1 Peter 2 · Verse 3

1 Peter 2:3

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

1 Peter 2:3, King James Version

1 Peter 2:3 in other translations

BSB	now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
WEB	if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
ASV	if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:
YLT	if so be ye did taste that the Lord is gracious,
DARBY	if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is good.
BBE	If you have had a taste of the grace of the Lord:
Webster	If indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

What does 1 Peter 2:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

3. 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" (1Pe 2:4), we who are born again ought so to be good and kind to the brethren (1Pe 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].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 3. 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, Heb 6:4.

(a) "tasted" Ps 34:8

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

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 - Ὁτι χρηστος ὁ Κυριος· From the similarity of the letters, many MSS. and several of the fathers have read, Χριστος ὁ κυριος, the Lord is Christ, or Christ is the Lord. This seems to refer to Psa 34:8 : O taste and see that the Lord is good; Γευσασθε και ιδετε ὁτι χρηστος ὁ 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, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Peter 2:1-10

Chapter Outline A temper suitable to the Christian character as born again, is recommended. (1-10) Holy conversation among the Gentiles directed. (11-12) Subjects exhorted to pay all proper obedience to their civil governors. (13-17) Also servants to their masters, and all to be patient, according to the example of the suffering Saviour. (18-25) Verses 1-10 Evil-speaking is a sign of malice and guile in the heart…

Read the full comment on 1 Peter 2:1-10 →

1 Peter 2:3 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

εἰeiifG1487

ἐγεύσασθεegeusastheyou have tastedG1089

ὅτιhotithatG3754

χρηστὸςchrēstos[is] goodG5543

ὁhotheG3588

κύριος.kuriosLord.G2962

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Peter 2:3

Psalms 34:8
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Hebrews 6:5-6
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Psalms 63:5
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
Zechariah 9:17
For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.
Psalms 24:8
Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
Psalms 9:10
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
Song of Solomon 2:3
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ps 9:10; 24:8; 63:5; So 2:3; Zec 9:17; Heb 6:5,6

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1 Peter 2:3
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1 Peter 2:4
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

Read all of 1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Si empero habéis gustado que el Señor es benigno;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	si toutefois vous avez goûté que le Seigneur est bon;
German Elberfelder 1871	wenn ihr anders geschmeckt habt, daß der Herr gütig ist.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	si tamen gustastis quoniam dulcis est Dominus.