1 Peter 2:22,23 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

‘Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not; but committed himself to him who judges righteously,'

Let them in fact consider this, that although He was the sinless One, in whose mouth nothing of fault could be found (compare Isaiah 53:9), yet He was still reviled, and persecuted and made to suffer. And how did He then respond? Not by retaliating, but by not retaliating. When they reviled Him He did not revile in return (unlike the two thieves). When they persecuted Him and made Him suffer He did not threaten in return (compare Isaiah 53:7, ‘He opened not His mouth'), rather He committed Himself (handed Himself over) to Him Who judges righteously. He put the whole matter in the hands of God. He was prepared to leave the assessment of His case in God's hands (compare Isaiah 50:7-8). And He did it because He knew that it was carrying forward God's purposes. Furthermore He did so even though He really was without sin. So that was what these servants, who after all are not without sin, must do as well, for His sake.

Compare for this stress on His sinlessness the idea of the ‘lamb without blemish and without spot' in 1 Peter 1:19. It was because He was sinless as the infinite One that He could bear the sins of others.

1 Peter 2:22-23

22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: