1 Peter 5 · Verse 6

1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1 Peter 5:6, King James Version

1 Peter 5:6 in other translations

BSBHumble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.
WEBHumble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time,
ASVHumble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;
YLTbe humbled, then, under the powerful hand of God, that you He may exalt in good time,
DARBYHumble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the due time;
BBEFor this cause make yourselves low under the strong hand of God, so that when the time comes you may be lifted up;
WebsterHumble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

What does 1 Peter 5:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. under the mighty hand--afflicting you (1Pe 3:15): "accept" His chastisements, and turn to Him that smiteth you. He depresses the proud and exalts the humble. in due time--Wait humbly and patiently for His own fit time. One oldest manuscript and Vulgate read, "In the season of visitation," namely, His visitation in mercy.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 6. Humble yourselves therefore. Be willing to take a low place--a place such as becomes you. Do not arrogate to yourselves what does not belong to you; do not evince pride and haughtiness in your manner; do not exalt yourselves above others. Lk 14:7, seq. Comp. Prov 15:33, 18:12, 22:4, Mic 6:8; Php 2:8.

Under the mighty hand of God. This refers probably to the calamities which he had brought upon them, or was about to bring upon them; represented here, as often elsewhere, as the infliction of his hand--the hand being that by which we accomplish anything. When that hand was upon them they were not to be lifted up with pride and with a spirit of rebellion, but were to take a lowly place before him, and submit to him with a calm mind, believing that he would exalt them in due time. There is no situation in which one will be more likely to feel humility than in scenes of affliction.

That he may exalt you in due time. When he shall see it to be a proper time.

(1.) They might be assured that this would be done at some time. He would not always leave them in this low and depressed condition. He would take off his heavy hand, and raise them up from their state of sadness and suffering.

(2.) This would be in due time; that is, in the proper time, in the best time.

(a.) It might be in the present life.

(b.) It would certainly be in the world to come. There they would be exalted to honours which will be more than an equivalent for all the persecution, poverty, and contempt which are suffered in this world. He may well afford to be humble here who is to be exalted to a throne in heaven.

(i) "humble" Isa 57:15

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 Humble yourselves - Those who submit patiently to the dispensations of God's providence he lifts up; those who lift themselves up, God thrusts down. If we humble not ourselves under God's grace, he will humble us under his judgments. Those who patiently submit to him, he exalts in due time; if his hand be mighty to depress, it is also mighty to exalt.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Peter 5:5-9

Humility preserves peace and order in all Christian churches and societies; pride disturbs them. Where God gives grace to be humble, he will give wisdom, faith, and holiness. To be humble, and subject to our reconciled God, will bring greater comfort to the soul than the gratification of pride and ambition. But it is to be in due time; not in thy fancied time, but God's own wisely appointed time. Does he wait, and…

Read the full comment on 1 Peter 5:5-9 →

1 Peter 5:6 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.

ταπεινώθητεtapeinōthētedo be humbledG5013
οὖνounthereforeG3767
ὑπὸhupounderG5259
τὴνtēntheG3588
κραταιὰνkrataianmightyG2900
χεῖραcheirahandG5495
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦ,theouof God,G2316
ἵναinaso thatG2443
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
ὑψώσῃhupsōsēHe may exaltG5312
ἐνeninG1722
καιρῷ,kairō[due] time,G2540

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

Cross references for 1 Peter 5:6

  • James 4:10

    Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

  • Luke 14:11

    For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

  • Proverbs 29:23

    A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

  • Matthew 23:12

    And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

  • Luke 18:14

    I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

  • Luke 1:52

    He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

  • 2 Chronicles 32:26

    Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

  • 2 Chronicles 12:12

    And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

  • 2 Chronicles 33:12

    And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

  • Isaiah 40:4

    Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

  • Jeremiah 44:10

    They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.

  • Psalms 75:10

    All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Humble.
Ex 10:3; Le 26:41; 1Ki 21:29; 2Ki 22:19; 2Ch 12:6,7,12; 30:11; 32:26
2Ch 33:12,19,23; 36:12; Pr 29:23; Isa 2:11; 57:15; Jer 13:18; 44:10
Da 5:22; Mic 6:8; Lu 14:11; 18:14; Jas 4:10; 5:10
the.
Ex 3:19; 32:11; Ps 89:13; 1Co 10:22
that.
Job 36:22; Ps 75:10; 89:16,17; Isa 40:4; Eze 17:21; 21:6; Mt 23:12
Lu 1:52; Jas 1:9,10
in.
De 32:35; Ro 5:6; 1Ti 2:6; Tit 1:3

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

Context

  • 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.

  • 1 Peter 5:6

    Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

  • 1 Peter 5:7

    Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Read all of 1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Humillaos pues bajo la poderosa mano de Dios, para que él os ensalce cuando fuere tiempo;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Humiliez-vous donc sous la puissante main de Dieu, afin qu’il vous élève quand le temps sera venu,
German
Elberfelder 1871		So demütiget euch nun unter die mächtige Hand Gottes, auf daß er euch erhöhe zur rechten Zeit,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Humiliamini igitur sub potenti manu Dei, ut vos exaltet in tempore visitationis: