1 Peter 3:1

Contextual Overview

¹ In the same way, you wives should be willing to serve your husbands. Then, even those who have refused to accept God's teaching will be persuaded to believe because of the way you live. You will not need to say anything. ¹ Likewise you wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that some, though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, ¹ Lykewyse let the wyves be in subieccio to their husbades that eve they which beleve not the worde maye with out the worde be wonne by the conversacion of ye wyves: ¹ In like manner, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don't obey the Word, they may be gained by the behavior of their wives without a word; ¹ In the same way, you wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of their wives,¹ In the same way, you wives should yield to your husbands. Then, if some husbands do not obey God's teaching, they will be persuaded to believe without anyone's saying a word to them. They will be persuaded by the way their wives live. ¹ In like manner, you wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any do not obey the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives; ¹ Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the deportment of the wives; ¹ Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, ¹ In like manner, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don't obey the Word, they may be gained by the behavior of their wives without a word;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye: Genesis 3:16, Esther 1:16-20, Romans 7:2,*Gr: 1 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Corinthians 14:34, Ephesians 5:22-24, Ephesians 5:33, Colossians 3:18, 1 Timothy 2:11, 1 Timothy 2:12, Titus 2:3-6

obey: 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 4:17, Romans 6:17, Romans 10:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, Hebrews 5:9, Hebrews 11:8

they: 1 Corinthians 7:16, Colossians 4:5

won: Proverbs 11:30, Proverbs 18:19, Matthew 18:15, 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, James 5:19, James 5:20

Reciprocal: Genesis 2:24 - and they shall be one flesh Numbers 30:13 - and every 2 Kings 4:9 - she said Esther 1:12 - refused Esther 1:20 - all the wives Proverbs 31:11 - General Proverbs 31:26 - in her Matthew 5:16 - that Romans 2:8 - and do not Ephesians 4:29 - minister 1 Thessalonians 4:12 - them Titus 2:5 - obedient Philemon 1:6 - the acknowledging James 3:13 - a good 1 Peter 2:12 - that 1 Peter 3:16 - good

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
And Yahweh God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."

Genesis 3:13
So the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman replied, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said to the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.

Genesis 3:13
Yahweh God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree]."

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord seide to the womman, Whi didist thou this thing? Which answerde, The serpent disseyued me, and Y eet.

Genesis 3:13
And Jehovah God saith to the woman, `What [is] this thou hast done?' and the woman saith, `The serpent hath caused me to forget -- and I do eat.'

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied, "and I ate."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands,.... As well as subjects to princes, and servants to masters; though not with the same sort of subjection, but what is suitable to the relation they stand in to their husbands; :-.

:-.

that if any obey not the word; any husband who is an unbeliever, has no love for the Gospel, and gives no credit to it, but despises, disbelieves, and rejects it, the word of truth, of faith, of righteousness, reconciliation, and salvation. The apostle, though he includes all wives, and exhorts them in general to subjection to their own husbands, yet has a particular regard to such as had unbelieving husbands, and who, on that account, were scrupulous of living with them, and of being in subjection to them; and therefore, as the Apostle Paul also did, he advises them to abide with them, and behave well to them, using much the same argument as he does in 1 Corinthians 7:10.

they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; for though the ordinary way and means of conversion is the word, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word; yet it may be sometimes done without it; or however by the agreeable conversation of professors, and so of religious wives, the hearts of such as were averse to Christianity, and the Gospel, as unbelieving husbands, may be so softened, and wrought upon, as to entertain a better opinion of it, and in process of time be inclined to hear and attend it; the consequence of which may prove their conversion, which is a gaming, or winning of souls; and which, as it is for their good, is for the glory of Christ; for as every soul that is delivered from the power of darkness, and is translated into the kingdom of Christ, is a loss to Satan, it is a gain to Christ, and to his church. The Syriac version, instead of "without the word", reads, "without labour"; as if the winning of unbelieving husbands was easily obtained by the conversation of their wives.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands - On the duty here enjoined, see the 1 Corinthians 11:3-9 notes, and Ephesians 5:22 note.

That, if any obey not the word - The word of God; the gospel. That is, if any wives have husbands who are not true Christians. This would be likely to occur when the gospel was first preached, as it does now, by the fact that wives might be converted, though their husbands were not. It cannot be inferred from this, that after they themselves had become Christians they had married unbelieving husbands. The term “word” here refers particularly to the gospel as preached; and the idea is, that if they were regardless of that gospel when preached - if they would not attend on preaching, or if they were unaffected by it, or if they openly rejected it, there might be hope still that they would be converted by the Christian influence of a wife at home. In such cases, a duty of special importance devolves on the wife.

They also may without the word be won - In some other way than by preaching. This I does not mean that they would be converted independently of the influence of truth - for truth is always the instrument of conversion, James 1:18; John 17:17; but that it was to be by another influence than preaching.

By the conversation of the wives - By the conduct or deportment of their wives. See the notes at Philippians 1:27. The word conversation, in the Scriptures, is never confined, as it is now with us, to oral discourse, but denotes conduct in general. It includes indeed “conversation” as the word is now used, but it embraces also much more - including everything that we do. The meaning here is, that the habitual deportment of the wife was to be such as to show the reality and power of religion; to show that it had such influence on her temper, her words, her whole deportment, as to demonstrate that it was from God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER III.

The duty of wives to their husbands, how they are to be

adorned, and be in subjection as Sarah was to Abraham, 1-6.

The duty of husbands to their wives, 7.

How to obtain happiness, and live a long and useful life, 8-11.

God loves and succours them that do good; but his face is

against the wicked, 12, 13.

They should suffer persecution patiently, and be always ready

to give a reason of the hope that is in them; and preserve a

good conscience, though they suffered for righteousness, 14-17.

Christ suffered for us, and was put to death in the flesh, but

quickened by the Spirit, 18.

How he preached to the old world, while Noah was preparing the

ark, 19, 20.

The salvation of Noah and his family a type of baptism, 21.

Christ is ascended to heaven, all creatures being subject to

him, 22.

NOTES ON CHAP. III.

Verse 1 Peter 3:1. Ye wives, be in subjection — Consider that your husband is, by God's appointment, the head and ruler of the house; do not, therefore, attempt to usurp his government; for even though he obey not the word-is not a believer in the Christian doctrine, his rule is not thereby impaired; for Christianity never alters civil relations: and your affectionate, obedient conduct will be the most likely means of convincing him of the truth of the doctrine which you have received.

Without the word — That your holy conduct may be the means of begetting in them a reverence for Christianity, the preaching of which they will not hear. 1 Corinthians 14:34, and the other places referred to in the margin.