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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 1 Peter 2:1–3. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The holy apostle has been recommending mutual charity, and setting forth the excellences of the word of God, calling it an incorruptible seed, and saying that it liveth and abideth for ever. He pursues his discourse, and very properly comes in with this necessary advice, Wherefore laying aside all malice, etc. These are such sins as both destroy charity and hinder the efficacy of the word, and consequently they prevent our regeneration.
I.His advice is to lay aside or put off what is evil, as one would do an old rotten garment: "Cast it away with indignation, never put it on more."
1.The sins to be put off, or thrown aside, are,
(1.)Malice, which may be taken more generally for all sorts of wickedness, as Jam 1:21; Co1 5:8. But, in a more confined sense, malice is anger resting in the bosom of fools, settled overgrown anger, retained till it inflames a man to design mischief, to do mischief, or delight in any mischief that befalls another.
(2.)Guile, or deceit in words. So it comprehends flattery, falsehood, and delusion, which is a crafty imposing upon another's ignorance or weakness, to his damage.
(3.)Hypocrisies. The word being plural comprehends all sorts of hypocrisies. In matters of religion hypocrisy is counterfeit piety. In civil conversation hypocrisy is counterfeit friendship, which is much practised by those who give high compliments, which they do not believe, make promises which they never intend to perform, or pretend friendship when mischief lies in their hearts.
(4.)All envies; every thing that may be called envy, which is a grieving at the good and welfare of another, at their abilities, prosperity, fame, or successful labours.
(5.)Evil speaking, which is detraction, speaking against another, or defaming him; it is rendered backbiting, Co2 12:20; Rom 1:30.
2.Hence learn,
(1.)The best Christians have need to be cautioned and warned against the worst sins, such as malice, hypocrisy, envy. They are but sanctified in part, and are still liable to temptations.
(2.)Our best services towards God will neither please him nor profit us if we be not conscientious in our duties to men. The sins here mentioned are offences against the second table. These must be laid aside, or else we cannot receive the word of God as we ought to do.
(3.)Whereas it is said all malice, all guile, learn, That one sin, not laid aside, will hinder our spiritual profit and everlasting welfare.
(4.)Malice, envy, hatred, hypocrisy, and evil-speaking, generally go together. Evil-speaking is a sign that malice and guile lie in the heart; and all of them combine to hinder our profiting by the word of God.
II.The apostle, like a wise physician, having prescribed the purging out of vicious humours, goes on to direct to wholesome and regular food, that they may grow thereby. The duty exhorted to is a strong and constant desire for the word of God, which word is here called reasonable milk, only, this phrase not being proper English, our translators rendered it the milk of the word, by which we are to understand food proper for the soul, or a reasonable creature, whereby the mind, not the body, is nourished and strengthened. This milk of the word must be sincere, not adulterated by the mixtures of men, who often corrupt the word of God, Co2 2:17. The manner in which they are to desire this sincere milk of the word is stated thus: As new-born babes. He puts them in mind of their regeneration. A new life requires suitable food. They, being newly born, must desire the milk of the word. Infants desire common milk, and their desires towards it are fervent and frequent, arising from an impatient sense of hunger, and accompanied with the best endeavours of which the infant is capable. Such must Christians' desires be for the word of God: and that for this end, that they may grow thereby, that we may improve in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Pe2 3:18. Learn,
1.Strong desires and affections to the word of God are a sure evidence of a person's being born again. If they be such desires as the babe has for the milk, they prove that the person is new-born. They are the lowest evidence, but yet they are certain.
2.Growth and improvement in wisdom and grace are the design and desire of every Christian; all spiritual means are for edification and improvement. The word of God, rightly used, does not leave a man as it finds him, but improves and makes him better.
III.He adds an argument from their own experience:
If so be, or since that, or forasmuch as, you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, Pe1 2:3. The apostle does not express a doubt, but affirms that these good Christians had tasted the goodness of God, and hence argues with them. "You ought to lay aside these vile sins (Pe1 2:1); you ought to desire the word of God; you ought to grow thereby, since you cannot deny but that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." The next verse assures us that the Lord here spoken of is the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence learn,
1.Our Lord Jesus Christ is very gracious to his people. He is in himself infinitely good; he is very kind, free, and merciful to miserable sinners; he is pitiful and good to the undeserving; he has in him a fulness of grace.
