1 Peter 2:3

2:3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness: The words are taken from Ps 34:8. Peter quotes this psalm again in 1 Pet 3:10-12.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

1Pe 2:3. Ἐγεύσασθε, ye have tasted) A taste excites the appetite.[14]—ὍΤΙ, that) Psa 34:8. Peter quotes the same Psalm in the next chapter.—χρηστὸς, good) Therefore they, who are born again, are and ought to be like Him.—ὁ Κύριος, the Lord) יהוה, Christ, 1Pe 2:4: Psa 47:6.

[14] Comp. Mal 3:10.—V. g.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Pe_2:3. εἰ [εἴπερ] ἐγεύσασθε, ὅτι κ.τ.λ.] Based on the Old Testament passage, Psa_34:9 : γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε, ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος; the words καὶ ἴδετε are omitted, not being suitable to the figure γάλα.

εἰ is here, as in 1Pe_2:17, hypothetical indeed: if, but it does not express a doubt; thus Gerhard correctly explains εἴπερ: non est dubitantis, sed supponentis, quod factum sit. Comp. Rom_8:9; 2Th_1:6.

γεύομαι is used here of inward experience, comp. Heb_6:4-5; it alludes to the figurative γάλα, inasmuch as the Christian tastes, as it were, of the kindness of the Lord in the spiritual milk tendered to him. The apostle takes for granted that the Christians had already made inward experience of the goodness of their Lord (κύριος; in the Psalms, God; here, Christ), not merely in the instruction which preceded baptism, or in baptism itself (Lorinus), or cum fidem evangelii susceperunt (Hornejus), but generally during their life as Christians; as the new-born child, not once only, but ever anew refreshes itself on the nourishment offered by a mothers love. With such experience, it is natural that believers should ever afresh be eager for the spiritual nourishment, in the imparting of which the χρηστότης of the Lord is manifested: nam gustus provocat appetitum (Lorinus).[113]

ὍΤΙ, not equal to quam (Grotius), but: that.

χρηστός, kind, gracious, not exactly suavis (Grotius: ut a gustu sumta translatio melius procedat); in this sense it would be more applicable to γάλα than to ΚΎΡΙΟς.

Several interpreters assume that in ΧΡΗΣΤΌς Peter plays upon the word ΧΡΙΣΤΌς; but this is more than improbable.

[113] Schott insists that the apostle is not here anxious about the readers desire in general for the word, but that such desire should be combined with the purpose of finally attaining salvation. But is there anywhere a desire after the word of God without such intent?Nothing in the context indicates that that in which the χρηστότης of the Lord is manifested is those rare moments of heavenly joy in which this life is a foretaste of eternal glory (Schott).

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Pe 2:3 . St. Peter adopts the language of Psa 34:9 , omitting καὶ ἔδετε as inappropriate to γάλα . χρηστός (identical in sound with χριστός ) = dulcis (Vulg.) or kind ( cf. χρηστότης θεοῦ , Rom 2:4 ; Rom 11:22 ). Compare Heb 6:4 f. γευσαμένους τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου … καὶ καλὸν γευσαμένους θεοῦ ῥῆμα .

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He commendeth that spiritual nourishment for the sweetness and profit of it.

Or, do taste.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Peter alludes to Psa 34:8. The first "tastes" of God's goodness are afterwards followed by fuller and happier experiences. A taste whets the appetite [BENGEL].

gracious--Greek, "good," benignant, kind; as God is revealed to us in Christ, "the Lord" (Pe1 2:4), we who are born again ought so to be good and kind to the brethren (Pe1 1:22). "Whosoever has not tasted the word to him it is not sweet it has not reached the heart; but to them who have experienced it, who with the heart believe, 'Christ has been sent for me and is become my own: my miseries are His, and His life mine,' it tastes sweet" [LUTHER].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. If so be ye have tasted] ειπερ εγευσασθε. Seeing ye have tasted. There could be no doubt that they had tasted the goodness of Christ who were born again, of incorruptible seed, and whose hearts were purified by the truth, and who had like precious faith with the apostles themselves.

