1 Peter 3:11
Let him r*eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and *ensue it.
Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
ἐκκλινάτω ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποιησάτω ἀγαθόν· ζητησάτω εἰρήνην, καὶ διωξάτω αὐτήν.
Textual key: no entry
r:
Isaiah 1:16 ¶Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Psalms 37:26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
Psalms 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
3 John 1:11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
*:
eschew-avoid.
*:
ensue-follow after.
let him not only in general avoid all sin, and exercise himself in all well-doing, (as the prophet’s meaning, cited in the margin, seems to be), but particularly, let him avoid all sin against his neighbour, not recompensing evil to him, and doing him all the good he can, and overcoming evil with good; and to this the apostle accommodates the prophet’s words.
not only with God and his own conscience, but with his neighbours, which is here especially meant.
either seeking and ensuing signify the same thing, viz. an earnest desire of peace, and use of all lawful means to obtain it; or, ensuing it may signify the difficulty of obtaining it; when we seek it, it may seem to fly from us, men may not let us have peace when we would have peace, Psa 120:7, and therefore we must follow it, Heb 12:14.