2.The graciousness of our Redeemer is best discovered by an experimental taste of it. There must be an immediate application of the object to the organ of taste; we cannot taste at a distance, as we may see, and hear, and smell. To taste the graciousness of Christ experimentally supposes our being united to him by faith, and then we may taste his goodness in all his providences, in all our spiritual concerns, in all our fears and temptations, in his word and worship every day.
3.The best of God's servants have in this life but a taste of the grace of Christ. A taste is but a little; it is not a draught, nor does it satisfy. It is so with the consolations of God in this life.
4.The word of God is the great instrument whereby he discovers and communicates his grace to men. Those who feed upon the sincere milk of the word taste and experience most of his grace. In our converses with his word we should endeavour always to understand and experience more and more of his grace.
Historical interpretation
Eight Centuries of Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
True knowledge, then, consists in the understanding of Christ, which Paul terms the wisdom of God hidden in a mystery, which "the natural man receiveth not," the doctrine of the cross; of which if any man "taste," he will not accede to the disputations and quibbles of proud and puffed-up men, who go into matters of which they have no perception. For the truth is unsophisticated; and "the word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart," as the same apostle declares, being easy of comprehension to those who are obedient. For it renders us like to Christ, if we experience "the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings." For this is the affinity of the apostolical teaching and the most holy "faith delivered unto us," which the unlearned receive, and those of slender knowledge have taught, not "giving heed to endless genealogies," but studying rather [to observe] a straightforward course of life; lest, having been deprived of the Divine Spirit, they fail to attain to the kingdom of heaven.
Everywhere we notice that the various facets of the soul are designated by outward things. Thus when our Lord is described as the true bread and his flesh as the true food, we must understand this as meaning that the pleasure of right reason is like the taste of bread. Just as it is impossible for someone to know what honey is like simply by being told about it, because he must taste it in order to find out, so too the goodness of the heavenly bread is not properly communicated by teaching alone. We must taste the goodness of the Lord by our own experience.
If you have tasted, that the Lord is sweet. In this way (he says), having forgiven and amended the malice and impurity of your heart, desire the vital nourishment of Christ, if you understand how great the multitude of divine sweetness is. For he who tastes nothing of the heavenly sweetness in his soul, it is not surprising if he does not avoid being defiled by earthly enticements. However, the Psalmist rightly advises to taste how sweet the Lord is, because there are some who perceive about God, not what is sweet inwardly, but what resounds outwardly. And though they understand certain secrets by perceiving them, they cannot experience their sweetness. And though they know how things are, they are ignorant, as I said, of how they taste. And since in that same Psalm from which this verse is taken, it is premised: Come to him and be enlightened (Psalm XXXIII), blessed Peter rightly added, saying:
If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good: to whom coming as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and honorable, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture: Behold, I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes in Him will by no means be put to shame. [Isa. 28:16]
For when you have tasted, that is, when you have progressed through the practice of the sacred commandments according to the Gospel, you have recognized the sweetness of the doctrine by sense: for sense is more effective than any word for knowledge, since that which reaches experience is more pleasing than any word. Therefore, as you have tasted the Lord is good, show the goodness of sweetness to others, and apply yourselves to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and honorable, who has also been proclaimed through the prophets: being bound to one another in love, and being fitted together for the completion of a spiritual house, having no care for contempt among men: for neither did Christ, the cornerstone, have that care, who was rejected by them: and being built up and perfected into a spiritual house by yourselves, demonstrating a holy priesthood, offer spiritual sacrifices, which are far more acceptable to God than sacrifices lacking reason. For you cannot, without a firm bond of mutual love, offer pure sacrifices to God. For it is said: "Lifting up holy hands without anger and disputes." (1 Tim. 2:8) For how can one who strives to unite himself with God through prayer achieve this, while separating himself from his brother through anger and wicked disputes?
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Summary
Serves as a profound motivation for the spiritual growth and longing for God's Word that Peter advocates for in the preceding verses. It underscores that the Christian life is not merely a set of intellectual beliefs or moral obligations, but an experiential relationship rooted in a personal encounter with the benevolent and kind character of God. This verse posits that a genuine "taste" of the Lord's graciousness naturally ignites a deep spiritual hunger, compelling believers to seek further nourishment and mature in their faith.