That the Lord is gracious.] οτι χρηστος ο κυριος. From the similarity of the letters, many MSS. and several of the fathers have read, χριστος ο κυριος, the Lord is Christ, or Christ is the Lord.

This seems to refer to Ps 34:8: O taste and see that the Lord is good; γευσασθε και ιδετε οτι χρηστος ο κυριος, Sept. And there is still a reference to the sucking child that, having once tasted its mother's milk, ever after desires and longs for it. As they were born of God, and had tasted his goodness, they would naturally desire the same pure unadulterated milk of the word.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3 If so be that ye have tasted; or, If indeed ye have tasted. He alludes to Psalm 34:8,

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

But he says that this taste is to be had in Christ, as, doubtless, our souls can find no rest anywhere but in him. But he has drawn the ground of his exhortation from the goodness of God, because his kindness, which we perceive in Christ, ought to allure us; for what follows,

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(3) If so be ye have tasted.—The “if so be,” as elsewhere (2Th_1:6, Note), constitutes a strong appeal to the readers to say whether it were not so. St. Peter confidently reckons that it is so. It should rather be ye tasted, looking back to a quite past time, probably that of the first conversion, when the taste of spiritual things is the most delicious. How sad to be past the relish for evangelical truth! The quotation, or rather adaptation, from Psa_34:8 is, no doubt, suggested by the metaphor of “milk.” A curious little point about our translation here is that the word “gracious” has been adopted to suit the Prayer Book version of the Psalm. It is scarcely suitable to the Greek word, which, originally signifying “usable,” “serviceable,” passes on to be used of anything mild and pleasant, as, for instance, in Luk_5:39, of the mellowness of old wine. Here, therefore, the word seems to be peculiarly used with reference to the sense of taste. A more important point, doctrinally, is that St. Peter is here applying to Jesus Christ (as the next verse shows) a passage which otherwise we might not have thought of applying to Him in particular. It gives quite a new complexion to the 34th Psalm, when we see that in St. Peter’s view the Psalmist was speaking prophetically of our Lord. We shall find him quoting the same Psalm in the same sense again in 1Pe_3:10.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious] Better, if ye tasted, as referring more definitely to the experiences of the first period of their life as Christians. The word “tasted” as applied to those experiences follows naturally, as in Heb_6:4, on the imagery of the milk. The Greek word for “gracious” itself carries on the metaphor of the tasting, being applied in Luk_5:39 to express the mellowness of wine ripened by age. The words are a quotation from Psa_34:8 as it stands in the LXX. version. We can scarcely doubt that the Apostle saw in the Master he had owned in Christ the “Lord” of whom the Psalmist spoke. It is possible that he may have been led to choose the quotation from the close resemblance in sound between the two Greek words for “Christ” (Christos) and “gracious” (Chrestos). The acceptance of the name of Christian as carrying with it this significance, and being, as it were, nomen et omen, was common in the second century (Tertullian Apol. 100:3), and it would have been quite in accordance with Jewish habits of thought for St Peter to have anticipated that application.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Reference is had to Psa 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good"; and the Syriac version here adds, "if ye have seen": by the Lord is meant, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the following words show, who is gracious and amiable, and lovely in his person; who has a fulness of grace in him for his people; has displayed his grace towards them, in engaging for them as a surety, in assuming their nature, obeying, suffering, and dying in their stead; he is gracious in his word and promises, truths and ordinances, and in all his offices and relations; and regenerate persons have tasted that he is so: an unregenerate man has no spiritual taste; his taste is vitiated by sin, and not being changed, sin is a sweet morsel in his mouth, and he disrelishes everything that is spiritual; but one that is born again savours the things of the Spirit of God; sin is exceeding sinful to him, and Christ exceeding precious; he, and his fruit, his promises, and blessings of grace, his word and ordinances, are sweet unto his taste: and the taste he has is not a mere superficial one, such as hypocrites may have of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; but such a taste of Christ, and of his grace, as, by a true faith, to eat his flesh, and drink his blood, and so have everlasting life; such have a saving and experimental knowledge of Christ, an application of him, and his saving benefits to them, a revelation of him in them, so that they find and feel that he dwells in them, and they in him; such receive out of Christ's fulness, and grace for grace, and live by faith upon him, and receive nourishment from him; and of this the apostle made no doubt concerning these persons, but took it for granted that they had had such tastes of Christ, and therefore could not but desire the Gospel, which is a revelation of Christ, and sets forth the glory of his person, and the riches of his grace: and whereas, such as have truly tasted of his grace cannot but desire to have more, and fresh tastes of it; where should they have them, but in his word and ordinances? and therefore, would they grow in grace, and know more of Christ, and taste more of his goodness, it is their interest, as it is their spiritual nature, to desire the Gospel, in the purity and sincerity of it.

