1 Peter 5:2

feed ye the flock of God, that is among you, and purvey ye, not as constrained, but willfully, by God; not for love of foul winning, but willfully, (feed the flock of God, who be among you, yea, provide for them, not like someone who is compelled, but willingly, or by free will, through God; not for the love of foul gain, or for immoral profit, but willingly, or by free will,)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

In Context

1Therefore I, an even-elder man, and a witness of Christ’s passions, which also am a communer of that glory, that shall be showed in (the) time to come; beseech the elder men, that be among you, (And so I, a fellow elder, and a witness of the Messiah’s sufferings, who also (shall) partake of, or (shall) share in, that glory, which shall be shown, or shall be revealed, in the time to come; yea, I beseech the elders, who be among you,)

3neither as having lordship in the clergy, but (so) that ye be made (an) ensample to the flock, of (free) will [or by intent].

Read all of 1 Peter 5

Cross References

2 Kings 12:6Soothly the priests repaired not the coverings of the temple, unto the three and twentieth year of king Joash. (But the priests did not make any repairs to the Temple, unto twenty-third year of King Joash.)

Song of Solomon 1:8A! thou fairest among women, if thou knowest not thyself, go thou out, and go forth after the steps of thy flocks; and feed thy kids, beside the tabernacles of shepherds. (O thou most beautiful among women! if thou thyself knowest not, go thou out, and go forth after the steps of thy flocks; and feed thy goat kids, beside the shepherds’ tents.)

Isaiah 40:11As a shepherd he shall feed his flock, he shall gather [the] lambs in (to) his arm (s), and he shall raise (them up) in (to) his bosom; he shall bear [the] sheep with lamb. (Like a shepherd he shall feed his flock, he shall gather the lambs into his arms, and he shall raise them up into his bosom; he shall gently lead the sheep that be with their young.)

Isaiah 63:11And he had mind on the days of the world, of Moses, and of his people. Where is he, that led them out of the sea, with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he, that setted the spirit of his holy in the middle thereof; (And then they remembered the old days, the days of Moses, and his people, and they said, Where is he, who led them out of the Red Sea, or out of the Sea of Reeds, or who led them up from the Nile River, with the shepherds of his flock? Where is he, who put his Holy Spirit within him?)

Jeremiah 8:10Therefore I shall give the women of them to strangers, and the fields of them to alien heirs; for from the least unto the most all follow avarice, from a prophet unto the priest all make leasing; (And so I shall give their women to strangers, and their fields to foreign heirs; for from the least unto the most all follow avarice, or greed, from the prophet to the priest all make lies, or deception;)

Jeremiah 13:20Raise ye (up) your eyes, and see ye, what men come from the north; where is the flock which is given to thee, thy noble sheep?

Matthew Henry on 1 Peter 5:2-5

Advice to Elders. ( a. d. 66.) 1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth… Read the whole commentary →

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