1 Peter 5 · Verse 2

1 Peter 5:2

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1 Peter 5:2, King James Version

1 Peter 5:2 in other translations

BSBBe shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;
WEBshepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily; not for dishonest gain, but willingly;
ASVTend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
YLTfeed the flock of God that is among you, overseeing not constrainedly, but willingly, neither for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind,
DARBYshepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising oversight, not by necessity, but willingly; not for base gain, but readily;
BBEKeep watch over the flock of God which is in your care, using your authority, not as forced to do so, but gladly; and not for unclean profit but with a ready mind;
WebsterFeed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight of it, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but from a ready mind;

What does 1 Peter 5:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. Feed--Greek, "Tend as a shepherd," by discipline and doctrine. Lead, feed, heed: by prayer, exhortation, government, and example. The dignity is marked by the term "elder"; the duties of the office, to tend or oversee, by "bishop." Peter has in mind Christ's injunction to him, "Feed (tend) My sheep ... Feed (pasture) My lambs" (Joh 21:16). He invites the elders to share with him the same duty (compare Ac 20:28). The flock is Christ's. which is among you--While having a concern for all the Church, your special duty is to feed that portion of it "which is among you." oversight--Greek, "bishopric," or duty of bishops, that is, overseer. not by constraint--Necessity is laid upon them, but willingness prevents it being felt, both in undertaking and in fulfilling the duty [Bengel]. "He is a true presbyter and minister of the counsel of God who doeth and teacheth the things of the Lord, being not accounted righteous merely because he is a presbyter, but because righteous, chosen into the presbytery" [Clement of Alexandria]. willingly--One oldest manuscript, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic, add, "as God would have it to be done" (Ro 8:27). not for filthy lucre--(Is 56:11; Tit 1:7). of a ready mind--promptly and heartily, without selfish motive of gain-seeking, as the Israelites gave their services willing-heartedly to the sanctuary.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. Feed the flock of God. Discharge the duties of a shepherd towards the flock. On the word feed, Jn 21:15. It is a word which Peter would be likely to remember, from the solemn manner in which the injunction to perform the duty was laid on him by the Saviour. The direction means to take such an oversight of the church as a shepherd is accustomed to take of his flock. Jn 10:1, seq.

Which is among you. Marg., as much as in you is. The translation in the text is the more correct. It means the churches which were among them, or over which they were called to preside.

Taking the oversight thereof--επισκοπουντες. The fair translation of this word is, discharging the episcopal office; and the word implies all that is ever implied by the word bishop in the New Testament. This idea should have been expressed in the translation. The meaning is not merely to take the oversight--for that might be done in a subordinate sense by any one in office; but it is to take such an oversight as is implied in the episcopate, or by the word bishop. The words episcopate, episcopal, and episcopacy, are merely the Greek word used here and its correlatives transferred to our language. The sense is that of overseeing; taking the oversight of; looking after, as of a flock; and the word has originally no reference to what is now spoken of as peculiarly the episcopal office. It is a word strictly applicable to any minister of religion, or officer of a church. In the passage before us this duty was to be performed by those who, in 1Pet 5:1, are called presbyters or elders; and this is one of the numerous passages in the New Testament which prove that all that is properly implied in the performance of the episcopal functions pertained to those who were called presbyters, or elders. If so, there was no higher grade of ministers to which the peculiar duties of the episcopate were to be intrusted; that is, there was no class of officers corresponding to those who are now called bishops. Comp. Acts 20:28.

Not by constraint, but willingly. Not as if you felt that a heavy yoke was imposed on you, or a burden from which you would gladly be discharged. Go cheerfully to your duty as a work which you love, and act like a freeman in it, and not as a slave. Arduous as are the labours of the ministry, yet there is no work on earth in which a man can and should labour more cheerfully.

Not for filthy lucre. Shameful or dishonourable gain. 1Timm 3:3.

But of a ready mind. Cheerfully, promptly. We are to labour in this work, not under the influence of the desire of gain, but from the promptings of love. There is all the difference conceivable between one who does a thing because he is paid for it and one who does it from love--between, for example, the manner in which one attends on us when we are sick who loves us, and one who is merely hired to do it. Such a difference is there in the spirit with which one who is actuated by mercenary motives, and one whose heart is in the work, will engage in the ministry.