, "O taste and see that the Lord is good"; and the Syriac version here adds, "if ye have seen": by the Lord is meant, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the following words show, who is gracious and amiable, and lovely in his person; who has a fulness of grace in him for his people; has displayed his grace towards them, in engaging for them as a surety, in assuming their nature, obeying, suffering, and dying in their stead; he is gracious in his word and promises, truths and ordinances, and in all his offices and relations; and regenerate persons have tasted that he is so: an unregenerate man has no spiritual taste; his taste is vitiated by sin, and not being changed, sin is a sweet morsel in his mouth, and he disrelishes everything that is spiritual; but one that is born again savours the things of the Spirit of God; sin is exceeding sinful to him, and Christ exceeding precious; he, and his fruit, his promises, and blessings of grace, his word and ordinances, are sweet unto his taste: and the taste he has is not a mere superficial one, such as hypocrites may have of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; but such a taste of Christ, and of his grace, as, by a true faith, to eat his flesh, and drink his blood, and so have everlasting life; such have a saving and experimental knowledge of Christ, an application of him, and his saving benefits to them, a revelation of him in them, so that they find and feel that he dwells in them, and they in him; such receive out of Christ's fulness, and grace for grace, and live by faith upon him, and receive nourishment from him; and of this the apostle made no doubt concerning these persons, but took it for granted that they had had such tastes of Christ, and therefore could not but desire the Gospel, which is a revelation of Christ, and sets forth the glory of his person, and the riches of his grace: and whereas, such as have truly tasted of his grace cannot but desire to have more, and fresh tastes of it; where should they have them, but in his word and ordinances? and therefore, would they grow in grace, and know more of Christ, and taste more of his goodness, it is their interest, as it is their spiritual nature, to desire the Gospel, in the purity and sincerity of it.

1 Peter 2:4

pe1 2:4

pe1 2:4

pe1 2:4To whom coming, as unto a living stone,.... Christ here, as often elsewhere, is compared to a "stone"; and Peter, by the use of this metaphor, shows that he is not the rock, but Christ is the rock on which the church is built, and he is the foundation stone on which every believer is laid; and it is chiefly with respect to the usefulness of a stone in building, that Christ is compared to one, who is the foundation and cornerstone, as well as for strength and duration; and he is called a "living" one, because he has life in himself, as God, as Mediator, and as man; and communicates life to others, as natural life to all creatures, and spiritual and eternal life to his people, whose great privilege it is to come to him: and by coming to him is meant believing in him; and it does not design the first act of faith on Christ, or a soul's first coming to Christ, but an after and continued exercise of faith on him; and it supposes Christ to be come at, notwithstanding he is in heaven, and saints on earth, for their faith and hope can enter into, and reach him within the vail, and notwithstanding their many transgressions and backslidings; it supposes life in them, or they could not come; and a sense of their need of him, of his righteousness to justify them, of his blood for pardoning and cleansing, of his fulness to supply their want of food, rest, peace, comfort, and salvation in him; and a persuasion of his ability and willingness to relieve them: and they are encouraged to come to him under the above considerations, as a stone, a foundation stone; believing that he is laid as a foundation, and that he is the only foundation, and therefore they lay the whole stress of their salvation, and build all their hopes of happiness on him; and as a living stone, deriving grace, life, and strength from him; exercising faith on him for all the mercies, blessings, and comforts of a spiritual life, and looking to his mercy for eternal life,

