The household code ends with the address to husbands (3:7) after which point Peter transitions to the second half of the body middle in 3:8-12.43 This transition features a move
away from the categorical structure of the household code to a more general address. This transition features an extensive quotation of Psalm 33[34]:12-16 (Fig. 5.4). Allusions to Psalm 33 have already been noted, particularly in connection to the ethical admonitions of 2:11–3:7, and such admonitions continue into the second half of the body middle. Thus, the placement of the quotation is situated in the transition in such a way as to be relatively proximate to all of the admonitions the Psalm undergirds.44 The present task focuses on a more comprehensive study of
the context of Psalm 33, the Psalm’s connection with the ethical admonitions in 1 Peter and the intertextual use of Psalm 33 with Isaiah.
1 Peter 3:10-12 Psalm 33:13-17
o9 ga\r qe/lwn zwh\n a)gapa~n kai\ i0dei~n h9me/raj a)gaqa\j
pausa/tw th\n glw~ssan a)po\ kakou~ kai\ xei/lh tou~ mh\ lalh~sai do/lon,
e0kklina/tw de\ a)po\ kakou~ kai\ poihsa/tw
a)gaqo/n,
zhthsa/tw ei0rh/nhn kai\ diwca/tw au0th/n: o3ti o0fqalmoi\ kuri/ou e0pi\ dikai/ouj kai\ w}ta au0tou~ ei0j de/hsin au0tw~n,
pro/swpon de\ kuri/ou e0pi\ poiou~ntaj kaka/.
Ti/j e0stin a!nqrwpoj o9 qe/lwn zwh\n a)gapw~n h9me/raj i0dei~n a)gaqa/j;
pau~son th\n glw~ssa/n sou a)po\ kakou~ kai\ xei/lh sou tou~ mh\ lalh~sai do/lon.
e1kklinon a)po\ kakou~ kai\ poi/hson
a)gaqo/n,
zh/thson ei0rh/nhn kai\ di/wcon au0th/n.
o0fqalmoi\ kuri/ou e0pi\ dikai/ouj,
kai\ w}ta au0tou~ ei0j de/hsin au0tw~n.
pro/swpon de\ kuri/ou e0pi\ poiou~ntaj kaka/
Figure 5.4: 1 Peter 3:10-12 and Psalm 33:13-17
As a transition, 1 Pet 3:8-12 reiterates several salient points important for the remainder of the body middle. Two phrases draw upon the servants section of the household code. The calling of believers to suffering is first articulated with the phrase, “For to this you were called” (ei0j tou~to ga\r e0klh/qhte) in 2:21.45 Believers are reminded of this calling with the same
phrase, “For to this you were called” (o3ti ei0j tou~to e0klh/qhte) in 3:9. Another phrase drawn from the servants section communicates the silent suffering of Christ in terms reminiscent of the
46Selwyn 1958, 189; Michaels 1988, 177; Elliott 2000, 607; Green 2007, 105–106 47Michaels 1988, 180; Elliott 2000, 606.
48Schutter 1989, 148; Goppelt 1993, 234.
49Cf. Van Unnik 1954/55. Unfortunately, he does not explore adequately the role of Psalm 33 in Peter’s ethics.
50Michaels 1988, 179–180; Schutter 1989, 144–145; Woan 2004, 219–220, Jobes 2006, 326–327. 51The collation of 2400 manuscripts has not yet been completed. Rahlfs critical edition is unfortunately outdated, but provides at the very least a starting point for comparing texts. It is necessary, though, for scholars to diligently assess manuscripts for themselves. Consultation of Fraenkel 2004 serves as a starting point for this endeavor. My thanks go to Kristen De Troyer for her helpful instruction in the current state of scholarship on the Greek Psalter.
52Two quality manuscripts do not have these transposed: 04 (Ephraemi) and 81.
53Several quality manuscripts do not have this insertion: 01 (Sinaiticus), 04C2, 5, 307, 1739, passim. 54Compare with Osborne 1987, 70–71.
