Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
Servants, х oiketai (G3610)] - 'household servants:' not х douloi (G1401)] 'slaves;' including freedmen remaining in their master's house. Masters were not commonly Christians: he therefore mentions only servants' duties. These were often persecuted by unbelieving masters. Peter's object is to teach them submission, whatever the master's character is. Paul not having this design, includes masters' duties. Be subject, х hupotassomenoi (G5293)] - being subject: a particular instance of the general exhortation, 1 Peter 2:11-12, of which the first particular precept is 1 Peter 2:13. The general exhortation is taken up again, 1 Peter 2:16; and so, 1 Peter 2:18, 'being subject,' is joined to the imperatives, "abstain," "submit yourselves," "honour all men."
With - Greek, 'IN.'
All - all possible: under all circumstances.
Fear - the awe of one subject. God is its ultimate object: fear "for the Lord's sake" (1 Peter 2:13), not merely slavish fear of masters.
Good - kind.
Gentle - indulgent toward errors х epieikesin (G1933)]; yielding, not exacting all which justice might demand.
Froward - perverse. Those bound to obey must not make the disposition of the superior the measure of their obligations.