3:1–4. The participle translated be submissive (hypotassomenai, lit., “being under authority”) carries the force of a command (cf. 2:18). This command is for wives to submit to their own husbands (cf. Eph. 5:22; Col. 3:18). The command does not require women to be subordinate to men in general but to their husbands as a function of order within the home. A wife is to accept her place in the family under the leadership of her husband whom God has placed as head in the home. Wives are to be submissive even if their husbands are unbelievers, so those men might be saved by the behavior of their wives. The powerful purity of a godly woman’s life can soften even the stoniest male heart without a word (cf. Titus 2:5).

A woman who wins this kind of victory has a winsome loveliness that comes not from outward adornment but from her inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit (cf. 1 Tim. 2:9–11). This adornment of the spirit is of great worth in God’s sight. While the world prizes costly clothing and gold jewelry, a woman with a gentle and quiet spirit is precious to God. Peter did not state that women should not wear jewelry and nice clothes, but that Christian wives should not think of outer attire as the source of genuine beauty.

3:5–6. Examples of holy women in the Old Testament support Peter’s exhortation. Purity of life (v. 2) and a submissive spirit (v. 5) have always been a godly woman’s lasting source of beauty and attractiveness. Sarah is chosen as a specific example of a woman who was submissive to her husband. She obeyed Abraham and called him her master. That is, she recognized him as the leader and head of their household (Gen. 18:12). Like other holy women of the past, Sarah put her hope in God. This kind of conduct gives women the spiritual heritage of Sarah: You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear (ptoēsin, “terror”—used only here in the NT). Wives who are fearful (perhaps because of disobeying their husbands) are not putting all their trust in God.

Peter exhorted Christian husbands to give their wives two gifts of love: understanding and respect.

3:7. The words (kata gnōsin) translated considerate (more lit., “according to knowledge” or “with understanding”) point out that husbands should understand and be considerate of their wives’ spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. Paul also elaborated on the husband’s responsibility to protect and care for his wife, “just as Christ does the church” (Eph. 5:28–30).

Also husbands are to treat their wives with respect as the weaker partner. “Weaker” (asthenesterō) refers to physical or emotional weakness, not intellectual inferiority, for wives are their husbands’ fellow heirs of God’s gift of life. If Peter referred here to Christian husbands whose wives were Christians, then “the gracious gift of life” could refer to salvation (cf. Rom. 8:17; Eph. 3:6). If, however, the exhortation were directed to Christian husbands whose wives were unsaved (as 1 Peter 3:1–2 was written to wives with unsaved husbands), then “the gift of life” would refer to sharing the gift of physical life together. Peter added that husbands who do not treat their wives with consideration and respect (timēn, “honor”; cf. 2:17) cannot expect to have their prayers answered