Isaianic suffering servant. In 2:23, Christ is depicted as one who “when he was reviled, he did not revile in return” (o4j loidorou/menoj ou0k a)nteloido/rei). In 3:9, this phrase is repeated within a prohibition against retaliation by believers against those who would revile them (mh\ a)podido/ntej . . . loidori/an a)nti\ loidori/aj).46 Beyond the connection with 2:21-25, the use
of the term kako/j in 3:9 both draws upon prior uses of kakopoie/w (2:12, 14) as well as anticipates the use of kako/j in the quotations of Psalm 33.47 The use of kako/j here and in the
Psalm quotation looks ahead to the second half of the body middle in which the term
kakopoie/w recurs (3:17).48 This interconnectedness points to a unified ethical teaching that is
significantly informed by Psalm 33.49
The quotation of Psalm 33 encompasses only a portion of the entire Psalm. The text in 1 Peter differs from the Greek Psalter at several points.50 Many issues must be analyzed in order to
make a judgment on the source of the differences found in 1 Peter. The most significant issue is the lack of available information about the text of the Psalter. It is not possible to enter into all the particulars that bear on the text as it appears in 1 Peter or to engage in a comparison with the earliest manuscripts of Psalm 33. A few points, though, are worth reviewing. First, there are nine differences that occur in 1 Pet 3:8-12 in comparison with the text of Ps 33:13-17 as found in Rahlfs.51 These are:
1. omission of ti/j e0stin a!nqrwpoj (3:10a) 2. insertion of ga/r (3:10a)
3. a)gapw~n changed to a)gapa~n (3:10a) 4. insertion of kai/ (3:10b)
5. transposition of i0dei~n h9me/raj (3:10b)52
6. 2nd Sg. Imperatives changed to 3rd Sg. Imperatives (3:10c–11b)
7. omission of sou (3:10c, d) 8. insertion of de/ (3:11a)53
9. insertion of o3ti (3:12a)
These differences may be grouped into three grammatical categories: conjunctions, pronouns and verbs.54 Each of these categories may then be analyzed throughout the manuscript tradition
for Psalm 33 in which case variants abound in each grammatical category. Some examples of variants in the manuscript tradition match the differences observed in 1 Peter, but others are less
55Bodmer Papyrus IX, Bodmer Papyrus XXIV and Leipzig Papyrus 39 all are dated in IV CE. 56Mays 1994, 152.
57Terrien 2003, 303. 58Limburg 2000, 111. 59Weiser 2000, 298–299.
60Michaels 1988, 180; Green 1990, 287; Elliott 2000, 611. 61Elliott 2000, 613–614.
62Green 1990, 280–282; Jobes 2005, 220.
63Schutter (1989, 44–49) and Elliott (1966, 184–208) are overly dismissive of Bornemann (1919-20, 143–165), perhaps overcompensating for Bornemann’s exaggeration of the evidence. Scholars following Bornemann are Schwank 1966, 16–32 and Snodgrass 1978, 97–106. More balanced assessments of the role of Psalm 33[34] in 1 Peter have been provided by Bauckham 1988, 313; Green 1990, 278–283; Elliott 2000, 611; Woan 2004, 221–226, 228; Jobes 2005, 220.
64Michaels 1988, 180; Green 1990, 288; Elliott 2000, 613–614; Woan 2004, 222; Dryden 2006, 161–162.
exact and serve instead as analogies. An analysis of the earliest Greek manuscripts55 for Psalm 33
is such that scholars cannot dismiss the possibility that the differences found in 1 Peter are due to a variant manuscript. For the purposes of the present thesis with its focus on Isaianic quotations and allusions, these findings with regard to the Psalter cannot be spelled out here. However, they are consistent with what has been argued elsewhere concerning the text of Isaiah.
Greek Psalm 33 begins with exaltation in the first three verses but moves to a song of deliverance thereafter.56 The central section (vv. 12-18) calls upon the people to learn the fear of
the Lord.57 The Psalmist, who has chronicled his own deliverance in v. 5, promises that the Lord
delivers the righteous when they cry for help (v. 18), and that the face of the Lord is against the evil (v. 17).58 The heart of the Psalm admonishes the righteous to good speech and conduct (vv.
14-15).59 It is this admonition that appears in the quotation in 1 Peter 3.
Peter draws upon the ethical admonition of Psalm 33 through two key terms. These terms occur together in Ps 33:15. The righteous are exhorted to “turn from evil and do good” (e1kklinon a)po\ kakou~ kai\ poi/hson a)gaqo/n translating bw$+-h#'(jwA (rfm' rw%s). The change of the verbs in 1 Pet 3:11 from second singular to third singular does nothing to diminish the key role kako/j and a)gaqo/j play both in the Psalm text but also in the rhetoric of the body middle of 1 Peter.60 These terms are combined with the verb poie/w at key points in this section (1 Pet
2:12, 14, 15, 20; 3:6, 17; cf. 2:16, 18; 3:9, 13, 16, 21).61 The occurrence of kako/j and a)gaqo/j in
combination with poie/w particularly highlights how Petrine style incorporates the language of Psalm 33.62
The quotation of the ethical admonition in Ps 33:13-17 in 1 Pet 3:10-12 indicates the importance the Psalm had upon Peter’s argument.63 Yet, it correlates with several items from
Isaiah as well as the character of Christ. Already it has been argued that Isa 10:3 in 1 Pet 2:12 contributes to the ethical content of 1 Peter through an appeal to the day of the Lord. A possible link between these two passages is the prominent use of the verb poie/w (both translating h#f&(f) in conjunction with appeals to conduct. Taken up into Peter’s parlance, poie/w is conjoined with either kako/j or a)gaqo/j (2:12, 14, 15, 20; 3:6, 16, 17; 4:19) as the building blocks of Peter’s ethical address.64
65See above, p. 52–53, cf. 99–100. 66Jobes 2005, 223.
67Green 2007, 107.
