1 Peter 5:8

νήψατε, γρηγορήσατε. Such absence of anxiety, such self-abandonment to God’s care does not warrant any slackness or want of watchfulness, cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:6. Here νήψατε is more metaphorical, cf. 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:7. For γρηγορεῖν as a precaution against temptation cf. Matthew 26:41.

ὁ�. The word denotes literally an opponent in a court of law, as in Matthew 5:25; Luke 12:58; Luke 18:3. Here Blass (Grammar N.T. Gk. p. 163) regards it as virtually an adjective agreeing with διάβολος, as the latter word would otherwise require the article, unless it is to be taken as a proper name.

διάβολος is used thirteen times in Job to represent the Hebrew Satan, as also in Zechariah 3:1 where Satan is seen in vision standing at the right hand of Joshua the High Priest as his accuser, cf. Psalms 109:6 “Let Satan (= an accuser) stand at his right hand.” In 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan stands up against Israel rather as a tempter than an accuser. In the N.T. both διάβολος and Σατανᾶς are used and the two titles are combined in Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2. διάβολος suggests malicious accusation, Satan spitefully accuses men to God, cf. Job 1:9 “doth Job fear God for nought?” and Revelation 12:10 “the accuser (κατήγωρ) of our brethren.” He also accuses God to men, making them doubt or distrust His love or power, and similarly he accuses men to each other.

λέων ὠρυόμενος, a roaring lion, cf. Psalms 22:13 (ὡς λέων ὁ ἁρπάζων καὶ ὠρυόμενος).

περιπατεῖ, cf. Satan’s description of himself in Job 1:7 I come “from going to and fro in the earth and walking up and down in it” (ἐμπεριπατήσας).

ζητῶν καταπιεῖν, seeking to devour (B). A adds τίνα = whom he may devour, while אKLP have τίνα = someone to devour.

The particular form of temptation to which St Peter refers is that of denying the faith through fear of suffering or persecution. This is seen from the words which follow τὰ αὐτὰ τῶν παθημάτων. So in the letter written by the Churches of Lyons and Vienne during the persecution of Marcus Aurelius those who at first denied the faith and afterwards repented and stood firm are described as being “devoured” by the beast and afterwards disgorged alive by him. It was this very temptation to which St Peter himself had yielded when he denied his Master in the hour of danger, when “Satan desired to have the disciples to sift them as wheat.” He is now fulfilling Christ’s command “Do thou, when once thou hast turned again, stablish thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).

Ramsay, who insists that official organized persecution is referred to, explains περιπατεῖ ζητῶν as describing the searching out of Christians which was prohibited by the rescript of Trajan, and therefore he shews that the Epistle is certainly earlier than 112 A.D. But, while we accept the early date, there is no necessity to interpret this metaphorical description of Satan prowling about like a lion in search of prey as being literally fulfilled by the human persecutors who acted as Satan’s agents.

In other passages in this Epistle the sufferings of Christians are described as being in accordance with God’s will. The fact that they are here connected with Satan is not contradictory to that view. In Job’s case Satan was permitted by God to employ suffering to try his faith, and St Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” is described as “the messenger of Satan” though given to him by God to humble him. So here the sufferings of Christians, though permitted by God’s loving purpose as a smelting fire of purification, are at the same time instigated by Satan and are made use of by him to overwhelm his victims if possible by making them deny the faith.