Context
Literary Context
1 Peter 2:3 is strategically placed as the logical consequence and motivation for the exhortations in 1 Peter 2:1-2. In 1 Peter 2:1, Peter calls believers to "lay aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings." This purification is followed by a positive command in 1 Peter 2:2, to "as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Verse 3 then provides the crucial "why": this spiritual hunger and growth are a natural, indeed inevitable, response for those who have personally "tasted that the Lord is gracious." It connects the ethical demands of the Christian life to an intimate, experiential knowledge of God's character, framing spiritual discipline not as burdensome obligation but as a joyful pursuit born from a transformative encounter.
Historical & Cultural Context
Peter addresses believers scattered throughout Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), who were facing various forms of social ostracism and nascent persecution (1 Peter 1:6-7). These early Christians, often converts from paganism or Judaism, were living as "sojourners and pilgrims" (1 Peter 2:11) in a hostile environment. In such a context, Peter's emphasis on the experiential goodness of God served as a powerful anchor and source of encouragement. It reminded them that their faith was not based on abstract doctrine but on a real, benevolent Lord who had demonstrated His kindness to them. This personal experience of God's grace would fortify them against external pressures and internal temptations, providing a compelling reason to pursue holiness and spiritual growth despite their challenging circumstances.
Key Themes
The verse significantly contributes to several core themes within 1 Peter. Firstly, it highlights Experiential Faith, emphasizing that genuine belief involves a personal, sensory, and transformative encounter with God, rather than mere intellectual assent. This echoes the Old Testament invitation found in Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the LORD is good." Secondly, the verse underscores God's Gracious Character, portraying the Lord as inherently good, kind, and benevolent, whose nature is tangibly experienced by believers. This "graciousness" is the foundation of their faith and the wellspring of their spiritual journey. Thirdly, 1 Peter 2:3 establishes a clear Motivation for Spiritual Growth, implying a direct causal link between experiencing God's goodness and the desire for spiritual nourishment, as described in 1 Peter 2:2. Having encountered His grace, believers are naturally drawn to the "sincere milk of the word" to grow and mature. Finally, the use of "the Lord" in the New Testament often points to the Lordship of Christ, suggesting that it is through Jesus' sacrificial work that God's grace is made accessible, enabling believers to "taste" this divine goodness and enter into a relationship with God.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primary verb means "to taste," but also "by implication, to eat," and "figuratively, to experience (good or ill)." In this context, it signifies more than a superficial sampling; it denotes a genuine, personal, and profound encounter with God's goodness that leads to an experiential knowledge. It implies an internal, sensory apprehension that leaves a lasting impression and transforms the individual.
Derived from a root implying "supremacy," this noun refers to one "supreme in authority," a "controller," or "Master." It is used as a respectful title, often referring to God or, in the New Testament, frequently to Jesus Christ. Its use here emphasizes the divine authority and sovereign power of the one whose graciousness is experienced.
This adjective, derived from a verb meaning "to employ," signifies something "employed, i.e. (by implication) useful (in manner or morals)." It describes what is "good," "kind," "benevolent," or "useful." When applied to God, it speaks of His moral excellence, His inherent goodness, and His active kindness demonstrated in His dealings with humanity, particularly in salvation. It highlights His benevolent and compassionate nature.
Verse Breakdown
"If so be ye have tasted"
The phrase "If so be" (Greek: eí per) introduces a condition that is assumed to be true or a logical consequence. It implies, "seeing that you have indeed tasted," rather than expressing doubt. The verb "tasted" (Greek: geúomai) as analyzed above, points to a personal, experiential encounter with God. It's not a theoretical understanding but a direct, sensory apprehension of His reality. This clause establishes the foundational premise for the subsequent spiritual hunger and growth.
"that the Lord [is] gracious"
This clause specifies the object of the "tasting"—the Lord, and His characteristic nature—"gracious." The term "Lord" (Greek: kýrios) points to God's supreme authority and benevolent rule. The word "gracious" (Greek: chrēstós) describes His inherent goodness, kindness, and benevolence. It conveys His moral excellence and the active demonstration of His kindness towards humanity. The combination signifies that believers have personally experienced the profound, active goodness and kindness of the sovereign God.
