1 Peter 3:13

And who is he that will harm you? The apostle, as he began his quotation from Psalms 34:1-22 , without marks of citation, so adds at once his inference from it in the form of a question. The conjunction "and" connects the question with the quotation. If God's eye is over the righteous, and his ear open to their prayers, who shall harm them? St. Peter does not mean—Who will have the heart to harm you? He knew the temper of Jews and heathens; he knew also the Savior's prophecies of coming persecution too well to say that. The words remind us of the Septuagint rendering of Isaiah 50:9 , κύριος βοηθήσει μοι τίς κακώσει με ; None can do real harm to the Lord's people; they may persecute them, but he will make all things work together for their good. If ye be followers of that which is good; rather, if ye become zealous of that which is good, with the oldest manuscripts. The Authorized Version adopts the reading μιμηταί , followers or imitators, which is not so well supported. The genitive τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ admits the masculine translation, "of him that is good," but it is probably neuter in this place (comp. Isaiah 50:11 ). With the masculine rendering, comp. Acts 22:3 , "and was zealous toward God ( ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τοῦ θεοῦ ) . "