1 Peter 1:23
New International Version
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

New Living Translation
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

English Standard Version
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

Berean Standard Bible
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Berean Literal Bible
having been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, by the living and abiding word of God,

King James Bible
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

New King James Version
having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

New American Standard Bible
for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

NASB 1995
for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

NASB 1977
for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.

Legacy Standard Bible
for you have been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Amplified Bible
for you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God.

Christian Standard Bible
because you have been born again —not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
since you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.

American Standard Version
having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
As persons who have been born again, not from fallible seed, but that which is infallible, by the living word of God which stands for eternity.

Contemporary English Version
Do this because God has given you new birth by his message that lives on forever.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Being born again not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God who liveth and remaineth for ever.

English Revised Version
having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You have been born again, not from a seed that can be destroyed, but through God's everlasting word that can't be destroyed. That's why [Scripture says],

Good News Translation
For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal.

International Standard Version
For you have been born again, not by a seed that perishes but by one that cannot perish—by the living and everlasting word of God.

Literal Standard Version
being begotten again, not out of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through a word of God—living and remaining—throughout the age;

Majority Standard Bible
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and forever enduring word of God.

New American Bible
You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God,

NET Bible
You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

New Revised Standard Version
You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

New Heart English Bible
having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Weymouth New Testament
For you have been begotten again by God's ever-living and enduring word from a germ not of perishable, but of imperishable life.

World English Bible
having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.

Young's Literal Translation
being begotten again, not out of seed corruptible, but incorruptible, through a word of God -- living and remaining -- to the age;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Word of the Lord Stands
22Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart. 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,…

Cross References
Luke 8:11
Now this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

John 1:13
children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

John 3:3
Jesus replied, "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

James 1:18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.

1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 John 3:9
Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God's seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.


Treasury of Scripture

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and stays for ever.

born.

1 Peter 1:3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

John 1:3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

not.

Malachi 2:3
Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.

Romans 1:23
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

1 Corinthians 15:53,54
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality…

but.

1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 5:18
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

by.

1 Peter 1:25
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Jeremiah 23:28
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

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Abideth Age Anew Begotten Birth Born Corruptible Enduring Eternal Ever-Living Forever Germ God's Imperishable Incorruptible Life New Perishable Remaining Seed Unchanging Word
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Abideth Age Anew Begotten Birth Born Corruptible Enduring Eternal Ever-Living Forever Germ God's Imperishable Incorruptible Life New Perishable Remaining Seed Unchanging Word
1 Peter 1
1. Peter praises God for his manifold spiritual graces;
10. showing that the salvation in Christ the fulfillment of prophesy;
13. and exhorts them accordingly to be holy.














(23) Being born again.--Rather, Having been begotten again. It is not part of the exhortation, as though they had still to be thus begotten, but assigns the moral grounds for the exhortation. It is logically parallel with "seeing ye have purified," and might be rendered, seeing that ye have been begotten again. For the meaning of the word, refer back to 1Peter 1:3.

Not of corruptible seed.--That is, not of the seed of Abraham, but of the seed of God. This is the argument: "You must learn not to be selfish, or arrogant, as being of the chosen race, but to have a true brotherly feeling and earnest love for the Gentile converts, and for those who, like St. Paul, are specially working for the Gentiles, because your inheritance of the promised 'salvation' is grounded, not on your Abrahamic descent, but on your spiritual regeneration, in which matter the Gentile converts are your equals." That this was the doctrine of St. Peter is certain from his speech at the Council of Jerusalem, "God put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith;" and again, "It is only through the favour of the Lord Jesus that we hope to be saved, in precisely the same manner as they" (Acts 15:9; Acts 15:11). (Comp., for the argument, 1John 5:1.)

By the word of God.--"Seed," in the beginning of the clause, is more literally the act of sowing, or engendering, which sowing is carried on "through the living and abiding word of God," this "word of God" being the actual seed sown. The "seed" of all existence is the spoken Word of God, the expressed will and meaning of creative thought (Psalm 33:6); and so here, even when spoken mediately, through the lips of men (as explained in 1Peter 1:25), it is that which begets men afresh. God creates afresh, though men speak the creative word for Him, just as "it is He that hath made us," although He does so through natural laws and human powers. The "Word of God" here is, no doubt, the preaching of the gospel, but especially, as it would seem, the preaching of the Resurrection (1Peter 1:3), or of the sufferings and glories of Messiah (1Peter 1:12), the "truth" of the last verse. The part taken by "the Word" in the sacrament of regeneration may be seen again in Ephesians 5:26 and James 1:18; in connection with the other sacrament we may also refer to John 6:63. "Incorruptible" (i.e., imperishable; see 1Peter 1:4; 1Peter 1:18) finds a more energetic paraphrase here in "living and abiding" (the words "for ever" not being part of the true text). The former epithet is a favourite with St. Peter (1Peter 1:3, 1Peter 2:4-5), and is perhaps borrowed from this place by the author to the Hebrews, in connection with the "word of God" (Hebrews 4:12). The epithets serve to prepare the way for the quotation. . . .

