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1 Peter 5:2
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Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly;
Feede the flocke of God which is among you, taking the ouersight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly: not for filthy lucre, but of a ready minde:
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness;
shepherd God's flock, for whom you are responsible. Watch over them because you want to, not because you are forced. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are happy to serve, not because you want money.
shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God's will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;
Just as shepherds watch over their sheep, you must watch over everyone God has placed in your care. Do it willingly in order to please God, and not simply because you think you must. Let it be something you want to do, instead of something you do merely to make money.
shepherd the flock of God that is in your care, exercising oversight not out of constraint, but willingly, as God wants; and not out of a desire for dishonest gain, but with enthusiasm;
shepherd the flock of God which [is] among you, exercising oversight, not by necessity, but willingly; not for base gain, but readily;
take care of the group of people you are responsible for. They are God's flock. Watch over that flock because you want to, not because you are forced to do it. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are happy to serve, not because you want money.
Feede the flocke of God, which dependeth vpo you, caring for it not by constraint, but willingly: not for filthy lucre, but of a ready minde:
Feed the flock of God which is entrusted to your care and shepherd them spiritually, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but with all your heart.
to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve.
shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not by compulsion but willingly, in accordance with God, and not greedily but eagerly,
Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not by compulsion, but willingly; nor eagerly for base gain, but readily;
Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Keep watch over the flock of God which is in your care, using your authority, not as forced to do so, but gladly; and not for unclean profit but with a ready mind;
Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;
Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over it, not because you must but because you want to, and not greedily but eagerly, as God desires.John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 9:17; 1 Timothy 3:3,8; Titus 1:7;">[xr]
2 feed the flock of Aloha which is delivered to you, and take care (of it) spiritually [fn] not by constraint, but with the will; not for corrupt gain, but with all your heart;
2 Feed ye the flock of God which is committed to you: have care [fn] , spiritually; not from compulsion, but voluntarily; not for base gain, but with all your heart;
Feede you God his flocke, whiche is committed vnto you, takyng the ouersight of them not as compelled therto, but wyllyngly, not for the desyre of fylthy lucre, but of a good mynde:
Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according unto God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;
Feed the flock of God which is among you, overseeing it not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy gain, but of a ready mind,
Be shepherds of God's flock which is among you. Exercise the oversight not reluctantly but eagerly, in accordance with the will of God; not for base gain but with cheerful minds;
that ben among you, fede ye the flok of God, that is among you, and puruey ye, not as constreyned, but wilfulli, bi God; not for loue of foule wynnyng,
Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to God; nor yet for greed of monetary gain, but eagerly;
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [of it], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but from a ready mind;
Give a shepherd's care to God's flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God's direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly.
Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, [fn] not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.
Be good shepherds of the flock God has put in your care. Do not care for the flock as if you were made to. Do not care for the flock for money, but do it because you want to.
to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it—not for sordid gain but eagerly.
Shepherd the beloved flock of God, which is among you, - not by compulsion, but by choice, nor yet for base gain, but of a ready mind, -
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint but willingly, according to God: not for filthy lucre’s sake but voluntarily:
Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly,
se that ye fede Christes flocke which is amonge you takynge the oversyght of them not as though ye were compelled therto but willyngly: not for the desyre of filthy lucre but of a good mynde.
feed the flock of God that [is] among you, overseeing not constrainedly, but willingly, neither for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind,
Fede Christes flocke which is amonge you, and take the ouersighte of the, not as though ye were copelled therto, but wyllingly: not for the desyre of filthye lucre, but of a good mynde:
to exhort you to feed the flock of God, which is among you: to take care of it, voluntarily, without reluctance, not from any view to sordid gain, but out of real affection;
to look after the herd God has trusted you with. Do your jobs because you want to, not because you have to. Don't even do it for the reward, do it because you want to please God.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Feed: Song of Solomon 1:8, Isaiah 40:11, Ezekiel 34:2, Ezekiel 34:3, Ezekiel 34:23, Micah 5:4, Micah 7:14, John 21:15-17, Acts 20:28
the flock: Isaiah 63:11, Jeremiah 13:17, Jeremiah 13:20, Ezekiel 34:31, Zechariah 11:17, Luke 12:32, 1 Corinthians 9:7
which is among you: or, as much as in you is, Psalms 78:71, Psalms 78:72, Acts 20:26, Acts 20:27
taking: Hebrews 12:15,*Gr.
not by: Isaiah 6:8, 1 Corinthians 9:16, 1 Corinthians 9:17
not for: Isaiah 56:11, Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 8:10, Micah 3:11, Malachi 1:10, Acts 20:33, Acts 20:34, 2 Corinthians 12:14, 2 Corinthians 12:15, 1 Timothy 3:3, 1 Timothy 3:8, Titus 1:7, Titus 1:11, 2 Peter 2:3, Revelation 18:12, Revelation 18:13
of: Acts 21:13, Romans 1:15, Titus 2:14, Titus 3:1
Reciprocal: Genesis 31:40 - General Numbers 3:51 - Moses Numbers 4:16 - the oversight Numbers 24:11 - the Lord Numbers 27:16 - set a man Deuteronomy 18:1 - shall have Deuteronomy 18:6 - and come with Judges 17:10 - I will give 1 Samuel 2:16 - I will take 1 Samuel 12:3 - whose ox 1 Kings 13:7 - I will give 2 Kings 5:20 - and take 2 Kings 12:6 - the priests 1 Chronicles 28:9 - a willing mind Nehemiah 6:12 - hired him Psalms 100:3 - we are his Proverbs 10:21 - feed Proverbs 27:23 - diligent Isaiah 23:17 - and she shall Jeremiah 3:15 - which shall Ezekiel 13:19 - for handfuls Ezekiel 34:4 - but with Ezekiel 44:28 - I am their inheritance Ezekiel 46:24 - General Amos 7:12 - eat Zechariah 9:16 - shall save Mark 6:30 - both John 10:12 - he that Romans 12:8 - ruleth 2 Corinthians 4:5 - we 2 Corinthians 8:3 - beyond Ephesians 5:3 - covetousness Philippians 1:15 - and Philippians 4:17 - because 1 Thessalonians 2:5 - a cloak 1 Thessalonians 5:12 - and are 1 Timothy 3:1 - bishop Philemon 1:14 - thy benefit Hebrews 13:17 - watch 1 Peter 5:4 - the Revelation 7:17 - feed
Cross-References
So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.
So the LORD God took the man [He had made] and settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
Then Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth.
He replied, "Have you never read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,
"But from the beginning of creation God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE.
"And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Feed the flock of God which is among you,.... Some read, "as much as in you is"; that is, to the utmost of your power, according to your abilities, referring to the manner of feeding the flock, doing it in the best way they are capable of; but the phrase is rather descriptive of the flock to be fed, which points it out, and distinguishes it from all others, and for which they should have a particular regard; it being the flock, as the Syriac version renders it, which "is delivered unto you"; which was committed to their care, and they were made overseers of, and stood in a special relation to; wherefore it was incumbent on them to regard them, so as they did not, and were not obliged to regard, any other distinct flock: by "the flock of God"; or, "of Christ", as some copies read, is meant, not the whole world, which Philo the Jew r calls the greatest and most perfect, ÏÎ¿Ï Î¿Î½ÏÎ¿Ï Î¸ÎµÎ¿Ï Ïοιμην, "flock of the true God"; but the church of God, over which they were elders or pastors, consisting of Christ's sheep and lambs, he ordered Peter to feed, as he now does his fellow elders; and because they are the flock of God, which he has chosen, distinguished, and separated from the rest of the world, and has made the care and charge of Christ; put them into his hands, whence they are called the sheep of his hand; which he has purchased with his blood, and effectually called by his grace, and returned them to himself, the Shepherd and Bishop of souls, who before were as sheep going astray, and folded them together in a Gospel church state; all this is a reason, and a strong one, why they should be fed; not with every wind of doctrine, which blows up the pride of human nature, and swells men with vain conceits of themselves; nor with the chaff of human doctrines; nor with trifling and speculative notions; but with knowledge and understanding of divine and evangelical truths, with the words of faith and sound doctrine, with the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ; with the Gospel of the grace of God, which contains milk for babes, and meat for strong men; and with a crucified Christ himself, who is the bread of life, and whose flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed; by directing them to his person, blood, and righteousness, to live by faith on; by preaching the doctrines of peace and pardon by his blood, atonement and satisfaction by his sacrifice, and justification by his righteousness, and complete salvation by his obedience and death: in short, feeding includes the whole of the pastor's work, the ministry of the word, the administration of ordinances, and the rule and government of the church, in the several branches of it; for the same word signifies to rule as to feed; and which work is further expressed by
