1 Peter 3:9 (DBY)

Passage

not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but on the contrary, blessing [others], because ye have been called to this, that ye should inherit blessing.

Nearby Context

1 Peter 3:7 [Ye] husbands likewise, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, as with a weaker, [even] the female, vessel, giving [them] honour, as also fellow-heirs of [the] grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, [be] all of one mind, sympathising, full of brotherly love, tender hearted, humble minded;

1 Peter 3:9 not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but on the contrary, blessing [others], because ye have been called to this, that ye should inherit blessing.

1 Peter 3:10 For he that will love life and see good days, let him cause his tongue to cease from evil and his lips that they speak no guile.

1 Peter 3:11 And let him avoid evil, and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "rendering", "evil", "railing", "contrary", "blessing", and "others". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "rendering", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Finally be all of one mind sympathising..." into verse 10's "For he that will love life and...", so "called" and "rendering" 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 "called" and "rendering" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.