1 Peter 5:8

1 Peter 5:8

(KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

(1611 KJV) Be sober, be vigilant: because your aduersary the deuill, as a roaring Lion walketh about, seeking whom he may deuoure.

(1568 Bishops Bible) Be sober, & watche, for your aduersarie the deuyll, as a roaryng Lion walketh about seking who he may deuour:

(1587 Geneva Bible) Be sober, and watch: for your aduersarie the deuil as a roaring lyon walketh about, seeking whom he may deuoure:

 

Counterfeit Versions

(1881 RV) Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

(1901 ASV) Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,

(CSB) Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

(NIV) Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

(NASV) Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

(THE MESSAGE) Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.

(NLT) Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

(ESV) Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

(CEV) Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.

(NCV) Control yourselves and be careful! The devil, your enemy, goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to eat.

(CEB) Be clearheaded. Keep alert. Your accuser, the devil, is on the prowl like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

(HCSB) Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

(NIRV) Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow.

(RSV) Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour.

(NAB-Roman Catholic) Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour.

(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Keep YOUR senses, be watchful. YOUR adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour [someone].

 

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text

νηψατε γρηγορησατε οτι ο αντιδικος υμων διαβολος ως λεων ωρυομενος περιπατει ζητων τινα καταπιη

 

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text

νηψατε γρηγορησατε ο αντιδικος υμων διαβολος ως λεων ωρυομενος περιπατει ζητων καταπιειν

 

Corrupted Manuscripts

This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:

Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century

B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century

K 018 - Ninth century

P 025 - Ninth century

 

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse

Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Fourth century (corrected)
L 020 - Ninth century

33 (Minuscule) - Ninth Century

Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)

 

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions

Omit “because” before “your adversary”

Lachmann, Karl - 1842

Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869

Tregelles, Samuel - 1857

Greisbach, Johann - 1805

Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871

Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870

Westcott and Hort - 1881

Hodges and Farstad - Majority Text

Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941

Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition

United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition

 

Affected Teaching

1 Peter 5:8 is a verse of warning to the believer. We are to remain well-balanced in mind and not easily thrown about by every wind of doctrine nor are we to be quickly upset. We know that Satan goes around as a roaring lion, just as a physical lion goes about after prey. The Christian is the Devil’s prey. (Rev 12:12 KJV) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. When Satan was cast out of Heaven, he was cast to the earth where he will, until the last day, cause all kinds of havoc in the world but his primary target is the Christian. He knows that he cannot attack the Lord Jesus as he tried when the Lord was here on earth, so instead he mounts programs of persecution against the Christians. This is why Peter tells the Christians to remain sober, so they will not be ignorant of Satan’s methods. (2 Cor 2:11 KJV) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. The word “because” is a conjunction connecting us to the reason why we must be sober and vigilant. It brings to the sentence a sense of personalization that Satan is “our enemy” as it reveals to the Christian that he is “your adversary.” He is not the adversary of the unsaved because they are in his camp but his enemy is the true child of God and goes about attempting to derail the Christian in their daily walk. So by omitting the word “because” the modern versions separate the reality that Satan is our personal adversary.

Back