3:7

Husbands…treat your wives…as a delicate vessel: There are two ways of understanding the structure of this verse:

1. The phrase “as a delicate vessel” belongs with the command to treat one’s wife with respect/honor. For example:

   Likewise you husbands, live considerately with your wives, bestowing honor on the woman as the weaker sex, since you are joint heirs of the grace of life…. (RSV) (RSV, NIV, KJV, REB, CEV, NJB)

2. The phrase “as a delicate vessel” belongs with the command to be considerate to one’s wife. For example:

   Husbands, in the same way treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life…. (NET) (BSB, NASB, GNT, NET, GW, NCV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

3:7a

Husbands: The term you use to translate Husbands should match the term you used in 3:1a. Peter is now starting to address a different group of people, Christian men who are married.

in the same way: The Greek word that the BSB translates as in the same way is the same word as in 3:1a. It introduces a new subject on the same general theme of treating one another appropriately and with respect. THere is another way to translate this phrase:

Likewise (RSV)

treat your wives with consideration: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as treat your wives with consideration is literally “live with [your wives] according to knowledge/understanding.” Peter wanted Christian husbands to be wise in the way they treated their wives and to try to understand them. Other translation models include:

you husbands must show understanding in your married life (REB)

If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of your wife (CEV)

your wives: Each husband was to have only one wife. In some languages it may therefore be natural to use the singular. For example:

your wife

3:7b

as a delicate vessel: There are two ways of understanding how the phrase as a delicate vessel connects to the command “treat them with respect”:

1. Husbands were to treat their wives with respect because women are weaker than men. For example:

   since they are weaker than you (NCV) (BSB, NIV, CEV, REB, KJV, NCV)

2. Husbands were to treat their wives with respect in spite of the fact that women are weaker than men. For example:

   though she may be the weaker partner (NJB) (NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and the majority of English versions.

delicate vessel: Peter did not say in what way he thought that women were more delicate than men. He was probably thinking of them as being physically weaker and restricted by the social customs of that time.

vessel: The Greek word that the BSB translates as “vessel” refers to in this context to being a human being. Some versions do not translate this word, leaving the meaning implied from the context. For example:

since they are weaker than you (GW)

she is not as strong a person as you are

with honor: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as with honor is literally “give due honor.” Refer to your translation of 2:17a, where a similar phrase is used. Here in 3:7b Peter used the noun meaning “honor” and a different verb, but the meaning is the same. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

Treat her with honor (CEV)

3:7c

as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life: Peter was saying that both husband and wife will receive eternal life. God gives this gift to both men and women.

heirs: Peter is using heirs in a figurative sense to mean people who are given something by their father. God our Father gives eternal life to all his children, both men and women.

the gracious gift of life: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the gracious gift of life refers to the eternal life that God gives by his grace/kindness.

Other ways to translate this include:

she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life (NLT)

she will share with you the life that God kindly gives

because they also will receive, together with you, God’s gift of life (GNT)

3:7d

so that your prayers will not be hindered: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as so that your prayers will not be hindered is in the passive. It may be helpful in your language to put it in the active. Some versions begin a new sentence here. For example:

In this way nothing will hinder your prayers. (NET)

This will prevent anything from coming in the way of your prayers. (NJB)

Peter was saying that God will not answer men’s prayers if they do not treat their wives with kindness and respect. In some languages it may be clearer to express the meaning in a positive way:

so that your prayers will be effective

so that God may hear your prayers