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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Peter 3:1-7

The apostle having treated of the duties of subjects to their sovereigns, and of servants to their masters, proceeds to explain the duty of husbands and wives. I. Lest the Christian matrons should imagine that their conversion to Christ, and their interest in all Christian privileges, exempted them from subjection to their pagan or Jewish husbands, the apostle here tells them, 1. In what the duty of wives consists. (1.) In subjection, or an affectionate submission to the will, and obedience to... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Peter 3:3-6

3:3-6 Let not your adornment be an outward thing of braided hair and ornaments of gold and wearing of robes, but let it be an adornment of the inward personality of the heart, wrought by the unfading loveliness of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For it was thus in days of old the holy women, who placed their hopes in God, adorned themselves in submission to their husbands. It was thus that Sara obeyed Abraham calling him, "Lord." And you have become her... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Peter 3:3

Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning ,.... Or that only and principally; let not that be solely or chiefly attended to, nor anxiously sought after, nor ever in order to allure and ensnare others, or to fill with pride and vanity; nor should it be indecent and luxurious, immodest and immoderate, and unsuitable to the age, character, and station of persons; otherwise clothing is both convenient and necessary; and a decent garb, neat and modest apparel, and what is suitable to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Peter 3:3

Whose adorning - Κοσμος . See the note on Hebrews 9:1 , where the word κοσμος , world or ornament, is defined; and also the note on Genesis 2:1 . Plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold - Plaiting the hair, and variously folding it about the head, was the most ancient and most simple mode of disposing of this chief ornament of the female head. It was practised anciently in every part of the east, and is so to the present day in India, in China, and also in Barbary. It was also... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Peter 3:3

Verse 3 3Whose adorning The other part of the exhortation is, that wives are to adorn themselves sparingly and modestly: for we know that they are in this respect much more curious and ambitious than they ought to be. Then Peter does not without cause seek to correct in them this vanity. And though he reproves generally sumptuous or costly adorning, yet he points out some things in particular, — that they were not artificially to curl or wreath their hair, as it was usually done by... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Peter 3:1-7

I. DUTIES OF WIVES . 1. Obedience. Holy matrimony is a very sacred thing. It is not a mere human ordinance ( ἀνθρωπινὴ κτίσις , 1 Peter 2:13 ); it is not a creation of human law. Human law, indeed, surrounds it with its sanctions, regarding it as a civil contract; but it was instituted of God in the time of man's innocency; it is an image of the mystical union between Christ and his Church. It is a school of holy love, a discipline of sweet self-denials for the loved one's... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Peter 3:1-7

I. SUBJECTION OF WIVES TO THEIR HUSBANDS . 1. Duty stated. "In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands." The space which is here given to wives, especially in comparison with what is given to husbands, points to the great influence of women in the early Christian Church. The injunction to wives comes under the being subject to every ordinance of man ( 1 Peter 2:13 ). Christianity was to be advanced by the subjection of Christians to magistrates placed... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Peter 3:1-22

The subject of this section is the necessity for a life becoming the Christian name; this is applied to Christian citizens and to Christian servants, and, here, to Christian wives. The reason for the conspicuous place here assigned to wives is obvious. The writer is addressing Churches in pagan countries, many of whose members were wives of heathen husbands. What were these to do? were they to continue in that relationship, or did their Christianity sever the marriage bond? That question... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Peter 3:3

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair. A common Hebraism, like our Lord's injunction in John 6:27 , "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which cndureth unto everlasting life." St. Peter does not forbid the moderate use of ornaments, but asserts their utter worthlessness compared with Christian graces. The ladies of the time seem often to have had their hair dressed in a very fantastic and extravagant manner. And of wearing of gold ;... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Peter 3:3-4

That attention to dress and personal decoration is natural to woman, is obvious from an observation of the customs of every nation in every age. The Apostle Peter must not be understood as in this place censuring such attention, but as pointing out that there is apparel, that there is ornament, far preferable to any bodily costume and jewelry that taste can devise and wealth can purchase. Christian women of every position in life are exhorted to provide themselves with these precious and... read more

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