1 Peter 3:8-12

⁸ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

⁹ not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

¹⁰ For “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.

¹¹ Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

The quote in verses 10-12 is from Psalm 34:12-16.

The words “having compassion” [v.8] are the translation of a Greek word from which we get our word “sympathy.” The word is made up of two Greek words, one word meaning “to be affected” by something, hence “to feel,” that is, to have feelings stirred up within one by some circumstance, the other word meaning “with.” The word means therefore, “to have a fellow-feeling.” It refers here to the interchange of fellow-feeling in either joy or sorrow. It is “rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Romans 12:15). … The word “courteous” is the translation of a Greek word which means “humble-minded, having a modest opinion of one’s self.” — Wuest, pages 85-86.

love (v.8) = phileo = brotherly love

returning (v.9) = giving back

for (v.9) = literally “in exchange for”

reviling (v.9) = insult

blessing (v.9) = lit. “be constantly blessing”

into this (v.9) = lit. “for this very purpose”

The word “will” [would] is a present participle in the Greek speaking of an action going on in present time, literally, “he who is wishing or desiring to be loving life.” The idea is, “he who is loving life and wishes to continue to do so.” The word “refrain” is the translation of a word which speaks of a natural tendency towards that from which the abstention exhorted is to take place, literally, “Let him stop the tendency of his tongue from evil.” — Wuest, pages 86-87.

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The word “eschew” [turn away from] came originally from a Norman word which means “to shun or avoid.” The Greek word means literally, “to lean out from.” The word here refers to the act of bending aside from one’s path at the approach of evil. — Wuest, page 87.

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In verses 10-12, Peter is quoting from Psalm 34. We find it of interest, however, that he didn’t quote the passage in its entirety. Instead, he rightly divided the Word of truth. Peter ended the quote accordingly, “the face of the Lord is against them that do evil …” But the Psalmist went on to declare, “to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth” (Psalm 34:16b).

You see, Peter understood that the Mystery given to the Apostle Paul interrupted the day of God’s Judgment, when He will judge the evil deeds of men (2 Peter 3:3-10, 15-18). Hear me and hear me well, God is not slack concerning His promises. He always honors His Word, both to the saved and the unsaved. God will save those who believe and fulfill His promise to all evildoers “to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” — Sadler, page 115.