Literary Devices
Peter employs several powerful literary devices in 1 Peter 2:3. The most prominent is Metaphor, specifically the gustatory metaphor of "tasting." This vivid imagery draws from the physical act of eating and experiencing flavor, translating it into the spiritual realm. It suggests that knowing God's goodness is as real and immediate as tasting food, implying a deeply personal, sensory, and satisfying encounter that goes beyond mere intellectual assent. This metaphor is reinforced by the preceding verse's call to desire "milk," continuing the theme of spiritual nourishment. The phrase also utilizes Experiential Language, emphasizing that faith is not just about belief in propositions but about a lived, felt reality. The conditional clause "If so be" (Greek: eí per) functions as a rhetorical affirmation, not expressing doubt but rather assuming the truth of the statement, thereby subtly challenging or confirming the reader's own experience. It implicitly asks, "Since you have indeed tasted..." thereby inviting introspection and reaffirming the basis of their spiritual journey.
Theological and Thematic Connections
1 Peter 2:3 profoundly connects the experiential dimension of faith to the very character of God. The "graciousness" of the Lord is not an abstract theological concept but a tangible reality that transforms the believer. This tasting is fundamentally linked to salvation, as it is through God's grace that humanity is redeemed and brought into a relationship with Him. The verse implies that once a person has truly encountered God's goodness in salvation, a natural and insatiable hunger for more of Him and His Word is ignited, leading to spiritual maturity. This experiential knowledge of God's benevolence becomes the enduring motivation for pursuing holiness, desiring spiritual nourishment, and living a life that honors Him. It grounds Christian living in the delightful reality of God's love rather than in mere obligation.
Reflection and Application
1 Peter 2:3 calls every believer to a profound introspection regarding the nature of their faith. Is our Christianity merely a set of doctrines we affirm, or is it a dynamic, living relationship born from a personal encounter with the benevolent God? The "taste" implies a sensory, intimate, and deeply satisfying experience of God's goodness, mercy, and love. This foundational experience should serve as the primary fuel for our spiritual journey. If we find ourselves lacking a fervent desire for God's Word, struggling with spiritual disciplines, or feeling distant from Him, this verse invites us to revisit that initial "taste" of His grace. It reminds us that spiritual growth is not a burdensome duty but a natural outflow of a heart captivated by God's kindness. A genuine experience of His graciousness cultivates gratitude, humility, and an insatiable longing for more of His presence and truth, empowering us to live lives that honor Him and compelling us to share this life-giving experience with others.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean to "taste" that the Lord is gracious?
To "taste" in this context (Greek: geúomai) means to have a personal, experiential, and profound encounter with God's goodness, rather than merely knowing about it intellectually. It's like experiencing the flavor of food for yourself, rather than just reading a description of it. It implies a direct, intimate apprehension of God's benevolent character and His active kindness, particularly as revealed in His saving work. This "taste" is meant to be transformative, igniting a spiritual appetite for more of God and His truth. It's the difference between knowing about God's grace and truly experiencing it in your life.
Why is the Lord described as "gracious" in this verse?
The Greek word for "gracious" is chrēstós, which means good, kind, benevolent, or useful. When applied to the Lord, it emphasizes His inherent moral excellence and His active kindness towards humanity. It speaks of His goodness as a demonstrated reality, not just an abstract quality. This graciousness is the foundation of salvation and the source of all spiritual blessings. Experiencing the Lord as "gracious" means encountering His undeserved favor, His compassionate nature, and His benevolent provision, which compels believers to respond in love and obedience. This quality is central to understanding God's character throughout Scripture, from His covenant faithfulness in the Old Testament to His ultimate self-giving in the New Testament (Psalm 100:5).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
1 Peter 2:3 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament spoke of tasting the goodness of Yahweh (e.g., Psalm 34:8), it is in Jesus that the "Lord" (Greek: kýrios) is fully revealed as gracious. He is the embodiment of God's kindness and benevolence, the one through whom God's grace is poured out upon humanity (John 1:14 and John 1:17). When believers "taste that the Lord is gracious," they are tasting the very grace that came through Jesus Christ, who, though rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). His life, death, and resurrection are the supreme demonstration of divine graciousness, making it possible for us to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). Thus, the spiritual hunger awakened by this "taste" is ultimately a hunger for Christ Himself, who is the Bread of Life and the Living Water, satisfying all our deepest longings (John 6:35).