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1 Peter 3

1 Peter 3:19 KJV (With Strong’s)

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19
By
ho (Greek #3588)
the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)
KJV usage: the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.
Pronounce: ho
Origin: ἡ (hay), and the neuter τό (to) in all their inflections
en (Greek #1722)
"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.
KJV usage: about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.
Pronounce: en
Origin: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537)
which
hos (Greek #3739)
the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
KJV usage: one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc. See also 3757.
Pronounce: hos
Origin: ἥ (hay), and neuter ὅ (ho) probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588)
also
kai (Greek #2532)
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
KJV usage: and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.
Pronounce: kahee
Origin: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force
he went
poreuomai (Greek #4198)
middle voice from a derivative of the same as 3984; to traverse, i.e. travel (literally or figuratively; especially to remove (figuratively, die), live, etc.); --depart, go (away, forth, one's way, up), (make a, take a) journey, walk.
Pronounce: por-yoo'-om-ahee
and preached
kerusso (Greek #2784)
to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel)
KJV usage: preacher(-er), proclaim, publish.
Pronounce: kay-roos'-so
Origin: of uncertain affinity
unto the spirits
pneuma (Greek #4151)
a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit
KJV usage: ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind. Compare 5590.
Pronounce: pnyoo'-mah
Origin: from 4154
in
en (Greek #1722)
"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.
KJV usage: about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.
Pronounce: en
Origin: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537)
prison
phulake (Greek #5438)
a guarding or (concretely, guard), the act, the person; figuratively, the place, the condition, or (specially), the time (as a division of day or night), literally or figuratively
KJV usage: cage, hold, (im-)prison(-ment), ward, watch.
Pronounce: foo-lak-ay'
Origin: from 5442
c;
c
Isa. 42:7•  (Isa. 42:7)

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Prison

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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By which.
1 Peter 1:11‑12• 11searching what or what sort of time the Spirit of Christ that [was] in them did indicate when testifying beforehand the sufferings that [were] for Christ, and the glories after them.
 12To whom it was revealed that not to themselves but to you they were ministering the very things which have now been announced to you through those that brought you glad tidings by [the] Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into. (1 Peter 1:11‑12)
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1 Peter 4:6• 6For to this end was the gospel preached to dead men also, that they might be judged according to men in flesh, and live according to God in spirit. (1 Peter 4:6)
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Neh. 9:30•  (Neh. 9:30)
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Rev. 19:10• 10And I fell before his feet to worship him. And he saith to me, See {i}thou do it{/i} not: I am fellow-servant of thee and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Rev. 19:10)
in.
Isa. 42:7•  (Isa. 42:7)
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Isa. 49:9•  (Isa. 49:9)
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Isa. 61:1•  (Isa. 61:1)
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Rev. 20:7• 7And when the thousand years shall have been finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (Rev. 20:7)
• How the Spirit of Christ? We have seen in the first chapter of this epistle that very expression (1 Pet. 1:10-11). The Spirit of Christ in the prophets could write Scripture, and then search Scripture. So the Spirit of Christ in Noah could proclaim the gospel to the antediluvians, while they were men on the earth.  In Genesis 6 God says, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man.” This is the very word....The spirits of these men are in prison now, because they were disobedient to the word preached to them then. (“Our Pathway of Suffering” by W.T.P. Wolston)
• In our text, lest it might be understood by the imaginative or the superstitious, grace furnished the qualification "in which" [Spirit] He proceeded, not into the prison, as some have conceived, but preached to the spirits that are in prison. They were living men on earth when the Spirit pleaded with them in Noah's days while preparing the ark. (“1 Peter 3:19-20” by W. Kelly)
• The believing Jews were few in number, and Christ was theirs only according to the Spirit. By the power of that Spirit He had been raised up from the dead. It was by the power of the same Spirit that He had gone—without being corporeally present—to preach in Noah. (“1 Peter 3” by J.N. Darby)
• In considering this expression to mean the Spirit of Christ in Noah, we only use a well-known phrase of Peter’s; for he it is, as we have seen, who said, “The Spirit of Christ which was in the prophets.” (“1 Peter 3” by J.N. Darby)
• “He went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” When? “When once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing.” The Holy Spirit used Noah as “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5) to these now-disembodied spirits who had been “disobedient” and whose bodies perished in the flood. (“Help on Hard Verses” by A.C. Brown)
• These people who now are spirits in prison once walked the earth as men and women in Noah’s day and through Noah’s lips Christ in Spirit (or, the Spirit of Christ) spoke. They were disobedient, hence their present imprisonment in hades, the unseen world. (“1 Peter 3” by F.B. Hole)

J. N. Darby Translation

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in which also going he preached to the spirits which are in prison,

W. Kelly Translation

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19
ina [virtue of] whichb also he went and preachedc to the spiritsd in prisone,

WK Translation Notes

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a
Though the original text in verses 19 and 20 is not doubtful but sure, the interpretations of ancients and moderns are for the most part precarious and misleading. It is instructive, to note the unusual uncertainty of the ancient versions. The Greek is linguistically plain, the construction grammatically clear, early on was the tendency to bad interpretation instead of faithful translation.
b
Christ was put to death in (i.e. in respect to) flesh, as a living man below; He was made alive in (i.e. in respect to) Spirit, as one henceforth living in the life of resurrection, characterized by the Spirit as the other by flesh, though Christ was not a spirit only but had a spiritual body. It is not His own spirit as man. But understand it as that Christ also went not merely in character of Spirit, but in His power when He preached through Noah; and all is precise in grammar, correct in doctrine, clear in sense, and consistent with the context.
c
To "invoke" is not to "cry aloud" as a sufferer. "Cried aloud" is an impossible rendering of ekēryxen. But its New Testament meaning is to preach or publish. There is no more real ground to deny an active subject here than anywhere else in the New Testament. It is obvious that the Greek does not intimate that Christ cried aloud even if the word could bear this meaning.
d
It is an error to suppose that the original text can possibly mean "among the spirits." The collocation of the Greek text is decisive, that the true connection is not between the preaching, but the spirits and the prison.
e
It is certain that the Greek text can signify "that are in prison" as naturally at least as "that were" there: only the necessity of the context could really justify the latter sense. But if the context favour "that are," it is the simple unforced bearing of the phrase. And that the text does favour it should be plain from "disobedient aforetime when the longsuffering of God" which points to an antecedent time of guilt as the ground of their being now imprisoned.