1 Peter Chapter 3, Verse 12
From BibleWiki
12: οτι οι οφθαλμοι κυριου επι δικαιους και ωτα αυτου εις δεησιν αυτων προσωπον δε κυριου επι ποιουντας κακα
12: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears
are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is
against them that do evil.
12: Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto
their prayers but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil
things.
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. That is, he is their Protector. His eyes are indeed on all men, but the language here is that which describes continual guardianship and care.
And his ears are open unto their prayers. He hears their prayers. As he is a hearer of prayer, they are at liberty to go to him at all times, and to pour out their desires before him. This passage is taken from Ps 3415, and it is designed to show the reason why a life of piety will contribute to length of days.
But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. Marg., upon. The sense of the passage, however, is against. The Lord sets his face against them: an expression denoting disapprobation, and a determination to punish them. His face is not mild and benignant towards them, as-it is towards the righteous. The general sentiment in these verses (1 Pet 3:10ff) is, that while length of days is desirable, it is to be secured by virtue and religion, or that virtue and religion will contribute to it. This is not to be understood as affirming that all who are righteous will enjoy long life, for we know that the righteous are often cut down in the midst of their way; and that in, fire, and flood, and war, and the pestilence, the righteous and the wicked often perish together. But still there is a sense in which it is true that a life of virtue and religion will contribute to length of days, and that the law is so general as to be a basis of calculation in reference to the future.
- "against" "upon"
