, and can only purchase perishin things, while the trial of faith will be found to praise, and honour and glory. Let this reconcile us to present afflictions. Seek then to believe Christ's excellence in himself, and his love to us; this wil kindle such a fire in the heart as will make it rise up in a sacrific of love to him. And the glory of God and our own happiness are s united, that if we sincerely seek the one now, we shall attain the other when the soul shall no more be subject to evil. The certainty of this hope is as if believers had already received it.
Greek Textus Receptus
εις 1519 κληρονομιαν 2817 αφθαρτον 862 και 2532 αμιαντον 283 και 2532 αμαραντον 263 τετηρημενην 5083 5772 εν 1722 ουρανοις 3772 εις 1519 {1: ημας 2248 } {2: υμας 5209 }
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. An inheritance (klhronomian). A Pauline word, from klhrov, a lot, and nemomai, to distribute among themselves. Hence an inheritance is originally a portion which one receives by lot in a general distribution. In the New Testament the idea of chance attaching to the lot is eliminated. It is the portion or heritage which one receives by virtue of birth or by special gift. So of the vineyard seized by the wicked husbandmen: "Let us seize on his inheritance" (Matt. xxi. 38); of Abraham in Canaan: "God gave him none inheritance" (Acts vii. 5); "an eternal inheritance" (Hebrews ix. 15).
Incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. Note Peter's characteristic multiplication of epithets. Incorruptible (afqarton). From aj, not, and fqeirw, to destroy or corrupt. Undefiled (amianton). From aj, not, and miainw to defile, though the verb means especially to defile by staining, as with color; while molunw, also translated defile (1 Corinthians viii. 7), is to besmirch, as with mire. We might render unstained, though the word is not used with any conscious reference to its etymology. That fadeth not away (amaranton). Used by Peter only, and but once. From aj, not, and marainomai, to wither. The loveliness of the heavenly inheritance is described as exempt from the blight which attaches to earthly bloom. As between afqarton, incorruptible, and ajmaranton, unwithering, the former emphasizes the indestructibility of substance, and the latter of grace and beauty. The latter adjective appears in the familiar botanical name amaranth. It will be observed that all of these three epithets are compounded with the negative particle aj, not. Archbishop Trench aptly remarks that "it is a remarkable testimony to the reign of sin, and therefore of imperfection, of decay, of death throughout this whole fallen world, that as often as we desire to set forth the glory, purity, and perfection of that other, higher world toward which we strive, we are almost inevitably compelled to do this by the aid of negatives; by the denying to that higher order of things the leading features and characteristics of this." Compare Apoc. xxi. 1, 4, 22, 23, 27; xxii. 3, 5. Reserved (tethrhmenhn). Lit., which has been reserved, a perfect participle, indicating the inheritance as one reserved through God's care for his own from the beginning down to the present. Laid up and kept is the idea. The verb signifies keeping as the result of guarding. Thus in John xvii. 11, Christ says, "keep (thrson) those whom thou hast given me;" in ver. 12, "I kept them" (ethroun); i.e., preserved by guarding them. "Those whom thou gavest me I guarded (efulaxa)." So Rev., which preserves the distinction. Similarly, John xiv. 15, "keep (thrhsate) my commandments;" preserve them unbroken by careful watching. So Peter was delivered to the soldiers to guard him (fulassein), but he was kept (ethreito) in prison (Acts xii. 4, 51). Compare Col. i. 5, where a different word is used: ajpokeimenhn, lit., laid away.
For you (eiv). The use of this preposition, instead of the simpler dative, is graphic: with reference to you; with you as its direct object.