taking the oversight thereof; that is, of the flock; or "take the care of it", as the Syriac version renders it, and adds, "spiritually"; in a spiritual manner; which is an interpretation of the phrase: an acting the part of a bishop or overseer of it, as the word signifies; looking diligently to it, inspecting into the various cases of the members of the church; using diligence to know the state of the flock, and performing all the offices of a careful shepherd; as feeding the flock; and not themselves; strengthening the diseased; healing the sick; binding up that which was broken; bringing again that which was driven away, and seeking that which was lost; watching over them that they go not astray; and restoring of them in the spirit of meekness, when they are gone out of the way; and overlooking both their practices and their principles; admonishing, reproving them for sin, as the case requires; and preserving them, as much as in them lies, from wolves, and beasts of prey; from false teachers, and from all errors and heresies: all which is to be done,
not by constraint; or with force, in a rigorous and severe manner; for this may be understood actively of pastors not forcing their flock, over driving them, or ruling them with force and cruelty, complained of in Ezekiel 34:4 or passively, of their being forced to feed the flock, and superintend it; as such may be said to be, who enter into the ministry, and continue in it, because obliged to it for want of a livelihood, and not knowing how to get one any other way; or through the pressing instances of relations, acquaintance, and friends; this ought not to be a matter of necessity, but of choice; they should be induced to it by no other necessity than what Christ has laid upon them, by calling them to the work, and furnishing them for it with the gifts of his Spirit; and should engage and continue in it by no other constraint than that of his love; wherefore it follows,
but willingly. The Vulgate Latin version adds, "according to God", and so some copies; according to the will of God, and agreeably to his word; and the Ethiopic version renders it, "with equity for God"; with all uprightness and integrity, for the sake of the honour and glory of God; this should be done with all a man's heart and soul, and should spring from pure love to Christ; for no man is fit to feed Christ's lambs and sheep but those who sincerely love him; see John 21:15, and from a cordial and affectionate concern for the good of souls; and from, an hearty desire unto, and delight in, the work itself; otherwise all he does will be as a task and burden; he will do it grudgingly, and with negligence, and will murmur under it, at least secretly. The Arabic version renders it, "watching, not forced watches, but willing ones". This contrast of phrases seems to be Jewish, or Rabbinical s; it is a tradition of the Rabbans;
"blood which is defiled, and they sprinkle it ignorantly, it is accepted; presumptuously, not accepted; of what things are these said? of a private person; but of a congregation, whether ignorantly or presumptuously, it is accepted; and of a stranger, whether ignorantly or presumptuously, ××× ×××× ×¡ ××× ×רצ××, "whether by constraint or willingly", it is not accepted:''
it follows here,
not for filthy lucre; not from a covetous disposition, which is a filthy one; and for the sake of gaining money, and amassing wealth and riches, as the false prophets in Isaiah's time, who were never satisfied; and the false teachers in the apostle's time, who, through covetousness, made merchandise of men, and supposed that gain was godliness; whereas there is no such thing as serving God and mammon; and as the work of the ministry should not be entered upon, and continued in, with any such sordid view; so neither for the sake of gaining glory and applause, a presidency, and chief place in the churches, and a name among the ministers of the Gospel, and credit and esteem among men:
but of a ready mind; or, "from the whole heart", as the Syriac version renders it; and in a cheerful view of reproaches and persecutions, of the loss of credit and reputation, of worldly substance, and of life itself; and with a sincere concern for the glory of God, and the good of immortal souls; being ready to do everything with cheerfulness, that may contribute to either of these. The Ethiopic version renders it, "in the fulness of your heart with joy".