Disallowed indeed of men; by the Jewish builders, high priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, and the body and bulk of that nation; who rejected him as the Messiah, and stone of Israel, refused him as a foundation stone, and left him out of the building; and laid another foundation, even their own works of righteousness, on which sandy foundation they built themselves, and directed others to do so likewise; and set him, at nought, as a living stone, would not come to him for life, but sought it in the law, the killing letter, and among their dead works; but though Christ was thus disallowed and disesteemed of by men, yet was he highly valued and esteemed by God:

but chosen of God, and precious; his human nature was "chosen" from among, and above all other individuals of mankind; to be united to the Son of God; as God-man and Mediator, he was chosen to that high office, to be the head of the church, and the Saviour of the body; to be the foundation in the spiritual building, and to be the author and giver of spiritual and eternal life to as many as were given him. Moreover, this phrase denotes the superior excellency of Christ to angels and men in the account of God; being the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person, the Son of his love, in whom he was always well pleased, and in whom he took infinite delight, considered both as his Son, and the surety of his people; and to whom he was

precious, and by him highly honoured, made higher than the kings of the earth, than the angels in heaven, than the heavens themselves, being set down at God's right hand, and a name given him above every name in this world, or that to come; and who is precious to the saints too, more so than rubies, or any precious stones, or any thing or creature whatever; his person is precious, and so are his name, his blood, his righteousness, his truths, his ordinances, and his people.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Ver. 3. If so be ye have tasted] As babes taste the milk they take down, Isa 66:11. We are bidden to suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation, to press and oppress the promises, till we have expressed, and even wrung the sweetness out of them. This will make us even sick of love; our sleep will be pleasant unto us, and our hearts filled with gladness. The saints taste how good the Lord is, and thence they so long after him. Optima demonstratio est a sensibus, as he that feels fire hot, and that tastes honey sweet, can best say it is so.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious - Or rather, as Doddridge renders it, “Since you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” The apostle did not mean to express any doubt on the subject, but to state that, since they had had an experimental acquaintance with the grace of God, they should desire to increase more and more in the knowledge and love of him. On the use of the word “taste,” see the notes at Heb 6:4.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Whoever has a relish for Jesus Christ, has also for his word; and such as have a relish for neither, are truly deplorable. Let us pray then that God would feed us with his word, and with the holy Eucharist, that contains his body and blood, his soul and his divinity, that we may thereby grow up to salvation.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

If so be; this doth not imply a doubting, but a supposition, as was before observed, 1Pe 1:17.

Ye have tasted; not lightly tasted by a bare ineffectual knowledge, as Heb 6:4; but experienced and perceived by the taste of your spiritual palate; your spiritual sense, and ability to judge of spiritual things, being restored to you, with your new birth. He refers to Psa 34:8, and possibly to Isa 66:11.

The Lord; the Lord Jesus Christ, as appears by the next verse.

Is gracious; good, kind, or rather, sweet: the same word is applied to wine, Luk 5:39. The sense of the whole is: If ye have by faith received the gospel as glad tidings, and worthy of all acceptation, 1Ti 1:15, and therein perceived and experienced the sweetness of those consolations which are in Christ Jesus, Phi 2:1; or, which is the same, how sweet he is, who, in the preaching of the gospel, exhibits himself to your spiritual senses, to be fed upon and tasted by you.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Tasted—And thus know by experience, Psa_34:8.

