1 Peter 1:8 (WEB)

Passage

whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory—

Nearby Context

1 Peter 1:6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials,

1 Peter 1:7 that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—

1 Peter 1:8 whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory—

1 Peter 1:9 receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "having", "known", "love", "though", "believing", "rejoice", "greatly", and "unspeakable". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "having" and "known", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "that the proof of your faith which..." into verse 9's "receiving the result of your faith the...", so "having" and "known" 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 "having" and "known" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.