Verse 23. - Being born again; rather, having been begotten again. St. Peter repeats the verb used already in ver. 3. It is the highest argument for brotherly love; the children of the one Father are all brethren; they should "love as brethren" (1 Peter 3:8). Not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. The word used here (σπορά) means, properly, "sowing;" but, like σπόρος (Luke 8:11), it stands also for the seed; and here the epithets "corruptible" and "incorruptible" seem to necessitate this second meaning. In the passage quoted from St. Luke, the seed (σπόρος) is identified with the Word. "The seed is the Word of God." Here there seems to be a distinction. God's elect are begotten again of incorruptible seed through the Word. The use of different prepositions, ἐκ and διά apparently implies a difference between the seed and the Word. In the conversation with Nicodemus the Lord had said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." And he continues, "That which is born of the flesh [ἐκ τῆς σαρκός, which seems to correspond with the ἐκ σπορᾶς φθαρτοῦ of St. Peter] is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit;" where the Greek words, τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος, "that which is begotten of the Spirit," correspond very nearly with ἀναγεγεννημένοι ἐκ σπορᾶς ἀφθάρτου, "those who are begotten again of incorruptible seed." Then the incorruptible seed is the Holy Spirit of God, the Source of all spiritual life; it is the Spirit that "beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God;" "To be spiritually minded is life." Comp. 1 John 3:9, "Whosoever is born of God ( γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ) cloth not commit sin: for his seed (σπέρμα) abideth in him: and he cannot sin because he is born of God"). There is a different explanation of this last passage: "God's seed, that is, his children, abide in him." But on the whole, it seems to be parallel with this verse, and to teach the same doctrine, that the first gift of the Spirit is the germ of spiritual life, and that that precious germ, abiding in the true children of God, lives and energizes "till we come... unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). But if the Holy Spirit of God is, in the deepest sense, the Seed of the new birth, the Word is the instrument. God's elect are begotten again through the Word, the Word preached, heard, read, pronounced in holy baptism. The Word preached by St. Peter on the great Day of Pentecost was the means by which three thousand souls were led to be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (comp. James 1:18, "Of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth"). Again, the Word preached derives its power from the personal Word, from him who is the Word of God. "All things were made through him" (John L 3; Hebrews 1:2); and as the first creation was through him, so is the new creation. He is "the Beginning of the creation of God" (Revelation 3:14); for he is our Life, the life hidden in the heart. He is the Word of life: "He that hath the Son hath life" (1 John 5:12); "Through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). It is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we receive the grace of the new birth. The words, "which liveth and abideth," may be connected with the Divine Name: "God, who liveth and abideth; "or, as in our version, with "the Word." The last connection seems most suitable here (comp. ver. 25, "The Word of the Lord abideth for ever;" and Hebrews 4:12, "The Word of God is quick and powerful'). The most ancient manuscripts omit the words, "forever."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
For you have been born again,
ἀναγεγεννημένοι (anagegennēmenoi)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 313: To beget again, beget into a new life. From ana and gennao; to beget or bear.

not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

of
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

perishable
φθαρτῆς (phthartēs)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 5349: Corruptible, perishable. From phtheiro; decayed, i.e. perishable.

seed,
σπορᾶς (sporas)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4701: Seed sown, a sowing. From speiro; a sowing, i.e. parentage.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

of imperishable,
ἀφθάρτου (aphthartou)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 862: Indestructible, imperishable, incorruptible; hence: immortal. Undecaying.

through
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

[the] living
ζῶντος (zōntos)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2198: To live, be alive. A primary verb; to live.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

enduring
μένοντος (menontos)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.

word
λόγου (logou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

of God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Letters: 1 Peter 1:23 Having been born again not of corruptible (1 Pet. 1P iP i Pet)
1 Peter 1:22
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