Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Whose adorning (wn kosmov). Genitive plural of the relative referring to gunaikwn (wives). Kosmov has here its old meaning of ornament (cf. our cosmetics), not the common one of world (John 17:5) considered as an orderly whole. Mundus in Latin is used in this double sense (ornament, world).
Let it be (estw). Imperative third singular of eimi. Not the outward adorning of plaiting the hair (oux o ecwqen emplokhv trixwn). The use of oux here rather than mh (usual negative with the imperative) because of the sharp contrast in verse I Peter 3:4 (all). The old adverb ecwqen (from without) is in the attributive position like an adjective. Emplokh is a late word (from emplekw, to inweave, II Timothy 2:4; II Peter 2:20) in Strabo, but often in the papyri for struggle as well as plaiting, here only in N.T.
Of wearing (periqesewv). Late and rare word (Galen, Arrian) from peritiqhmi (Matthew 27:28), to put around, a placing around. Ornaments of gold were worn round the hair as nets and round the finger, arm, or ankle.
Or of putting on (endusewv). Old word from enduw (to put on), here only in N.T. Peter is not forbidding the wearing of clothes and ornaments by women, but the display of finery by contrast. Cf. I Timothy 2:9-13; Isaiah 3:16 ff.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing 1 Peter 3:3:
James 3:6
1 Peter 3:5
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