1 Peter 5:4 (KJV)

Passage

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Nearby Context

1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

1 Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "chief", "shepherd", "shall", "appear", "receive", "crown", and "glory". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "chief" and "shepherd", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Neither as being lords over God s..." into verse 5's "Likewise ye younger submit yourselves unto the...", so "chief" and "shepherd" belong inside that flow. In 1 Peter context, the local focus is hope in suffering, holy conduct, submission, and grace.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "chief" and "shepherd" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.