r De Agricultura, p. 195. s T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 25. 1. Vid. T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 54. 1. & Maimon. Hilch. Issure Mizbeach, c. 4. sect. 5, 6.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Feed the flock of God - Discharge the duties of a shepherd toward the flock. On the word âfeed,â see the notes at John 21:15. It is a word which Peter would be likely to remember, from the solemn manner in which the injunction to perform the duty was laid on him by the Saviour. The direction means to take such an oversight of the church as a shepherd is accustomed to take of his flock. See the notes at John 10:1-16.
Which is among you - Margin, as much as in you is. The translation in the text is the more correct. It means the churches which were among them, or over which they were called to preside.
Taking the oversight thereof - εÌÏιÏκοÏÎ¿Ï ÍνÏÎµÏ episkopountes. The fair translation of this word is, âdischarging the episcopal officeâ; and the word implies all that is always implied by the word âbishopâ in the New Testament. This idea should have been expressed in the translation. The meaning is not merely to take the oversight - for that might be done in a subordinate sense by anyone in office; but it is to take such an oversight as is implied in the episcopate, or by the word âbishop.â The words âepiscopate,â âepiscopal,â and âepiscopacy,â are merely the Greek word used here and its correlatives transferred to our language. The sense is that of overseeing; taking the oversight of; looking after, as of a flock; and the word has originally no reference to what is now spoken of as especially the episcopal office. It is a word strictly applicable to any minister of religion, or officer of a church. In the passage before us this duty was to be performed by those who, in 1 Peter 5:1, are called presbyters, or elders; and this is one of the numerous passages in the New Testament which prove that all that is properly implied in the performance of the episcopal functions pertained to those who were called presbyters, or elders. If so, there was no higher grade of ministers to which the special duties of the episcopate were to be entrusted; that is, there was no class of officers corresponding to those who are now called âbishops.â Compare the notes at Acts 20:28.
Not by constraint, but willingly - Not as if you felt that a heavy yoke was imposed on you, or a burden from which you would gladly be discharged. Go cheerfully to your duty as a work which you love, and act like a freeman in it, and not as a slave. Arduous as are the labors of the ministry, yet there is no work on earth in which a man can and should labor more cheerfully.
Not for filthy lucre - Shameful or dishonorable gain. See the notes at 1 Timothy 3:3.
But of a ready mind - Cheerfully, promptly. We are to labor in this work, not under the influence of the desire of gain, but from the promptings of love. There is all the difference conceivable between one who does a thing because he is paid for it, and one who does it from love - between, for example, the manner in which one attends on us when we are sick who loves us, and one who is merely hired to do it. Such a difference is there in the spirit with which one who is actuated by mercenary motives, and one whose heart is in the work, will engage in the ministry.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 Peter 5:2. Feed the flock — Do not fleece the flock.
Taking the oversight — εÏιÏκοÏÎ¿Ï Î½ÏεÏ. Discharging the office of bishops or superintendents. This is another proof that bishop and presbyter were the same order in the apostolic times, though afterwards they were made distinct.
Not by constraint — The office was laborious and dangerous, especially in these times of persecution; it is no wonder then that even those who were best qualified for the office should strive to excuse themselves with a genuine Nolo episcopari, "I am unwilling to be a bishop."
Not for filthy lucre — Could the office of a bishop, in those early days, and in the time of persecution, be a lucrative office? Does not the Spirit of God lead the apostle to speak these things rather for posterity than for that time? 1 Timothy 3:3.
But of a ready mind — Doing all for Christ's sake, and through love to immortal souls.
