1 Peter 5 · Verse 4

1 Peter 5:4

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
1 Peter 5:4, King James Version

1 Peter 5:4 in other translations

BSBAnd when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
WEBWhen the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.
ASVAnd when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.
YLTand at the manifestation of the chief Shepherd, ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory.
DARBYAnd when the chief shepherd is manifested ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory.
BBEAnd at the coming of the chief Keeper of the sheep, you will be given the eternal crown of glory.
WebsterAnd when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

What does 1 Peter 5:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. And--"And so": as the result of "being ensamples" (1Pe 5:3). chief Shepherd--the title peculiarly Christ's own, not Peter's or the pope's. when ... shall appear--Greek, "be manifested" (Col 3:4). Faith serves the Lord while still unseen. crown--Greek, "stephanos," a garland of victory, the prize in the Grecian games, woven of ivy, parsley, myrtle, olive, or oak. Our crown is distinguished from theirs in that it is "incorruptible" and "fadeth not away," as the leaves of theirs soon did. "The crown of life." Not a kingly "crown" (a different Greek word, diadema): the prerogative of the Lord Jesus (Re 19:12). glory--Greek, "the glory," namely, to be then revealed (1Pe 5:1; 1Pe 4:13). that fadeth not away--Greek, "amaranthine" (compare 1Pe 1:4).

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 4. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear. The prince of the pastors--the Lord Jesus Christ. "Peter, in the passage above, ranks himself with the elders; here he ranks Christ himself with the pastors."--Benson. 1Pet 2:25. Comp. Heb 13:20.

Ye shall receive a crown of glory. A glorious crown or diadem. Comp. 2Ti 4:8.

That fadeth not away. This is essentially the same word, though somewhat different in form, which occurs in 1Pet 1:4. 1Pet 1:4. The word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Comp. 1Cor 9:25.

(e) "chief Shepherd" Heb 13:20 (f) "crown of glory" 2Ti 4:8

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 When the chief Shepherd - That is, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose is the flock, and who provides the pasture, and from whom, if ye are legally called to the most awful work of preaching the Gospel, ye have received your commission; when he shall appear to judge the world in righteousness, ye who have fed his flock, who have taken the superintendency of it, not by constraint, nor for filthy lucre's sake, not as lords over the heritage, but with a ready mind, employing body, soul, spirit, time and talents, in endeavoring to pluck sinners as brands from eternal burnings, and build up the Church of Christ on its most holy faith; Ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away, an eternal nearness and intimacy with the ineffably glorious God; so that ye who have turned many to righteousness shall shine, not merely as stars, but as suns in the kingdom of your Father! O ye heavenly-minded, diligent, self-denying pastors after God's own heart, whether ye be in the Church established by the state, or in those divisions widely separated from, or nearly connected with it, take courage; preach Jesus; press through all difficulties in the faith of your God; fear no evil while meditating nothing but good. Ye are stars in the right hand of Jesus, who walks among your golden candlesticks, and has lighted that lamp of life which ye are appointed to trim; fear not, your labor in the Lord cannot be in vain! Never, never can ye preach one sermon in the spirit of your office, which the God of all grace shall permit to be unfruitful; ye carry and sow the seed of the kingdom by the command and on the authority of your God; ye sow it, and the heavens shall drop down dew upon it. Ye may go forth weeping, though bearing this precious seed; but ye shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing your sheaves with you. Amen, even so, Lord Jesus!

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 5:4 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532
φανερωθέντοςphanerōthentoswhen was being revealedG5319
τοῦtoutheG3588
ἀρχιποίμενοςarchipoimenosChief ShepherdG750
κομιεῖσθεkomieistheyou will receiveG2865
τὸνtontheG3588
ἀμαράντινονamarantinonunfadingG262
τῆςtēs<the>G3588
δόξηςdoxēsof gloryG1391
στέφανον.¶stephanoncrown.G4735

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

Cross references for 1 Peter 5:4

  • James 1:12

    Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

  • 1 Corinthians 9:25

    And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

  • Isaiah 40:11

    He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

  • 2 Timothy 4:8

    Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

  • 1 John 3:2

    Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

  • Psalms 23:1

    A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

  • Revelation 2:10

    Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

  • Revelation 3:11

    Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

  • 1 Peter 1:4

    To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

  • Matthew 25:31-46

    When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: …

  • 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;

  • Revelation 20:11-12

    And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the.
2; 2:25; Ps 23:1; Isa 40:11; Eze 34:23; 37:24; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:11
Heb 13:20
appear.
Mt 25:31-46; Col 3:3,4; 2Th 1:7-10; 1Jo 3:2; Re 1:7; 20:11,12
a crown.
1:4; Da 12:3; 1Co 9:25; 2Ti 4:8; Jas 1:12; Re 2:10; 3:11

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

Context

  • 1 Peter 5:3

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

  • 1 Peter 5:4

    And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

  • 1 Peter 5:5

    Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Read all of 1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y cuando apareciere el Príncipe de los pastores, vosotros recibiréis la corona incorruptible de gloria.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et quand le souverain pasteur sera manifesté, vous recevrez la couronne inflétrissable de gloire.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wenn der Erzhirte offenbar geworden ist, so werdet ihr die unverwelkliche Krone der Herrlichkeit empfangen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et cum apparuerit princeps pastorum, percipietis immarcescibilem gloriæ coronam.