SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:9
Mas vosotros sois el linaje escogido, real sacerdocio, nacin santa, pueblo adquirido, para que mostris las virtudes de aquel que os ha llamado de las tinieblas a su luz admirable.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Peter 2:9
Verse 9. Ye are a chosen generation] The titles formerly given to the whole Jewish Church, i.e. to all the Israelites without exception, all who were in the covenant of God by circumcision, whether they were holy persons or not, are here given to Christians in general in the same way; i.e. to all who believed in Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, and who received baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. The Israelites were a chosen or elected race, to be a special people unto the Lord their God, above all people that were upon the face of the earth, Deut. vii. 6.
They were also a royal priesthood, or what Moses calls a kingdom of priests, Exod. xix. 6. For all were called to sacrifice to God; and he is represented to be the King of that people, and Father of those of whom he was king; therefore they were all royal.
They were a holy nation, Exod. xix. 6; for they were separated from all the people of the earth, that they might worship the one only true God, and abstain from the abominations that were in the heathen world.
They were also a peculiar people, laov eiv peripoihsin, a purchased people; hlgs segullah, a private property, belonging to God Almighty, Deut. vii. 6; none other having any right in them, and they being under obligation to God alone. All these things the apostle applies to the Christians, to whom indeed they belong, in their spirit and essence, in such a way as they could not belong to the Hebrews of old. But they were called to this state of salvation out of darkness - idolatry, superstition, and ungodliness, into his marvellous light - the Gospel dispensation, which, in reference to the discoveries it had made of God, his nature, will, and gracious promises towards mankind, differed as much from the preceding dispensation of the Jews, as the light of the meridian sun from the faint twinkling of a star. And they had these privileges that they might show forth the praises of Him who had thus called them; aretav, the virtues, those perfections of the wisdom, justice, truth, and goodness of God, that shone most illustriously in the Christian dispensation. These they were to exhibit in a holy and useful life, being transformed into the image of God, and walking as Christ himself walked.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. But ye are a chosen generation , etc.] Or kindred; the phrase is to be seen in the Septuagint, on ( Isaiah 43:20), to which, and the following verse, the apostle refers here, and in another part of this text. The allusion is throughout to the people of Israel in general, who, in an external way, were all that is here said; but was only true in a spiritual sense of such as were chosen and called among the Jews: and who were a generation or kindred; being regenerate, or through abundant mercy begotten, and of an incorruptible seed born again; and were akin to God, he being their Father, and they his children by adopting grace, and which was made manifest by their new birth; and also akin to Christ, he being their head, husband, Father, and brother, and they his members, spouse, children, and brethren; and to the saints, being of the same household and family in heaven and in earth; having the same Father, Lord, Spirit, faith, baptism, and they all brethren: and they were a chosen generation or kindred; being famous, and in high esteem with God, and accounted by him for a generation; he having chosen them above all kindreds, tongues, people, and nations, and that from all eternity; and of his own sovereign good will and pleasure; and not on account of their faith, holiness, and good works; and to special benefits, to the relation and kindred they are in, to grace here, and glory hereafter; to regeneration and sanctification, and to salvation and eternal life; just as Israel, as a nation, were chosen above all others, because of the love of God to them, and for no other reason, to many external privileges and favours, which others did not enjoy: now the apostle mentions this character first, because God's eternal election is the source and spring of all spiritual blessings, which provides and secures them, and according to which they are bestowed, and with which they are inseparably connected: a royal priesthood ; referring to ( Exodus 19:6), where the Israelites are called a kingdom of priests; which the Chaldee paraphrase renders, kings, priests; (see Revelation 1:6) a character which one of the Jewish commentators says shall return to the Jews abl dyt[l , in time to come; and well agrees with all the people of Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, who are all of them kings, through their relation to Christ; and at the present time have a kingdom which cannot be moved, or taken away from them; being not only brought into the Gospel dispensation, the kingdom of the Messiah, and having a right to all the privileges and immunities of it, but have also the kingdom of grace set up within them, or grace, as a reigning principle, implanted in them; which lies not in anything external, but in righteousness and true holiness, in inward peace, and spiritual joy; and they have the power of kings over sin, Satan, and the world; and the riches of kings, being possessed of the riches of grace now, and entitled to the riches of glory in another world; they live like kings, they wear royal apparel, the robe of Christ's righteousness; they sit at the king's table, and feed on royal dainties; and are attended on as kings, angels being their life guards, and ministering spirits to them; and hereafter they shall reign with Christ on earth, and that for the space of a thousand years, and, after