1 Peter 5:7

Context

1 Peter is a letter addressed to believers dispersed throughout several regions of Asia Minor, those whom 1 Peter 1:1 calls "the strangers scattered." The letter repeatedly addresses the suffering and slander these believers endured because of their faith. Chapter 5 first exhorts the church's elders to shepherd the flock willingly (5:1-4). It then urges the younger members to submit to the elders and all members to "be clothed with humility" (5:5). Verse 6 says, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God," and verse 7 follows: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." From verse 8 onward, the letter turns to an exhortation to be sober and vigilant and to resist the adversary, the devil.

In the Greek text, "casting" in verse 7 is not an independent imperative but a participle dependent on "humble yourselves" in verse 6. For this reason, many interpreters hold that casting one's cares on God is presented as a concrete expression of humility. The wording resembles Psalm 55:22, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD." Because the verb also overlaps with that of the corresponding verse in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), many scholars think Peter likely had this psalm in mind.

Interpretation

• Reading in connection with humility: This view holds that the attempt to bear one's cares alone conceals a pride that trusts in one's own strength. Entrusting them to God is understood as an act of humility that acknowledges one's own limits. Many commentators follow this interpretation, reading verses 6 and 7 as a single sentence.
• Reading in the context of suffering: This view holds that the verse was first meant to comfort churches facing persecution and social pressure. In this interpretation, "care" includes not only worries about livelihood but also the fears believers faced because of their faith.
• Reading in connection with the doctrine of providence: In the Reformed tradition, the verse is often explained as one of the proof texts for the doctrine of providence, the teaching that God governs and cares for all things.
• Application to the life of prayer: This interpretation regards prayer as the concrete means of casting one's cares on God. It is read together with Philippians 4:6, which calls believers to make their requests known to God with thanksgiving.

Questions Concerning Application

There are few notable interpretive differences among denominations and few textual issues. In Korean Bible translation, however, one wording deserves comment. In the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul), the word rendering "careth" is a homophone that could be mistaken for "to admonish or advise"; in this verse it means "to look after and care for." The New Korean Revised Version replaced it with a plainer word meaning "care."

Several questions have been raised regarding application. One is whether the command to "cast" one's cares may be read as an instruction to set aside real-world responsibilities or effort. The common answer is that, in context, the verse speaks of trust and does not counsel irresponsibility. In addition, voices in the field of Christian counseling caution that the verse should not be used to label conditions requiring treatment, such as anxiety disorders or depression, as a "lack of faith that fails to cast one's cares on God."

Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.

In Korean Protestant churches of all denominations, the verse is frequently read during pastoral visits and in settings of comfort. The Korean Revised Version's rendering of the command, conveying the sense of casting one's cares away entirely, has long been familiar to Korean Christians.

Related Passages

• Psalm 55:22
• Psalm 37:5
• Matthew 6:25-34
• Philippians 4:6
• 1 Peter 5:8-9