Proper Sentence Order in Translation
An Examination of the Different Renderings of 1 Peter 1:1–2
1 Peter 1:1–2 reads differently depending on the English translation. The King James Version (KJV) and its derivatives place the word elect before foreknowledge, whereas translations such as the English Standard Version (ESV) place it before exiles.
The placement of the word elect has a significant impact on the verse’s interpretation. In the KJV, elect precedes foreknowledge, supporting the doctrine of pre-election based on God’s foreknowledge. However, when elect modifies pilgrims, as in other translations, it does not lend support to that doctrine.
To resolve this difference, we must examine the original language:
Πέτρος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκλεκτοῖς παρεπιδήμοις διασπορᾶς Πόντου, Γαλατίας, Καππαδοκίας, Ἀσίας καὶ Βιθυνίας κατὰ πρόγνωσιν θεοῦ πατρὸς ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος εἰς ὑπακοὴν καὶ ῥαντισμὸν αἵματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη πληθυνθείη.
The word ἐκλεκτοῖς is a dative masculine plural adjective. This is important because Greek adjectives must agree with their nouns in case, number, and gender. Notably, in all available manuscripts and minuscules, ἐκλεκτοῖς consistently appears before παρεπιδήμοις, indicating there is no textual variant that would justify an alternative reading.
The preposition κατὰ is used only with the genitive, ablative, or accusative cases. In 1 Peter, it always appears with these cases (e.g., 1 Peter 1:3, 1:15), and never with the dative. Therefore, ἐκλεκτοῖς cannot be syntactically tied to κατὰ or placed after it in translation. These grammatical facts firmly establish that ἐκλεκτοῖς belongs with παρεπιδήμοις and should not be separated from it.
The correct rendering, then, is:
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect pilgrims of the dispersion...”
To determine what foreknowledge modifies, we can momentarily set aside the list of regions. When we read:
Πέτρος ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκλεκτοῖς παρεπιδήμοις διασπορᾶς ... κατὰ πρόγνωσιν θεοῦ
—it becomes clear that foreknowledge does not refer to the election, but to the dispersion itself. That is, they were dispersed according to the foreknowledge of God, not elected on the basis of it.
Therefore, a careful examination of the original Greek grammar and syntax reveals that the word elect was repositioned in some English translations for theological purposes. This alteration affects the meaning and does not accurately reflect the structure and intent of the original text.