1 Peter 2:3

1 Peter 2:3

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

a. NLT: Now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious: [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: if so be ye did taste that the Lord is gracious, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Since you have [already] tasted the goodness and kindness of the Lord. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1. “If so be…”

a. If so be [Strong: 1512. ei per i per from 1487 and 4007; if perhaps:--if so be (that), seeing, though.] [Zodhiates: If indeed, if so be, assuming the supposition as true whether justly or not (1 Corinthians 15:15; 1 Peter 2:3). By implication it means since, equivelant to eige (1489), if indeed, seeing that, unless (Romans 8:9, 17; 1 Corinthians 8:5; 15:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:3).]

1). If you HAVE, laid  “aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings”, AND “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”, IF SO BE, if you have done this, you will ahve tasted that the Lord is gracious.

2). Institute Creation Research Daily Devotional 1/13/13 The little phrase "if so be" (Greek ei per) is used four times in the New Testament, each time setting forth a vital spiritual result established on the basis of a vital spiritual premise. The premise in today's verse is that a new Christian has truly experienced the saving grace of Christ. The result will be that these "newborn babes" will truly "desire the sincere milk of the word" (1 Peter 2:2). The "word" (Greek logikos) is always both pure and reasonable.  Then, "ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9). When a person truly receives Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells his body, and the result is that he will henceforth live in the guidance of the Spirit instead of the flesh.

 But this life in the Spirit will necessarily entail suffering for the sake of Christ, and this is the premise that assures our future inheritance and glorification. The indwelling Spirit bears witness that we are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:17).  Finally, our future resurrection is assured by the certainty of the bodily resurrection of Christ. "We have testified of God," Paul says, "that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not" (1 Corinthians 15:15). Christ's resurrection is proved as well as any historical fact has ever been proved, so the dead surely rise also.  These "if-so-be's" of Scripture, although seemingly expressed in the form of conditions, actually speak great assurances. The true Christian life is one of thirst for the logical words of God, guidance by the indwelling Spirit of God, certainty of future resurrection, and anticipation of a glorious inheritance in Christ. HMM

3). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers The “if so be,” as elsewhere (2Thessalonians 1:6, Note), constitutes a strong appeal to the readers to say whether it were not so. St. Peter confidently reckons that it is so. It should rather be ye tasted, looking back to a quite past time, probably that of the first conversion, when the taste of spiritual things is the most delicious.

4). Barnes' Notes on the Bible If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious - Or rather, as Doddridge renders it, "Since you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." The apostle did not mean to express any doubt on the subject, but to state that, since they had had an experimental acquaintance with the grace of God, they should desire to increase more and more in the knowledge and love of him.

2. “…ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

a. [ye have] tasted [Strong: 1089 geuomai ghyoo'-om-ahee a primary verb; to taste; by implication, to eat; figuratively, to experience (good or ill):--eat, taste.] 

[Thayer: to taste, to try the flavour of, to taste, i.e. perceive the flavour of, partake of, enjoy, to feel, make trial of, experience, to take food, eat, to take nourishment, eat.]

1). As Peter writes, “If so be…” Within that obedience and because of that obedience, you will have begun to taste that the Lord is gracious. Although this word is used to describe the physical sense of taste, Peter is not referring to physical taste here. He is referring to spiritual senses. We have the same spiritual senses as we have physical senses. When Jesus said, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” He was not referring to physical ears.

a). Isaiah 55:1, 2 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

55:2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

2). Notice in this passage that obedience is eating, hence tasting.

a). Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

b. that [Strong: 3754. hoti hot'-ee neuter of 3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:--as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.]

c. the [Strong: 3588. [ho] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ho] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

d. Lord [Strong: 2962. kurios koo'-ree-os from kuros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):-- God, Lord, master, Sir.]

e. [is] gracious [Strong: 5543. chrestos khrase-tos' from 5530; employed, i.e. (by implication) useful (in manner or morals):--better, easy, good(-ness), gracious, kind.]