that, for ever: being raised up from a low estate, to inherit the crown of glory, to wear the crown of life and righteousness, and possess the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, of which they are now heirs: and they are priests, as well as kings; being made so by Christ, and through his priestly office; are anointed with the Holy Ghost, and sanctified by his grace, and allowed to draw near to God, and offer up by Christ their spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise; and are enabled and assisted to offer up the sacrifice of a broken heart, and their bodies also, and even their lives when called to it; the allusion is to the kingdom and priesthood being formerly together, and which met in Christ, ( Zechariah 6:13) and in his people. The Jews were wont to call the priestly dignity and office hnhk rtk , the crown of the priesthood f52 : an holy nation ; referring to the same place in ( Exodus 19:6) where the Israelites are so called, being separated by God from other nations, and legally and externally sanctified by him; as all the true Israel of God are sanctified, or set apart by God the Father, in eternal election, to real and perfect holiness; and are sanctified or cleansed from sin, by the blood and sacrifice of Christ; and are internally sanctified by the Spirit of God; have principles of holiness wrought in them, from whence they live holy lives and conversations: a peculiar people ; as the Israelites are called a peculiar treasure, ( Exodus 19:5) to which the reference is: God's elect are a peculiar people, to whom he bears a peculiar love; they are chosen by him to be a special people above all others, and have peculiar blessings bestowed on them, and peculiar care is taken of them; they are the Lord's, hlgs , his treasure, his jewels, his portion and inheritance, and therefore he will preserve and save them; they are a people for acquisition, purchase, and possession, as the words may be rendered; whom God has obtained, procured, and purchased for himself, with the precious blood of his Son; hence the Syriac version renders them, aqyrp ank , a redeemed company: the same with the church God has purchased with his blood, ( Acts 20:28) and the purchased possession, ( Ephesians 1:14) and which are redeemed and purified to be, and appear to be a peculiar people, zealous of good works, ( Titus 2:14) the end of all which grace being bestowed upon them in election, redemption, and regeneration, is, that ye should show forth the praises of him ; that is, God, who has chosen them into a spiritual kindred and relation, made them kings and priests, sanctified them by his Spirit, and redeemed them by his Son, as a peculiar people; all which laid them under obligation to show forth with their lips, and in their lives and conversations, his virtues: we read, praises; and so the Syriac version; that is, the power, wisdom, goodness, love, grace, and mercy of God, and the commendations of them, displayed in the above instances: the apostle seems to have his eye on ( Isaiah 43:21), where the Septuagint use the same word for praise, as here: next follows a periphrasis of God, and in it an argument, or reason for speaking of his virtues, and showing forth his praise: who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light ; which is to be understood, not of an external call by the ministry of the word only; for many are called in this sense, who are not chosen, redeemed, and sanctified; but of an internal, special, powerful, holy, and heavenly calling, by the Spirit and grace of God: and this is, out of darkness; out of the darkness of the law, under the former dispensation, which was as night, in comparison of the Gospel day; and out of that darkness which the Jews were particularly in, in and about the coming of Christ, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and the spirituality of the law; having lost all right notions of the Messiah, and the true sense of the Scriptures, and were carried away with the traditions of the elders, and led by blind guides, the Scribes and Pharisees; out of this darkness, as well as what is common to men, in a state of unregeneracy, having no sight of themselves, their sin, and misery, nor knowledge of divine things, of God in Christ, and of salvation by him, and of the work of the Spirit upon the heart, they were called, into his marvellous light : by which they saw the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the insufficiency of their righteousness, their need of Christ, and salvation by him; and astonishing it was to them, that they who were born blind, and were brought up in darkness, and were darkness itself, should be made light in the Lord; and the objects they saw were amazing to them; everything in a spiritual way was marvellous in their eyes; especially the sun of righteousness, the light of the world, and also the wonderful things out of the law, or doctrine of Christ, the Gospel, and the surprising love and grace of God, in the whole, and in the several parts of their salvation: it was with them, as if a child, from the moment of its birth, was shut up in a dungeon, where there was not the least crevice to let in the least degree of light, and should continue here till at years of maturity, and then be brought out at once, at noonday, the sun shining in its full strength and glory, when that particularly, and all objects about him, must strike him with wonder and surprise. The Syriac version renders it, his most excellent light; the apostle seems to refer to the form of praise and thanksgiving used by the Jews, at the time of the passover; who say f53 , we are bound to confess, to praise, to glorify, etc. him who hath done for our fathers, and for us, all these wonders; he hath brought us out of bondage to liberty; from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a good day, lwdg rwal hlypamw , and out of darkness into great light; and from subjection unto redemption.
