1 Peter 5:7

Context

1 Peter is a letter addressed to believers scattered throughout various 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 (a verbal form) dependent on "humble yourselves" in verse 6. For this reason, many interpreters hold that casting one's anxieties on God is presented as a concrete expression of humility. The wording resembles Psalm 55:22, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD." Because the same verb also appears in the corresponding verse of 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 anxieties 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 anxieties 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. The translation of the verse in Korean Bibles, however, deserves comment. In the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul), the word gwongo (권고) in the phrase corresponding to "he careth for you" does not mean "to admonish or advise" (勸告) but "to look after and care for" (眷顧). The New Korean Revised Version replaced it with dolbosim (돌보심), "care."

Several questions have been raised regarding application. One is whether the command to "cast" one's cares away 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."

In the Korean Church

Across denominations, the verse is frequently read during pastoral visits and in settings of comfort. The Korean Revised Version's expression matgyeo beorira ("cast it away," conveying the sense of handing one's cares over 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