1 Peter 3:10

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Peter addresses scattered believers enduring mistreatment; having just told them not to repay evil with evil (v. 9), he quotes Psalm 34 as the concrete standard for how to live.

The words — θελῶν (thelōn), present participle of θέλω, means "desiring" or "wanting"; it frames the verse as a desire-condition rather than a command, and the BSB's "would love" softens the force.

The thread — The verse is a direct quotation of Psalm 34:13 (LXX), which answers the question posed in 34:12; James 1:26 and 1 Peter 2:22 both return to the same tongue-and-deceit axis.

Why it lands — It makes the tongue the hinge between "life and good days" and their absence, reducing a broad ethical exhortation to one concrete, daily discipline.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

Cross-references

Psalms 34:12 Who is the man who delights in life, who desires to see good days?
James 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
1 Peter 2:22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
1 Peter 2:1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
Revelation 14:5 And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
John 1:47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
Proverbs 3:2 for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life.
Proverbs 8:35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains the favor of the LORD.
John 12:25 Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.