An intriguing connection centers on the concept of fear. Four passages converge within the span of a few verses that each address various aspects of fear. It was suggested in the previous section that Isa 54:4 elides with Prov 3:25 in 1 Pet 3:6 to encourage wives with unbelieving husbands. Later in 1 Pet 3:14-15, the concept of fear is drawn from Isa 8:12-13. There believers are encouraged to have no fear of those who might cause suffering through slander (1 Pet 3:16). The transfer of human fear to divine fear, though left out of the quotation in 1 Peter, remains an important concept in Isa 8:13. The Greek version emphasizes this transfer through the repetition of fobe/w and fo/boj. Including the portion of 8:12 quoted in 1 Pet 3:14, the passage reads, “But do not fear the fear of them (to\n de\ fo/bon au0tou~ ou0 mh\ fobhqh~te) nor be troubled, but sanctify the Lord himself and he shall be your fear (kai\ au0to\j e1stai sou fo/boj).” It is this transference of human fear to divine fear, or rather divine reverence, that ties in most naturally with the concept of fobe/w/fo/boj as used in Psalm 33. The section of the Psalm just prior to the quoted portion admonishes the elect to fear the Lord because those who fear him do not experience lack (33:10). The Psalmist then invites the elect to listen to his teaching on the fear of the Lord (33:12). The content of this teaching consists largely of the material quoted in 1 Pet 3:10-12. By way of linking terms, fobe/w/fo/boj draw together texts from Isaiah in concert with Psalm 33 to present believers in Asia Minor with the proper conduct entailed upon their reverence for God as revealed in Christ. This transference of human fear to divine fear or reverence is seen particularly in 1 Pet 2:17 with regard to fearing God while
honoring the emperor, in 2:19 with regard to servants being mindful of God while respecting (e0n panti\ fo/bw|) their masters, and in 3:2 where believing wives maintain respectful conduct (e0n fo/bw|) even while their husbands disobey the word. Thus, the restored presence of the Lord among his people carries the two ideas regarding fear. One, the presence of the Lord is a source of comfort which dispels fear (e.g., Ps 33:17-18; Isa 40:9; 43:5). Two, fear is the appropriate response to the presence of the Lord (e.g., Ps 33:10, 12; Isa 8:13; 51:12-13).
One final connection between Psalm 33 and other passages of Isaiah in 1 Peter deserves attention. The transition from the singular servant of Isaiah 40–53 to the plural servants of Isaiah 54–66 has already been developed in this thesis.65 Easily coordinated with this is Ps 33:23 where
it is promised, “The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants” (lutrw/setai ku/rioj yuxa\j dou/lwn au0tou~).66 The servants of the Lord here enjoy the same sort of vindication promised to
the servants in Isaiah 54–66. As in the latter part of Isaiah, the righteous servants experience affliction (Ps 33:17-19).67 This connection between the servants of Isaiah and the servants of
Psalm 33 provides a means of intertextual reading.
There is no need to settle on a single link between passages. It is sufficient for the purposes of this study to identify that ample links exist between Psalm 33 and Isaiah to warrant the claim that the Psalm is read in concert with Isaiah. The recurrence of terminology relating to fear in 1 Peter and particularly in quoted material suggests that this was the primary link. At the same time, and supporting the point made earlier with regard to catchwords, the term or terms that linked passages at the exegetical level need not be employed at the compositional level of the
68Hays 1989, 13.
69Kelly 1969, 140; Best 1971, 132; Schutter 1989, 38; Davids 1990, 129; Goppelt 1993, 241; Elliott 2000; 619; Jobes 2005, 226.
70Wilcox & Paton-Williams 1988, 93; Watts 1987, 204; Brueggemann 1998, 123; Seitz 2001, 436–437.
epistle. Identifying a linking term does not necessarily provide the key insight a quoted passage provides to its new context.68 Even if Peter went to Psalm 33 looking for scriptural insights into
fear, his quotation does more to support his argument concerning the conduct of believers. Peter’s argument concerning fear matches that of Psalm 33, but when it comes to quoting the text, he emphasizes the ethical section and forsakes the tie-in with the concept of fear. Moreover, Psalm 33 and Isaiah together attest to the narrative of restored divine presence which is both a comfort and vindication to God’s faithful servants who are experiencing suffering in the world.
Finally, in comparison with the christological use of this Psalm in John 19:36, the
employment of Psalm 33 in 1 Peter is considerably ecclesiological in nature. The quotation of Ps 33:21 in John features differences with the Greek version. Psalm 33:21 reads, “He keeps all their bones (pa/nta ta\ o0sta~ au0tw~n), not one of them shall be broken (ou0 suntribh/setai).” The version in John 19:36 reads, “His bone shall not be broken (o0stou~n ou0 suntribh/setai
au0tou~).” The quotation in John is marked with an introductory formula, “For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled.” The textual issues this quotation presents are beyond the scope of the present work, but highlight once again instabilities in the transmission of this particular Psalm. More in keeping with this thesis, though, is the observation that John has read this Psalm christologically as being fulfilled in the crucifixion of Christ. In contrast, Peter has offered no christological reading of this Psalm, finding instead an admonition for the church to