Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Ye younger. The deacons were originally younger men, the presbyters older: subsequently, as presbyter expressed the office of church ruler or teacher, so neoteros means not young men in age, but subordiante ministers of the Church. So Christ uses "younger" (Luke 22:26); for He explains it by "he that doth serve" х ho (G3588) diakonon (G1249)], he that ministereth as a deacon; as He explains "the greatest" by "he that is chief" х ho (G3588) heegoumenos (G2233)]. 'He that ruleth' applied to the bishops or presbyters (Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17; Hebrews 13:24). So "the young men" (Acts 5:6; Acts 5:10) are the deacons of the church of Jerusalem, of whom, as all Hebrews, the Hellenistic Christians subsequently complained as neglecting their Grecian widows, whence arose the appointment of seven others, Hellenistic deacons. So Peter, having exhorted the presbyters not to lord it over those committed to them, adds, 'Likewise, ye younger' - i:e., subordinate ministers-`submit cheerfully to the elders' (Mosheim). There is no Scripture sanction for "younger" meaning laymen (as Alford explains): this sense is probably of later date. The "all of you" that follows refers to the congregation generally; it is likely that, like Paul (Ephesians 4:11-13), Peter notices, previous to the general congregation, the subordinate ministers as well as the presbyters, writing as he did to the same region (Ephesus), to confirm the teaching or the apostle of the Gentiles.
Yea - to sum up all my exhortations. Be subject. Omitted in 'Aleph (') A B, Vulgate; but Tischendorf quotes B for it. Then 'gird (1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:1) fast on humility (lowliness of mind) to one another.' х Engkomboosasthe (G1463)], 'Tie on with a fast knot,' (Wahl). Or, 'gird on humility as the slave dress' [engkomboma]: as the Lord girded Himself with a towel to perform a servile office of humble love, washing His disciples' feet-a scene in which Peter played an important part, so that he would naturally have it before his mind. Compare similarly 1 Peter 5:2, with John 21:15-17. Clothing was the original badge of man's sin and shame. Pride caused the need of clothing, and pride still reigns in dress; the Christian clothes himself in humility (1 Peter 3:3-4). God provides the robe of Christ's righteousness, to receive which man must strip off pride.
God resisteth the proud - quoted, as James 4:6, from Proverbs 3:34. Peter gives James' letter inspired sanction. Compare 1 Peter 5:9, with James 4:6-7. Other sins flee from God: pride alone opposeth itself to God; therefore God also in turn opposes Himself to the proud (Gerhard in Alford). Humility is the vessel of all graces (Augustine).