1 Peter 5

1 Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed:

2 shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily; not for dishonest gain, but willingly;

3 not as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock.

4 When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.

5 Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility and subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time,

7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

8 Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

9 Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.

10 But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

11 To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you. So does Mark, my son.

14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Around 1 Peter 5

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

1 Peter 5 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

The letter closes with a call to shepherds, and the one who gives it describes himself as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ. Shepherd the flock of God, he says, not under compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain, not lording it over those entrusted to you but being examples. When the chief Shepherd is revealed, they will receive a crown of glory that doesn't fade.

Then to everyone: clothe yourselves with humility. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that he may lift you up in due time, “casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you”.

Peter does not leave the danger unnamed. Be sober and watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Stand firm in your faith, knowing that your brothers in the world are going through the same sufferings. After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.

Greetings end it: Silvanus helped write it, she who is in Babylon sends greetings, and so does Mark, my son.

Background

The letter ends with a word to its leaders, then to everyone, then with greetings. Many scholars think Babylon here is a way of speaking about Rome, and tradition links Peter with that city, but the text does not say so directly. Silvanus is often identified with the Silas of Acts 15 to 18. Mark is usually identified with John Mark, linked by tradition to the second Gospel. Psalm 22 also uses the picture of a roaring lion.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 19 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes