1 Peter 3:2

Contextual Overview

¹Wives, in the same way, submit yourselves to your husbands, so that even if they refuse to believe the word, they will be won over without words by the behavior of their wives ¹ If you are a wife, you must put your husband first. Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do. No one else will have to say anything to him, ¹ In the same way, wives, submit to your husbands; so that even if some of them do not believe the Word, they will be won over by your conduct, without your saying anything, ¹ Likewise, wives, [be] subject to your own husbands, that, even if any are disobedient to the word, they may be gained without [the] word by the conversation of the wives, ¹ In the same way, you wives should be willing to serve your husbands. Then, even those who have refused to accept God's teaching will be persuaded to believe because of the way you live. You will not need to say anything. ¹ In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives; ¹ Wives, be ruled by your husbands; so that even if some of them give no attention to the word, their hearts may be changed by the behaviour of their wives, ¹ Likewise let the wiues bee subiect to their husbandes, that euen they which obey not the worde, may without the worde be wonne by the conuersation of the wiues, ¹ LIKEWISE, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands, so that those who obey not the word may be won without difficulty through your good example. ¹ In like manner, wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; so that, even if any don't obey the Word, they may be gained by the behavior of their wives without a word;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

behold: 1 Peter 3:16, 1 Peter 1:15, 1 Peter 2:12, Philippians 1:27, Philippians 3:20, 1 Timothy 4:12, 2 Peter 3:11

with: 1 Peter 3:5, 1 Peter 3:6, 1 Peter 3:15, Ephesians 5:33, Ephesians 6:5, Colossians 3:22

Reciprocal: Matthew 6:29 - even John 15:16 - that your 1 Corinthians 7:16 - O wife James 3:13 - a good

Cross-References

Psalms 58:4
Their venom is like the poison of a serpent, like a cobra that shuts its ears,

Psalms 58:4
Your words spread poison like the bite of a cobra

Psalms 58:4
From the womb, the wicked are estranged, liars on the wrong path since birth.

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear;

Psalms 58:4
Their anger is as deadly as the poison of a snake. They shut their ears like a deaf cobra

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: They are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear,

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut;

Psalms 58:4
They haue poyson [within them] lyke to the poyson of a serpent: they be lyke the deafe adder that stoppeth her eares,

Psalms 58:4
Their poyson is euen like the poyson of a serpent: like ye deafe adder that stoppeth his eare.

Psalms 58:4
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

While they behold your chaste conversation,.... Cheerful subjection, strong affection, and inviolable attachment to them, and strict regard to the honour of the marriage state, and to the preserving of the bed undefiled with lusts and adulteries:

coupled with fear; with reverence of their husbands, giving them due honour, and showing all proper respect; or with the fear of God, which being before their eyes, and upon their hearts, engages them to such an agreeable conversation.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

While they behold your chaste conversation - Your pure conduct. The word chaste here (ἁγνὴν hagnēn) refer’s to purity of conduct in all respects, and not merely to chastity properly so called. It includes that, but it also embraces much more. The conduct of the wife is to be in all respects pure; and this is to be the grand instrumentality in the conversion of her husband. A wife may be strictly chaste, and yet there may be many other things in her conduct and temper which would mar the beauty of her piety, and prevent any happy influence on the mind of her husband,

Coupled with fear - The word fear, in this place, may refer either to the fear of God, or to a proper respect and reverence for their husbands, Ephesians 5:33. The trait of character which is referred to is that of proper respect and reverence in all the relations which she sustained, as opposed to a trifling and frivolous mind. Leighton suggests that the word fear here relates particularly to the other duty enjoined - that of chaste conversation - “fearing the least stain of chastity, or the very appearance of anything not suiting with it. It is a delicate, timorous grace, afraid of the least air, or shadow of anything that hath but a resemblance of wronging it, in carriage, or speech, or apparel.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Peter 3:2. Chaste conversation - with fear. — While they see that ye join modesty, chastity, and the purest manners, to the fear of God. Or perhaps fear, φοβος, is taken, as in Ephesians 5:33, for the reverence due to the husband.