1 Peter 2:22-23

The Lord Suffered Despite Living Sinlessly

Peter, in 2:22, quoted from the LXX rendering of Isaiah 53:9. Woods says the word translated "committed no" is from the Greek meaning never even once. Kelcy tells us, "The word translated guile denotes deceit or treachery." Jesus was accused of being a devil (Matthew 12:24); a glutton and a winebibber (Matthew 11:19); and a blasphemer (Matthew 9:3; John 10:36). They spit on him and slapped him (Matthew 26:67); scourged him and placed a scarlet robe on his back, a reed in his hand and crown of thorns on his brow and mocked him as a king (Matthew 27:26-31); the people passing by ridiculed him and told him to save himself; and the chief priests, scribes and elders made fun of him by saying he saved others but could not save himself (Matthew 27:39-44). Jesus went through all of that without saying a word (Isaiah 53:7), though he could have called upon twelve legions of angels to defend him (Matthew 26:53). Throughout his life, and especially during the extreme suffering of the crucifixion, Jesus placed his trust in God and committed Himself to carrying out His will (Matthew 26:39; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 26:54). God was worthy of Christ's trust and that of all Christians, as was proven in His resurrection from the dead (1 Peter 2:23).

Woods' comments prove helpful for those who remember Jesus' strong statements about the scribes and Pharisees on certain occasions and may be confused by this verse.

The pointed words of condemnation which Jesus sometimes hurled at the Pharisees and others (Matthew 7:5; Matthew 16:3; Matthew 22:18; Matthew 23:13; Matthew 23:25-26) were not the bitter taunts of personal malice, nor the retaliatory retorts for insults received, but the probings of one capable of looking into the innermost recesses of the heart and exposing the corruption there, with the design of saving, if possible, the persons so possessed.