This was also part of their morning prayer f54 ; I confess before thee, O my God, and the God of my fathers, that thou hast brought me out of darkness into light.
And it is to be observed, that the third Sephira, or number, in the Jewish Cabalistic tree, which answers to the third Person in the Trinity, among other names, is called, marvellous light f55 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - Evil-speaking is a sign of malice and guile in the heart; and hinder our profiting by the word of God. A new life needs suitable food Infants desire milk, and make the best endeavours for it which they ar able to do; such must be a Christian's desires after the word of God Our Lord Jesus Christ is very merciful to us miserable sinners; and he has a fulness of grace. But even the best of God's servants, in thi life, have only a taste of the consolations of God. Christ is called Stone, to teach his servants that he is their protection and security the foundation on which they are built. He is precious in the excellence of his nature, the dignity of his office, and the glory of his services. All true believers are a holy priesthood; sacred to God serviceable to others, endowed with heavenly gifts and graces. But the most spiritual sacrifices of the best in prayer and praise are no acceptable, except through Jesus Christ. Christ is the chie Corner-stone, that unites the whole number of believers into on everlasting temple, and bears the weight of the whole fabric. Elected or chosen, for a foundation that is everlasting. Precious beyon compare, by all that can give worth. To be built on Christ means, to believe in him; but in this many deceive themselves, they consider no what it is, nor the necessity of it, to partake of the salvation he ha wrought. Though the frame of the world were falling to pieces, that ma who is built on this foundation may hear it without fear. He shall no be confounded. The believing soul makes haste to Christ, but it neve finds cause to hasten from him. All true Christians are a chose generation; they make one family, a people distinct from the world: of another spirit, principle, and practice; which they could never be, i they were not chosen in Christ to be such, and sanctified by his Spirit. Their first state is a state of gross darkness, but they ar called out of darkness into a state of joy, pleasure, and prosperity that they should show forth the praises of the Lord by their professio of his truth, and their good conduct. How vast their obligations to Hi who has made them his people, and has shown mercy to them! to be without this mercy is a woful state, though a man have all worldl enjoyments. And there is nothing that so kindly works repentance, a right thoughts of the mercy and love of God. Let us not dare to abus and affront the free grace of God, if we mean to be saved by it; but let all who would be found among those who obtain mercy, walk as his people.
Greek Textus Receptus
υμεις 5210 δε 1161 γενος 1085 εκλεκτον 1588 βασιλειον 934 ιερατευμα 2406 εθνος 1484 αγιον 40 λαος 2992 εις 1519 περιποιησιν 4047 οπως 3704 τας 3588 αρετας 703 εξαγγειλητε 1804 5661 του 3588 εκ 1537 σκοτους 4655 υμας 5209 καλεσαντος 2564 5660 εις 1519 το 3588 θαυμαστον 2298 αυτου 846 φως 5457
Vincent's NT Word Studies
9. Generation (genov). Better, Rev., race: a body with a common life and descent.Nation (eqnov). People (laov). The distinction between these three words cannot be closely pressed. Race emphasizes the idea of descent; nation, of community. Laov, people, occurring very often in the Septuagint, is used there mostly of the Israelites, the chosen people. The same use is also frequent in the New Testament; but it is employed in a more general sense, as by Luke ii. 10. It would seem that this idea, however, in its metaphorical and Christian application, the chosen Israel of God, directed Peter's choice of the word, since he adds, a people for God's own possession.
Peculiar (eiv peripoihsin). Lit., a people for acquisition. Rev., a people for God's own possession. Wyc., a people of purchasing. Cranmer, a people which are won. The word occurs 1 Thess. v. 9, rendered obtaining (Rev.); Eph. i. 14, God's own possession (Rev.). See Isaiah xliii. 21 (Sept.), where the kindred verb occurs: "This people have I formed for myself (periepoihsamhn).
Shew forth (exaggeilhte). Only here in New Testament. Proclaim, tell abroad.
The praises (tav aretav). Lit., the virtues. So Rev., excellencies. The word occurs Isa. xliii. 21 (Sept., see above), and is rendered praise. See, also, Isa. xliii. 12 (Sept.), "Declare his praise (aretav) in the islands."