Gracious— Good, kind. Alford suggests that the simplest meaning, as applied to food, is meant: as the Vulgate, dulcis, sweet.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious; rather, if ye tasted. If ye once tasted the good Word of God, (Heb_6:4, Heb_6:5) if ye tasted of the heavenly gift which comes through that Word, (1Pe_1:23) long after it that ye may g-row therein. The "if" does not imply doubt; the apostle supposes that they have once tasted, and urges them, on the ground of that first taste, to long for more. The first experiences of the Christian life stimulate God"s people to further efforts. The words are a quotation fromv Psa_34:8, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!" This makes it less probable that St. Peter is intentionally playing, as some have thought, on the similarity of the words crhsto and Cristov. The confusion was common among the heathen; and Christian writers, as Tertullian, sometimes adopted it; Christus, they said, was chrestus, Christ was good;" and Christians, followers of the good Master, followed after that which is good. But St. Peter is simply quoting the words of the psalm, and applying them to the metaphor of milk. It is possible that there may be an under-current of allusion to the Lord"s teaching in John 6. The Lord himself is the Bread of life, the food of the soul. The epithet crhstov is not infrequently used of food. (see Luk_5:39)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Since ye have tasted - Sweetly and experimentally known.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

In these words our apostle declares the condition whereon our profiting, growing, and thriving, by the word, doth depend, namely, upon our tasting and experiencing its power, as it is the great instrumental cause both of our spiritual birth and growth. This taste is a spiritual sense of the goodness, power, and efficacy, of the word, in conveying the grace of God unto our souls; in a taste there is sweetness and refreshment, but not fulness and satisfaction.

Learn hence, 1. That God doth graciously sweeten the word to such a soul as doth desire sincerely to taste the sweetness of it.

2. That it is but a taste of the sweetness of God and his word which a Christian partakes of in this life; satiety and satisfaction are reserved for another state.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. If so be. This is the proper food for those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, or been converted. See Ps. 34:9.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

3. εἰ ἐγεύσασθε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος. The words are doubtless borrowed from Psa 34:8, “O taste and see that the Lord is gracious,” where χρηστός is merely the LXX. rendering for the Hebrew “good” and has not the special sense in which it is used of wine in Luk 5:39. In the N.T. χρηστός as used of God denotes graciousness, lovingkindness. In Heb 6:5 we have a similar expression of “tasting that the word (ῥῆμα) of God is good (καλόν).”

ὁ κύριος in the Psalm means Jehovah whereas in the N.T. it commonly refers to Christ. In this passage St Peter immediately goes on to speak of Christ, but it is not safe to argue that he identifies Jehovah with Christ. But in receiving Christ we do taste of the goodness of the Father.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3.] if, that is (wenn anders of the German. The περ conditions the εἰ, see reff. and notes there: and Æsch. Ag. 28, εἴπερ Ἰλίου πόλις ἑάλωκεν, ὡς ὁ φρυκτὸς ἀγγέλλων πρέπει [if so be expresses the same, viz. that the necessary condition of the above exhortation is assumed as having place in the readers]), ye tasted (have tasted. The infant once put to the breast desires it again: the Apostle appeals to this their first taste as an incentive to subsequent ones) that (the formula, from the well-known and beautiful Psa_34) the Lord (“quod subjicitur: ad quem accedentes, non simpliciter ad Deum refertur, sed ipsum designat qualis patefactus est in persona Christi.” Calv.) is good (reff. Perhaps the simplest meaning of χρηστός, as applied to meats and drinks, is here intended: as vulg., “dulcis:” see Palm and Rost, χρηστός, 1. a).

4,

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ye have tasted [εγευσασθε] . Aorist tense. More literally, ye tasted. "A taste excites the appetite" (Bengel). Compare long for, ver. 2, and Psa 34:8.

Gracious [χρηστος] . Actively benignant, "as distinguished from other adjectives which describe goodness on the side of its sterling worth and its gentleness" (Salmond). See on Mt 11:30.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.