Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Not rendering evil for evil (mh apodidontev kakon anti kakou). Mh and the present active participle of apodidwmi, to give back. The same phrase in Romans 12:17 and the same idea in I Thessalonians 5:15. Peter may have obtained it from Paul or both from Proverbs 17:13; Proverbs 20:22, "an approximation to Christ's repeal of the lec talioniv (Matthew 5:38 ff.) which Plato first opposed among the Greeks" (Hart). Common use of anti for exchange.
Reviling for reviling (loidorian anti loidoriav). Allusion to I Peter 2:23 (Christ's own example).
But contrariwise blessing (tounantion de eulogountev). Adverbial accusative and crasis (to enantion) of the neuter article and the adjective enantiov (en, antiov, opposite, Matthew 14:24), "on the contrary." For eulogountev (present active participle of eulogew) see Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14 (imperative eulogeite).
For hereunto were ye called (oti eiv touto eklhqhte). See I Peter 2:21 for this verb and use of eiv touto (pointing to the preceding argument).
That ye should inherit a blessing (ina eulogian klhronomhshte). Purpose clause with ina and the first aorist active subjunctive of klhronomew, a plain reference to Esau, who wanted "to inherit the blessing" (Hebrews 12:17) after he had sold his birthright. Christians are the new Israel (both Gentiles and Jews) and are the spiritual descendants of Isaac (Galatians 4:22 ff.).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing 1 Peter 3:9:
1 Timothy 5:14
1 Peter 3:10
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