(a) "Feed the flock" Jn 21:15-17, Acts 20:28 (b) "willingly" 1Cor 9:17 (c) "filthy lucre" 1Timm 3:3,8 (*) "lucre" "base gain" (1) "which is among you" "as much as in you is"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Feed the flock - Do not fleece the flock. Taking the oversight - Επισκοπουντες· Discharging the office of bishops or superintendents. This is another proof that bishop and presbyter were the same order in the apostolic times, though afterwards they were made distinct. Not by constraint - The office was laborious and dangerous, especially in these times of persecution; it is no wonder then that even those who were best qualified for the office should strive to excuse themselves with a genuine Nolo episcopari, "I am unwilling to be a bishop." Not for filthy lucre - Could the office of a bishop, in those early days, and in the time of persecution, be a lucrative office? Does not the Spirit of God lead the apostle to speak these things rather for posterity than for that time? See the notes on 1Tim 3:3. But of a ready mind - Doing all for Christ's sake, and through love to immortal souls.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Peter 5:1-4

The apostle Peter does not command, but exhorts. He does not claim power to rule over all pastors and churches. It was the peculiar honour of Peter and a few more, to be witnesses of Christ's sufferings; but it is the privilege of all true Christians to partake of the glory that shall be revealed. These poor, dispersed, suffering Christians, were the flock of God, redeemed to God by the great Shepherd, living in…

Read the full comment on 1 Peter 5:1-4 →

1 Peter 5:2 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.

ποιμάνατεpoimanatedo shepherdG4165
τὸtotheG3588
ἐνenamongG1722
ὑμῖνhuminyouG4771
ποίμνιονpoimnionflockG4168
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
ἐπισκοποῦντεςepiskopountesexercising oversightG1983
μὴmēnotG3361
ἀναγκαστῶςanagkastōsunder compulsionG317
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
ἑκουσίωςhekousiōswillinglyG1596
κατὰkataaccording toG2596
θεόν,theonGod,G2316
μηδὲmēdeand notG3366
αἰσχροκερδῶςaischrokerdōsfor base gainG147
ἀλλὰallabutG235
προθύμως·prothumōseagerly;G4290

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

Cross references for 1 Peter 5:2

  • Titus 1:7

    For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

  • 1 Timothy 3:8

    Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

  • Acts 20:26-28

    Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

  • Titus 3:1

    Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

  • 1 Timothy 3:3

    Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

  • Ezekiel 34:2-3

    Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

  • 1 Corinthians 9:7

    Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

  • Hebrews 12:15

    Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

  • Micah 7:14

    Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.

  • 2 Corinthians 12:14-15

    Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

  • 1 Corinthians 9:16-17

    For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

  • Ezekiel 34:23

    And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Feed.
So 1:8; Isa 40:11; Eze 34:2,3,23; Mic 5:4; 7:14; Joh 21:15-17
Ac 20:28
the flock.
Isa 63:11; Jer 13:17,20; Eze 34:31; Zec 11:17; Lu 12:32; 1Co 9:7
which is among you. or, as much as in you is.
Ps 78:71,72; Ac 20:26,27
taking.
Heb 12:15; *Gr:
not by.
Isa 6:8; 1Co 9:16,17
not for.
Isa 56:11; Jer 6:13; 8:10; Mic 3:11; Mal 1:10; Ac 20:33,34
2Co 12:14,15; 1Ti 3:3,8; Tit 1:7,11; 2Pe 2:3; Re 18:12,13
of.
Ac 21:13; Ro 1:15; Tit 2:14; 3:1

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

Context

  • 1 Peter 5:1

    The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

  • 1 Peter 5:2

    Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

  • 1 Peter 5:3

    Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

Read all of 1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Apacentad la grey de Dios que está entre vosotros, teniendo cuidado de ella, no por fuerza, sino voluntariamente; no por ganancia deshonesta, sino de un ánimo pronto;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		paissez le troupeau de Dieu qui est avec vous, le surveillant, non point par contrainte, mais volontairement, ni pour un gain honteux, mais de bon gré,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Hütet die Herde Gottes, die bei euch ist, indem ihr die Aufsicht nicht aus Zwang führet, sondern freiwillig, auch nicht um schändlichen Gewinn, sondern bereitwillig,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		pascite qui in vobis est gregem Dei, providentes non coacte, sed spontanee secundum Deum: neque turpis lucri gratia, sed voluntarie: