Semantic Analysis
1 Peter — Semantic Analysis (English → Maithili)
PRD Phase 1, Step 1
Curriculum: 1 Peter
Core passage: 1 Peter 1:3–9
Destination language: Maithili (Devanagari script)
Method: Original Koine Greek analyzed verse-by-verse for the core passage; every other chapter analyzed for load-bearing theological vocabulary using the same fields. Terms already fixed in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are reused exactly and marked [BASELINE REUSE]. New terms required for 1 Peter are proposed with full risk rationale, anticipating entry into an expanded translation memory in a later step.
Fields used for every term: Original word (Greek) · Transliteration · Literal meaning · Semantic range · English variants (major EN versions) · Contextual theological meaning in 1 Peter · Maithili rendering · Risk tier · Rationale.
PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE: 1 PETER 1:3–9 (Verse-by-Verse)
1 Peter 1:3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
εὐλογητός (eulogētos) — “blessed”
- Literal meaning: “well-spoken-of,” worthy of praise.
- Semantic range: liturgical benediction opening (cf. Eph 1:3; 2 Cor 1:3).
- English variants: “Blessed” (ESV/KJV/NIV); “Praise be to” (NIV alt.).
- Contextual meaning: opens a doxology praising God for the new-birth/hope just described.
- Maithili rendering: धन्य (dhanya). Risk: Low. Standard doxological term; no known collision.
θεὸς καὶ πατήρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ — “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”
- Uses baseline terms [BASELINE REUSE]: god = परमेश्वर, father = पिता, lord = प्रभु (with honorific verb agreement), jesus = यीशु, christ = ख्रीष्ट.
- Risk: Critical (compounded Christological/Trinitarian confession). Verb agreement referring to Jesus/God must use the highest honorific register (छथि) throughout, per baseline requirement.
ἔλεος (eleos) — “mercy”
- Literal meaning: compassionate pity moving to help; distinct Greek root from χάρις (grace).
- Semantic range: God’s compassionate disposition acting toward the wretched/needy; overlaps with but is not identical to unmerited favor (grace).
- English variants: “mercy” (ESV/KJV/NIV); “great mercy” (NIV).
- Contextual meaning: the ground/cause of the new birth — God’s compassion, not human merit.
- Maithili rendering: दया (dayā). Risk: High. Rationale: दया is the everyday Maithili word for compassion, heavily used in regional Vaishnava/Shaiva bhakti idiom for a deity’s compassion toward a devotee (e.g., Ram’s or Shiva’s दया). Must be anchored to the specific saving act of the Father through Christ’s resurrection, not left as generic devotional compassion. Must also be kept visibly distinct from अनुग्रह (grace, baseline term) — दया names God’s compassionate disposition; अनुग्रह names the resulting unmerited gift/status. Do not collapse the two.
ἀναγεννήσας (anagennēsas) — “having caused to be born again / having regenerated”
- Literal meaning: ἀνα- (again) + γεννάω (to beget/give birth) — “to beget again.”
- Semantic range: a decisive, God-initiated act producing new spiritual life (cf. John 3:3 ἄνωθεν γεννηθῆναι — a related but distinct Johannine term); in 1 Peter linked explicitly to the seed metaphor at 1:23.
- English variants: “caused us to be born again” (ESV); “begotten us again” (KJV); “given us new birth” (NIV).
- Contextual theological meaning: a one-time, monergistic act of God producing a genuinely new spiritual existence, grounded specifically in Christ’s historical resurrection — not a repeatable process and not a transition within an ongoing life-cycle.
- Maithili rendering: नव जन्म देल (nav janma del, “given new birth”) / noun form नव जन्म (nav janma). Risk: CRITICAL. Rationale: this is the single most dangerous new term introduced by 1 Peter for a Maithili audience. Maithili/Hindi वर्जित शब्द पुनर्जन्म (punarjanma) — already forbidden in the Romans package as a rendering of “resurrection” — is the exact everyday word an audience steeped in Vaishnava/Shaiva rebirth theology will reach for to translate “born again,” since both concepts involve a “birth happening again.” पुनर्जन्म must never be used here. नव जन्म (“new birth,” built from जन्म, the ordinary Maithili word for birth, plus नव “new,” not पुनर्-) is chosen specifically to avoid the पुनर्-prefix that signals “another cycle.” A mandatory translator note must accompany every occurrence: this is a single, decisive, Spirit-wrought new beginning grounded in Christ’s historical resurrection, categorically different from rebirth into another earthly existence within saṃsāra.
ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν (elpida zōsan) — “living hope”
- ἐλπίς (elpis): literal meaning “expectation, hope”; semantic range: confident forward-looking trust, not wishful uncertainty. ζῶσαν (zōsan) “living,” from ζάω (to live).
- English variants: “living hope” (ESV/NIV); “lively hope” (KJV).
- Contextual meaning: hope that is alive because it is grounded in the risen, living Christ — not a static wish but an animating confidence for the whole letter (cf. 1:13, 3:15).
- Maithili rendering: जीवित आशा (jīvit āśā). Risk: High. Rationale: आशा (hope) alone is Low risk (standard vocabulary), but “living hope” as a theological compound is High risk because it must be kept distinct from the region’s own devotional hope-language directed toward the eventual liberation (मुक्ति/मोक्ष — forbidden terms per baseline) achieved through repeated lifetimes of devotion. जीवित आशा must be anchored explicitly to the resurrection clause that follows in the same verse.
ἀνάστασις (anastasis) — “resurrection” [BASELINE REUSE: पुनरुत्थान]
- Reuses the baseline Critical-risk term exactly. Risk: Critical. Never पुनर्जन्म. This verse is the doctrinal engine of 1 Peter’s “Living Hope of the Resurrection” theme and must carry the same distinguishing note as in Romans: bodily, historical, once-for-all, not rebirth within a cycle.
1 Peter 1:4
“to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”
κληρονομίαν (klēronomian) — “inheritance”
- Literal meaning: a portion received by lot/allotment as an heir; a legacy passed to a rightful heir.
- Semantic range: OT background — Israel’s inheritance of the land (LXX); NT — the believer’s eschatological inheritance in Christ (cf. Rom 8:17 “heirs… fellow heirs”).
- English variants: “inheritance” (all major versions).
- Contextual meaning: the content of the “living hope” — a secure future possession guaranteed by God, received not earned.
- Maithili rendering: विरासत (virāsat). Risk: High. Rationale: Maithil culture places significant weight on inheritance and lineage-transmission of property and status, closely bound up with the Panjikaran genealogical registry that verifies caste-lineage legitimacy for inheritance and marriage. विरासत is the natural, well-understood word, but reviewers must ensure the passage’s force — that this विरासत is received by grace through faith in Christ, not secured by verified lineage, caste purity, or earned merit — is not lost. Recommend the qualifying compound “स्वर्गीय विरासत” (heavenly inheritance) at first occurrence to mark the categorical difference from worldly/lineage inheritance.
ἄφθαρτον (aphtharton) — “imperishable”
- Literal meaning: α- (not) + φθείρω (to destroy/corrupt) — “incapable of decay.”
- Semantic range: incorruptibility, freedom from decay or death — used elsewhere of God (Rom 1:23, baseline context) and of resurrection bodies (1 Cor 15:52).
- English variants: “imperishable” (ESV/NIV); “incorruptible” (KJV).
- Contextual meaning: the inheritance cannot decay, unlike worldly wealth or lineage-honor which can be lost, contested, or corrupted.
- Maithili rendering: अविनाशी (avināśī). Risk: High. Rationale: अविनाशी is precisely the adjective used in regional devotional and Vedantic idiom for the indestructibility of the soul (आत्मा अविनाशी अछि, echoing the well-known Bhagavad Gita teaching on the soul’s imperishability). The term is linguistically the best available option, but every occurrence needs contextual anchoring to the specific object being described — a heaven-kept inheritance secured by Christ’s resurrection — not a native, eternal quality of the human soul itself.
ἀμίαντον (amianton) — “undefiled”
- Literal meaning: α- (not) + μιαίνω (to stain/pollute) — “without stain.”
- Semantic range: ritual and moral purity; used of Christ’s sacrifice (Heb 7:26) and of pure religion (Jas 1:27).
- English variants: “undefiled” (ESV/KJV); “pure” (NIV alt.).
- Maithili rendering: निष्कलंक (niṣkalaṅk, “without blemish/stain”). Risk: Medium. Rationale: निष्कलंक avoids शुद्ध, which the baseline flags as carrying ritual-purity/lineage-purity overtones tied to Panjikaran; निष्कलंक instead conveys moral/relational unblemishedness.
ἀμάραντον (amaranton) — “unfading”
- Literal meaning: α- (not) + μαραίνω (to wither/fade) — “not withering.”
- Semantic range: botanical image (a flower that does not wilt), applied metaphorically to what is imperishable; the same root reappears at 5:4 (“unfading crown of glory”).
- English variants: “unfading” (ESV/NIV); “that fadeth not away” (KJV).
- Maithili rendering: न मुरझाएबाला (na murjhāebālā, “that which does not wither”). Risk: Medium. Rationale: the more idiomatic pairing अजर-अमर (“ageless-undying”) was considered and rejected because it is a stock Maithili/Hindi epithet for the immortality of gods and divine beings in regional devotional literature; the flatter botanical image न मुरझाएबाला avoids that collision while preserving the withering-flower picture Peter himself uses again at 1:24. This rendering must be used consistently at both 1:4 and 5:4.
τετηρημένην ἐν οὐρανοῖς — “kept/reserved in heaven”
- τηρέω (tēreō): to guard, watch over, keep safe.
- Maithili rendering: स्वर्गमे सुरक्षित राखल (svargamē surakṣit rākhal). Risk: Low. Standard vocabulary; God as active custodian of the inheritance.
1 Peter 1:5
“who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
δυνάμει θεοῦ (dynamei theou) — “by/in the power of God” [BASELINE REUSE concept: power_of_god = परमेश्वरक सामर्थ्य]
- Risk: High. Rationale: reuses the baseline High-risk term exactly. Never शक्ति (baseline forbidden — Shakta-goddess association, e.g., regional Durga/Kali/Ugratara devotion). सामर्थ्य conveys capability/might without a goddess-figure association.
φρουρουμένους (phrouroumenous) — “being guarded”
- Literal meaning: from φρουρέω, a military term — to keep guard over, as a garrison protecting a city.
- Semantic range: active, vigilant, ongoing protective custody (present passive participle — continuous action).
- English variants: “are being guarded” (ESV); “are kept” (KJV/NIV).
- Contextual meaning: believers are not merely hoping for future salvation passively; God is actively, continuously garrisoning them now, by his own power, through their faith, until that salvation is revealed.
- Maithili rendering: रक्षित (rakṣit, “guarded/protected”), rendered as an ongoing state: रक्षा कएल जा रहल अछि. Risk: Medium. Rationale: must convey active divine military-style custody, not a vague “being kept safe” that could be read as passive fate.
διὰ πίστεως (dia pisteōs) — “through faith” [BASELINE REUSE: faith = विश्वास]
- Risk: High. Faith is the means by which believers are kept, not the ground of merit; must not be softened toward general religious devotion (भक्ति, baseline-forbidden substitution for faith).
σωτηρίαν (sōtērian) — “salvation” [BASELINE REUSE: salvation = उद्धार]
- Risk: Critical. Never मुक्ति or मोक्ष. Here salvation is explicitly future and to-be-revealed — an eschatological consummation, distinct from a present liberation from the rebirth cycle sought in regional devotional practice.
ἑτοίμην ἀποκαλυφθῆναι (hetoimēn apokalyphthēnai) — “ready to be revealed”
- ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis): literal meaning “an uncovering, unveiling”; semantic range: disclosure of what was hidden, technical eschatological term for Christ’s return (also 1:7, 1:13, 4:13).
- English variants: “ready to be revealed” (ESV); “ready to be revealed in the last time” (KJV/NIV similar).
- Maithili rendering: प्रकट होबाक हेतु तैयार (prakaṭ hobāk hetu taiyār). Risk: Medium. Rationale: प्रकट (revealed/manifest) is used consistently across 1 Peter for Christ’s eschatological appearing (1:7, 1:13, 4:13, 5:4) and must be kept terminologically distinct from प्रकट भेल used for the incarnation-related “manifested” of 1:20, where a translator note is needed to distinguish first coming from second coming usage of the same root.
1 Peter 1:6
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,”
ἀγαλλιᾶσθε (agalliasthe) — “you rejoice / exult”
- Literal meaning: to leap for joy, exult greatly — a stronger term than ordinary χαίρω (to be glad).
- Semantic range: exuberant, often worship-associated joy (LXX Psalms).
- English variants: “you rejoice” (ESV); “ye greatly rejoice” (KJV); “you greatly rejoice” (NIV).
- Maithili rendering: आनन्दित होएब / उल्लासित होएब (ānandit hoeb / ullāsit hoeb). Risk: Low. Standard joy vocabulary; risk only if flattened to a mild “feeling happy” losing the exuberant sense.
λυπηθέντες (lypēthentes) — “grieved”
- Literal meaning: caused pain/sorrow.
- Maithili rendering: दुःखी भेल (duḥkhī bhel). Risk: Low.
ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς (poikilois peirasmois) — “various trials”
- ποικίλος: many-colored, diverse. πειρασμός: literal meaning “a testing, trial”; semantic range spans neutral “test” and morally loaded “temptation” (context determines sense — here clearly external suffering/testing, not temptation to sin).
- English variants: “various trials” (ESV/NIV); “manifold temptations” (KJV).
- Contextual meaning: the real, varied sufferings of an exile community facing social hostility (developed at length in chs. 2–4).
- Maithili rendering: विविध परीक्षा (vividh parīkṣā). Risk: Medium. Rationale: परीक्षा is the everyday Maithili word for an academic “exam/test,” which can flatten the theological weight; it must be anchored by context (and ideally a qualifying phrase such as “दुःख आ कष्टक परीक्षा,” trial of suffering) so it is not read as a morally neutral school-test image. Must also not be heard as karmic testing/punishment for past-life deeds (प्रारब्ध-linked suffering, a live folk-theological category in the region, per baseline’s providence/election notes).
1 Peter 1:7
“so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
δοκίμιον (dokimion) — “tested genuineness”
- Literal meaning: the process/means of testing, or the proven, genuine result of a test (assay of metal).
- Semantic range: a metallurgical refining metaphor — testing that proves authenticity, as fire proves gold.
- English variants: “tested genuineness” (ESV); “trial” (KJV); “genuineness” (NIV).
- Contextual meaning: suffering functions like fire on gold — it does not create faith but proves and purifies its genuineness.
- Maithili rendering: विश्वासक खरापन (biswasak kharāpan, “the genuineness of faith,” using खरा — the everyday Maithili/Hindi word for gold proven “genuine/pure” through testing). Risk: Medium. Rationale: खरा is well chosen here precisely because it is the ordinary word Maithili speakers already use for gold verified as genuine (खरा सोना), giving a natural bridge to the goldsmith’s-fire metaphor without invoking शुद्ध’s ritual-purity baggage.
πολυτιμότερον χρυσίου τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου, διὰ πυρὸς δὲ δοκιμαζομένου — “more precious than gold that perishes though tested by fire”
- Maithili rendering: सोनासँ बेसी अनमोल, जे नाश होइछ, मुदा आगिसँ परखल जाइत अछि (sonāsã beśī anmol, je nāś hoich, mudā āgisã parkhal jāit achi). Risk: Low. Standard comparative image; no doctrinal collision. Note: gold is a natural, culturally resonant image in Mithila (dowry-gold customs), which strengthens rather than complicates the metaphor here, since the text explicitly says gold perishes while faith’s proven genuineness does not — reinforcing (not competing with) the imperishable-inheritance theme of v.4.
εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ δόξαν καὶ τιμήν — “to praise and glory and honor”
- ἔπαινος: praise, commendation. δόξα: [BASELINE REUSE: glory = महिमा]. τιμή: honor, worth, value.
- Maithili rendering: प्रशंसा, महिमा, आ आदर (praśaṃsā, mahimā, ā ādar). Risk: Low-Medium for the triad overall; महिमा retains its baseline High-risk status individually and must avoid light-imagery collisions per baseline notes.
ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ — “at the revelation of Jesus Christ”
- Maithili rendering: यीशु ख्रीष्टक प्रकट होएब (Yīśu Khrīṣṭak prakaṭ hoeb). Risk: High. This is the letter’s technical term for Christ’s future, visible, glorious second coming (also 1:13, 4:13) and must be kept terminologically distinct from ordinary “revealed/shown” usages elsewhere in the letter.
1 Peter 1:8
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,”
οὐκ ἰδόντες ἀγαπᾶτε (ouk idontes agapate) — “not having seen, you love”
- ἀγαπάω: to love with committed, willed love (distinct from φιλέω’s affectionate love, though the distinction is not always sharply maintained in Koine).
- Maithili rendering: ओकरा नहि देखने सेहो प्रेम करैत छी (okarā nahi dekhane sehõ prem karait chī). Risk: Medium. Rationale: this is love directed at the unseen, risen, exalted Christ — a devotional posture that will naturally invite comparison with regional bhakti devotion to an unseen deity (Ram, Krishna, Shiva). The distinction to preserve: this love responds to a specific historical person whose resurrection and future revelation have just been named (vv. 3, 7), not devotion to a deity known only through myth, image, or philosophical abstraction.
πιστεύοντες (pisteuontes) — “believing” [BASELINE REUSE root: faith/believe = विश्वास]
- Risk: High. Trust placed in the specific, named Jesus Christ, not भक्ति-style generalized devotional reverence (baseline-rejected alternative).
χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ καὶ δεδοξασμένῃ (chara aneklalētō kai dedoxasmenē) — “joy inexpressible and filled with glory”
- ἀνεκλάλητος: literal meaning “un-speakable-out,” inexpressible in words (a hapax legomenon in the NT — this is its only occurrence). δεδοξασμένη: perfect passive participle of δοξάζω, “having been glorified” — glory-filled, glory-clothed joy.
- English variants: “joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (ESV); “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (KJV); “inexpressible and glorious joy” (NIV).
- Maithili rendering: अवर्णनीय आ महिमामय आनन्द (avarṇanīya ā mahimāmay ānand). Risk: Medium. Standard joy vocabulary compounded with महिमा (baseline High-risk term); the compound must not be diluted to ordinary happiness — this is worship-quality, glory-charged joy anticipating the eschaton.
1 Peter 1:9
“obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
κομιζόμενοι (komizomenoi) — “obtaining/receiving”
- Literal meaning: to carry away for oneself, to receive what is due or promised.
- Maithili rendering: प्राप्त करैत (prāpt karait). Risk: Low.
τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως (to telos tēs pisteōs) — “the outcome/goal of faith”
- τέλος: end, goal, completion, consummation.
- Maithili rendering: विश्वासक परिणाम (biswasak pariṇām). Risk: Low-Medium. Reuses विश्वास (baseline). Care needed that परिणाम (“result/outcome”) does not sound like faith mechanically earning an outcome (a merit-transaction reading), rather than faith being the God-appointed channel through which the already-secured salvation of v.5 is finally received.
σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν (sōtērian psychōn) — “the salvation of souls” [BASELINE REUSE: salvation = उद्धार]
- Risk: Critical. Never मुक्ति/मोक्ष. This closing phrase of the core passage functions as its theological capstone, tying the whole unit (new birth → living hope → guarded inheritance → tested faith → unseen love) to the one Critical-risk term the entire Romans package was built to protect. उद्धार must appear here exactly as in the baseline glossary.
PART 2 — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY OF THE WHOLE BOOK
Chapter 1 (remaining verses: 1:1–2, 1:10–25)
| Term (Eng) | Greek / Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Meaning | Maithili Rendering | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| apostle | ἀπόστολος / apostolos | one sent | authorized, commissioned messenger | ”apostle” | Peter’s identity/authority basis for writing | प्रेरित [BASELINE REUSE] | Medium | Never पंडित (Panjikaran custodian role, unrelated authority). |
| elect exiles | ἐκλεκτοῖς παρεπιδήμοις / eklektois parepidēmois | chosen ones, temporary residents | God’s sovereign choice + social status of resident aliens | ”elect exiles” (ESV); “strangers… elect” (KJV); “God’s elect, exiles” (NIV) | Believers’ dual identity: divinely chosen, yet social outsiders in their own society | चुनल परदेशी (cunal pardeśī) | High | चुनल reuses baseline election root (परमेश्वरक चुनाव); must not read as fate/luck (baseline-forbidden भाग्य/किस्मत/प्रारब्ध). परदेशी conveys social displacement, foundational for the whole letter’s pastoral strategy. |
| Diaspora | διασποράς / diasporas | scattering, dispersion | technical term for Jews scattered outside Israel; here applied metaphorically to Christians scattered in society | ”Dispersion” (ESV); “scattered” (KJV/NIV) | believers as a scattered people whose true homeland is heaven | बिखराव (bikhrāv) | Low | Descriptive geographic/social term. |
| foreknowledge | πρόγνωσιν θεοῦ πατρός / prognōsin theou patros | foreknowing | God’s prior, purposive knowledge/choice, not mere foresight of future events | ”foreknowledge” (all versions) | grounds election in the Father’s eternal plan, not human merit | पूर्वज्ञान (pūrvajñān) | High | Must not be confused with astrological prediction (भविष्यफल, baseline-flagged) or fatalistic प्रारब्ध; this is personal, purposive divine knowledge tied to the Father’s choice, echoing baseline’s “election” and “providence” cautions. |
| sanctification of the Spirit | ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος / hagiasmō pneumatos | Spirit’s holy-making | the Spirit’s work setting believers apart | ”sanctification of the Spirit” (ESV/KJV); “the Spirit’s work of making you holy” (NIV) | the Spirit’s part in the Trinitarian pattern of salvation opening the letter | पवित्रीकरण [BASELINE REUSE] | High | Reuses baseline term exactly; pairs with पवित्र आत्मा [BASELINE REUSE]. |
| obedience | ὑπακοήν / hypakoēn | hearing-under, compliance | faith-responsive obedience to Christ, distinct from dutiful religious compliance | ”obedience” (all versions) | believers set apart “for obedience… to Jesus Christ” | आज्ञाकारिता (ājñākāritā) | High | Related to but distinct from baseline’s obedience_of_faith (विश्वासक आज्ञाकारिता, a Romans-specific compound); here used more broadly for Christ-directed obedience. Must not collapse into duty-bound household compliance (कर्तव्य पालन), which baseline flags as resonant with Mithila’s dharma-ordered family/marriage customs. |
| sprinkling with his blood | ῥαντισμὸν αἵματος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ / rantismon haimatos | sprinkling of blood | OT covenant-ratification and cleansing imagery (Exod 24:8) | “sprinkling with his blood” (all versions) | believers are set apart through Christ’s blood applied to them, as Israel was consecrated at Sinai | लहूक छिटकाव (lahūk chiṭkāv) | High | Must be explained as OT sacrificial covenant-ratification imagery, not conflated with regional ritual water-sprinkling in Hindu पूजा for purification; requires OT background note per doctrine “Christ’s Substitutionary Suffering.” |
| grace and peace | χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη / charis kai eirēnē | favor and peace | standard Pauline/Petrine epistolary greeting | ”grace and peace” (all versions) | opening blessing | अनुग्रह आ शान्ति [BASELINE REUSE both] | High/Medium | Reuse exactly. |
| holy conduct / be holy | ἅγιοι γενήθητε / hagioi genēthēte | become holy ones | moral and relational set-apartness, quoting Lev 11:44 | ”be holy” (all versions) | central ethical demand of the letter (1:15-16), grounding chs. 2-4’s conduct instructions | पवित्र होउ [BASELINE REUSE root: पवित्र] | High | Reuses baseline holy = पवित्र; not ritual purity (शुद्ध avoided per baseline). |
| fear | φόβῳ / phobō | fear, reverent awe | conduct “in fear” during exile — reverent, not servile or superstitious terror | ”with fear” (ESV/KJV); “reverent fear” (NIV) | proper posture toward the impartial Judge (1:17) | श्रद्धा-भय (śraddhā-bhay) | Medium | Must be reverent awe before the true, personal Judge — not superstitious dread of ancestral or nature spirits (भूत-प्रेत fear) common in regional folk religion, and not servile terror incompatible with adoption/sonship. |
| ransomed/redeemed | ἐλυτρώθητε / elytrōthēte | bought back, ransomed | rescue from a former way of life at a costly price | ”ransomed” (ESV); “redeemed” (KJV/NIV) | deliverance from the futile ancestral way of life, by Christ’s blood, not by perishable silver/gold | छुटकारा [BASELINE REUSE — permitted in rescue-narrative contexts] | High | Baseline explicitly reserves छुटकारा for specific rescue-narrative use; this is exactly such a context. |
| precious blood | τιμίῳ αἵματι / timiō haimati | costly/honored blood | the high worth of Christ’s sacrificial death, contrasted with perishable silver/gold | ”precious blood” (all versions) | ground of redemption from “futile ways inherited from your forefathers” | अनमोल लहू (anmol lahū) | High | Directly displaces ancestral-tradition/lineage inheritance (v.18) as the source of true deliverance — theologically loaded given regional ancestor-veneration and lineage-purity customs. |
| lamb without blemish or spot | ἀμνοῦ ἀμώμου καὶ ἀσπίλου Χριστοῦ / amnou amōmou kai aspilou | unblemished, spotless lamb | OT sacrificial-animal qualification standard (Exod 12:5; Lev 22:21) applied to Christ | ”lamb without blemish or spot” (all versions) | Christ as the perfect, once-for-all Passover-type sacrifice | निष्कलंक आ निर्दोष मेमना (niṣkalaṅk ā nirdoṣ memnā) | High | Requires OT sacrificial background explanation; must be distinguished from ongoing regional animal-sacrifice practice (e.g., goat/buffalo offerings at Shakta shrines such as Ugratara) as a categorically different, once-for-all, substitutionary event, not a repeatable ritual. |
| foreknown before the foundation of the world | προεγνωσμένου… πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου / proegnōsmenou pro katabolēs kosmou | known beforehand, before world’s founding | Christ’s role in redemption was eternally planned, not an afterthought | ”foreknown before the foundation of the world” (ESV) | grounds redemption in eternal divine plan | जगतक स्थापनासँ पहिने पूर्वज्ञात (jagatak sthāpanāsã pahine pūrvajñāt) | High | Connects to foreknowledge entry above; reinforces the eternal (not newly-arisen) plan of God, distinct from the region’s cyclical yuga cosmology. |
| manifested | φανερωθέντος / phanerōthentos | made visible/manifest | Christ’s historical appearing “in these last times" | "was made manifest” (ESV); “manifest” (KJV); “revealed” (NIV) | the one-time historical incarnation-and-appearing of the eternally-planned Christ | प्रकट भेल (prakaṭ bhel) | Critical | Directly touches the Incarnation doctrine. Must carry an explicit translator note distinguishing this once-for-all historical appearing from the region’s own avatar-descent narrative (Ram/Krishna), per baseline’s Incarnation guidance — this is the same collision risk baseline assigns to देहधारण, here expressed with a different Greek verb but identical doctrinal stakes. |
| word of God, living and abiding | λόγου ζῶντος θεοῦ καὶ μένοντος / logou zōntos theou kai menontos | living and remaining word | Scripture as God’s enduring, life-giving self-communication, contrasted with perishable grass/flower (Isa 40:6-8, quoted 1:24-25) | “living and abiding word of God” (ESV) | the imperishable seed by which believers were born again (v.23), tying back to core-passage new birth | परमेश्वरक जीवित आ स्थायी वचन (parameśvarak jīvit ā sthāyī vacan) | Medium | Distinguish from the devotional authority of Vidyapati’s poetry or Puranic narrative (baseline’s inspiration-of-scripture caution) — this word is not merely revered literature but the living instrument of new birth. |
| imperishable seed | σπορᾶς ἀφθάρτου / sporas aphthartou | incorruptible seed | agricultural metaphor for the generative cause of the new birth | ”imperishable… seed” (ESV); “incorruptible seed” (KJV) | ties 1:3’s “born again” directly to the living word of God as its “seed” | अविनाशी बीज (avināśī bīj) | High | Reuses अविनाशी (see v.4 above). बीज (seed) carries strong resonance in regional bhakti/tantric idiom (बीज मंत्र, seed-syllables of power); context must keep this firmly agricultural/generative rather than mystical-syllable, and tied explicitly to “the word of God” in the same verse. |
| love one another earnestly | ἀγαπήσατε ἐκτενῶς / agapēsate ektenōs | love fervently/at full stretch | intense, sustained brotherly love as fruit of purified souls | ”love one another earnestly” (ESV); “unfeigned love”/“fervently” (KJV) | ethical outflow of new birth | हृदयसँ एक-दोसराकेँ प्रेम करब (hṛdayasã ek-dosarākẽ prem karab) | Low | Standard exhortation vocabulary. |
Chapter 2
| Term (Eng) | Greek / Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Meaning | Maithili Rendering | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander | κακίαν… δόλον… ὑποκρίσεις… φθόνους… καταλαλιάς | evil, guile, play-acting, envy, speaking-against | vice list to be “put off” as newborns | standard vice-list vocabulary | old-life behaviors incompatible with new birth | दुष्टता, छल, कपट, डाह, निन्दा | Low-Medium | Standard ethical vocabulary; no major collision. |
| pure spiritual milk | τὸ λογικὸν ἄδολον γάλα / to logikon adolon gala | reasonable/word-related, guileless milk | Scripture as nourishment for spiritual growth (continuing the new-birth/infant imagery from 1:23) | “pure spiritual milk” (ESV); “sincere milk of the word” (KJV) | ongoing growth “up into salvation” following new birth | निर्मल आत्मिक दूध (nirmal ātmik dūdh) | Medium | निर्मल chosen over शुद्ध to avoid baseline’s ritual-purity caution; आत्मिक echoes baseline’s आत्मिक वरदान pattern for Spirit-given/word-given realities. |
| living stone | λίθον ζῶντα / lithon zōnta | living stone | Christological image combining life (echoing 1:3’s living hope) with OT stone-testimonia (Ps 118; Isa 28:16) | “living stone” (all versions) | Christ, rejected by men but chosen/precious to God | जीवित पाथर (jīvit pāthar) | Medium | Metaphor is not native to Maithili idiom (stones are not customarily “alive” in regional imagery) but is clear in context; low risk of misreading, moderate need for explanatory framing. |
| chosen and precious | ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον / eklekton entimon | selected, honored/valued | God’s evaluation of Christ (and, by extension, believers, v.9) contrasted with human rejection | ”chosen and precious” (ESV) | reversal-of-verdict theme: what humans reject, God honors | चुनल आ अनमोल (cunal ā anmol) | Medium | चुनल reuses election root; अनमोल echoes “precious blood” (1:19) for terminological consistency around costly divine valuation. |
| cornerstone | ἀκρογωνιαῖον / akrogōniaion | topmost-corner stone | the foundational, structurally decisive stone of a building | ”cornerstone” (all versions) | Christ as the structural foundation of the spiritual house | कोनक मुख्य पाथर (konak mukhya pāthar) | Medium | Architectural metaphor; ensure it is not confused with a merely decorative capstone — it is load-bearing/foundational. |
| spiritual house | οἶκος πνευματικός / oikos pneumatikos | spirit-related house | the church as a Spirit-built temple-community of “living stones" | "spiritual house” (all versions) | corporate identity of believers, paralleling “spiritual sacrifices” in the same verse | आत्मिक घर (ātmik ghar) | Medium | Must be read corporately (the whole community), not as a private individual dwelling. |
| holy priesthood | ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον / hierateuma hagion | holy body-of-priests | the whole believing community’s priestly access to God and priestly offering of spiritual sacrifice | ”holy priesthood” (all versions) | every believer, regardless of birth, exercises priestly access — foundational to the “Church as a Holy and Royal Priesthood” doctrine | पवित्र पुरोहिताई (pavitra purohitāī) | Critical | This is among the highest-risk new terms in the entire curriculum. In Mithila, पुरोहित/पंडित is a hereditary caste office held exclusively by Maithil Brahmins, whose legitimacy is verified through the Panjikaran genealogical registry (already flagged in the baseline for the “apostle” term). Rendering ἱεράτευμα as पुरोहिताई risks being heard as “a holy Brahmin-caste office” rather than a status granted corporately, without lineage qualification, to every believer. A mandatory translator note must state that this priesthood belongs to the whole “royal-priesthood” people of God (v.9) by grace through faith, explicitly countering hereditary/caste-verified priestly exclusivity. |
| spiritual sacrifices | πνευματικὰς θυσίας / pneumatikas thysias | spirit-related offerings | non-animal, Spirit-enabled offerings (praise, obedience, good works) offered through Christ | ”spiritual sacrifices” (all versions) | replaces the OT/regional animal-sacrifice system with Christ-mediated offerings from all believers | आत्मिक बलिदान (ātmik balidān) | High | Must be distinguished from ongoing literal animal sacrifice (बलि/यज्ञ) practiced at regional Shakta/Shaiva shrines; a translator note is advisable given how central animal-sacrifice worship remains in some regional temple traditions. |
| royal priesthood | βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα / basileion hierateuma | royal/kingly priesthood | quoting Exod 19:6 — a nation that is both royal and priestly, applied to the whole church | ”royal priesthood” (all versions) | doubles the honor: not only priestly access but royal dignity, given corporately to all believers | राजकीय पुरोहिताई (rājkīya purohitāī) | Critical | Compounds the priesthood risk above with a second collision: “royal” language echoes Mithila’s own proud identity as the ancient kingdom of Raja Janak (per baseline’s kingdom_of_god caution). The phrase must not be heard as restoring an earthly royal-priestly caste hierarchy but as describing every believer’s shared, non-hereditary dignity in Christ. |
| holy nation | ἔθνος ἅγιον / ethnos hagion | holy people-group | quoting Exod 19:6; corporate identity as God’s own set-apart people | ”holy nation” (all versions) | corporate identity given to a formerly scattered, socially marginal community | पवित्र राष्ट्र (pavitra rāṣṭra) | High | राष्ट्र (nation/political community) deliberately chosen over जाति, which the baseline repeatedly flags as carrying caste-lineage weight in Mithila’s Panjikaran-conscious social structure; ἔθνος here must not be heard as a caste category. |
| a people for his own possession | λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν / laos eis peripoiēsin | people for acquiring/possessing | God’s specially owned, treasured people (Exod 19:5; Mal 3:17 background) | “a people for his own possession” (ESV); “peculiar people” (KJV) | corporate belonging to God, grounding the mission clause that follows (“that you may proclaim…”) | परमेश्वरक निज प्रजा (parameśvarak nij prajā) | Medium-High | प्रजा (subjects/people, resonant with the region’s own royal-subject vocabulary from the Janak-kingdom tradition) is a natural fit but must retain the sense of God’s own treasured possession, not mere political subjecthood. |
| mercy | ἠλεημένοι / ēleēmenoi | having received mercy | God’s compassionate rescue of a formerly “not-a-people" | "received mercy” (all versions) | closes the identity-statement of vv.9-10 | दया [see 1:3 entry] | High | Consistent with core-passage rendering. |
| human institution | ἀνθρωπίνῃ κτίσει / anthrōpinē ktisei | human creation/institution | any human governmental/social authority structure | ”every human institution” (ESV); “ordinance of man” (KJV) | grounds the submission instructions of 2:13-17 | मानवीय संस्था (mānavīya saṃsthā) | Medium | Deliberately distinct from व्यवस्था (baseline term reserved for the Mosaic Law) to avoid terminological collision; names human governing structures generally. |
| submission/submit | ὑποτάγητε / hypotagēte | be subordinated, arrange under | voluntary, Christ-modeled ordering of oneself under an authority, not coerced subjugation | ”be subject to” (ESV); “submit yourselves” (KJV); “submit yourselves” (NIV) | central to the doctrine “Submission to Authority and Christlike Endurance,” spanning government (2:13), masters (2:18), husbands (3:1) | अधीन होएब / अधीनता (adhīn hoeb / adhīnatā) | High | Must be framed as free, Christ-imitating conduct “for the Lord’s sake” (2:13), not as endorsement of existing caste-based or gender-based social subordination as inherently sacred; the parallel danger is the opposite of baseline’s “obedience of faith” caution — here the risk is that voluntary gospel-motivated submission gets absorbed into and indistinguishable from dharma-bound hierarchical duty already assumed by the culture. |
| honor everyone | πάντας τιμήσατε / pantas timēsate | honor all | universal, undifferentiated honor commanded toward “everyone" | "honor everyone” (ESV/NIV); “honour all men” (KJV) | universal human dignity cutting against status hierarchy, paired with “love the brotherhood,” “fear God,” “honor the emperor” | सभकेँ आदर करू (sabhkẽ ādar karū) | Medium-High | The universality (“everyone”) intersects with the baseline’s “universal_scope_of_gospel” caution regarding Panjikaran-verified caste-lineage hierarchy; must not be qualified or limited by social status. |
| servants (household servants) | οἰκέται / oiketai | household slaves/servants | domestic servant/slave class addressed directly with dignity as moral agents | ”servants” (ESV/KJV); “slaves” (NIV) | addressed alongside masters, given dignity and instruction | सेवक (sevak) | Medium | Historical household-servant/slave institution; care needed not to conflate with, or seem to endorse, regional caste-based or jajmani-style hereditary service relationships as divinely sanctioned in the same way. |
| suffer unjustly | πάσχων ἀδίκως / paschōn adikōs | suffering unjustly | undeserved suffering endured “mindful of God" | "suffering unjustly” (ESV) | core of “Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake” doctrine, introduced here before its climax in 3:14-18 | अन्यायपूर्ण दुःख भोगब (anyāypūrṇ duḥkh bhogab) | High | Must be framed as suffering that is commended because it is for righteousness/for God, not suffering per se, and not a generalized, fatalistic acceptance of misfortune (avoid प्रारब्ध-toned resignation). |
| commendable (a form of χάρις, non-salvific) | τοῦτο γὰρ χάρις / touto gar charis | this is a grace/credit | idiomatic use of χάρις meaning “this is a praiseworthy/commendable thing” — NOT the soteriological sense of grace | ”this is a gracious thing” (ESV); “thankworthy” (KJV); “commendable” (NIV) | commends patient endurance of unjust suffering | श्रेयक बात (śreyak bāt, “a praiseworthy/commendable matter”) | Medium | Important glossary caution: this occurrence of χάρις (2:19-20) must NOT be rendered with अनुग्रह, the baseline term reserved for soteriological grace, or it will wrongly imply that patient suffering earns saving grace. Render separately as श्रेयक बात to keep the two senses of χάρις cleanly distinct in Maithili. |
| example/pattern | ὑπογραμμόν / hypogrammon | a writing-copy to trace over | a model to imitate stroke-by-stroke, like a child’s handwriting exercise | ”example” (all versions) | Christ’s suffering as the pattern believers are to imitate | आदर्श (ādarś) | Medium | Standard “example” vocabulary; ensure the vivid “tracing” sense (imitation in detail) is not lost to a vague “role model.” |
| bore our sins in his body on the tree | τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἀνήνεγκεν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον / anēnenken… epi to xylon | he himself carried up… upon the wood | sacrificial “carrying up” (of an offering to the altar) language (LXX Lev background) + Deut 21:23 “hanged on a tree” curse-bearing echo | ”bore our sins in his body on the tree” (ESV) | the letter’s key substitutionary-atonement statement, central to “Christ’s Substitutionary Suffering” doctrine | हमर पापकेँ अपन देहमे काठ (क्रूस) पर उठौलनि (hamar pāpkẽ apan dehamē kāṭh (krūs) par uṭhaulani) | Critical | Must convey vicarious, substitutionary sin-bearing at the cross, a once-for-all sacrificial act — not merely “he suffered too” or a moral example alone (which the surrounding verses do also teach, but this clause makes the additional, doctrinally load-bearing substitutionary claim). काठ (wood) paired with क्रूस (the established loanword for “cross”) to keep both the OT sacrificial-wood echo and the historical crucifixion event visible. |
| die to sin, live to righteousness | ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἀπογενόμενοι τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ ζήσωμεν / tē dikaiosynē zēsōmen | having departed from sins, live to righteousness | purpose clause of the atonement — ethical transformation flowing from substitutionary death | ”die to sin and live to righteousness” (ESV) | connects atonement to holy living (anticipates ch. 4) | पापक हेतु मरि जाएब आ धार्मिकताक हेतु जीबैत रहब | High | धार्मिकता [BASELINE REUSE] — never धर्म or सतीत्व. |
| wounds healed | τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἰάθητε / tō mōlōpi autou iathēte | by his wound/bruise you were healed | quoting Isa 53:5 — spiritual healing from sin through Christ’s suffering | ”by his wounds you have been healed” (ESV) | applies Isaiah’s Suffering Servant prophecy to Christ’s atoning suffering | ओकर घावसँ अहाँसभ चंगा भेलहुँ (okar ghāvasã ahā̃sabh caṅgā bhelahũ) | High | Must be read as spiritual/moral healing from sin’s dominion, not physical faith-healing or prosperity-gospel-style bodily healing guarantee. |
| shepherd and overseer of souls | ποιμένα καὶ ἐπίσκοπον τῶν ψυχῶν / poimena kai episkopon tōn psychōn | shepherd and overseer | Christological titles of pastoral care and authority, closing the “straying sheep” image | ”Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (ESV) | Christ as the true shepherd, model for the human elders/shepherds addressed in ch. 5 | आत्मासभक रखवार आ अध्यक्ष (ātmāsabhak rakhavār ā adhyakṣa) | Medium-High | Sets up direct terminological link to ch. 5’s elder/shepherd instructions; ensure the same root (रखवार) is reused there for consistency. |
Chapter 3
| Term (Eng) | Greek / Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Meaning | Maithili Rendering | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wives submit / husbands likewise | γυναῖκες ὑποτασσόμεναι… ἄνδρες / gynaikes hypotassomenai | wives being subordinated | household-code instruction, framed mutually (husbands also instructed at length, 3:7) | “wives, be subject to” / “husbands, likewise” (all versions) | applies the letter’s submission theme within marriage, for evangelistic and Christlike-endurance purposes (3:1-2) | पत्नीसभ अपन पतिक अधीन रहथि / पतिसभ सेहो | High | Same अधीनता root as 2:13, 2:18; the instruction is bounded by mutual honor and shared “grace of life” (3:7), which must not be lost. |
| hidden person of the heart | ὁ κρυπτὸς τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος / ho kryptos tēs kardias anthrōpos | the hidden heart-person | inner spiritual character valued over external adornment | ”the hidden person of the heart” (ESV) | contrasts inward, imperishable beauty with outward, perishable adornment | हृदयक गुप्त व्यक्तित्व (hṛdayak gupta vyaktitva) | Medium | Standard inward/outward contrast; low doctrinal ambiguity. |
| imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit | τὸ ἄφθαρτον τοῦ ἡσυχίου καὶ πραέως πνεύματος / to aphtharton tou hēsychiou kai praeōs pneumatos | the imperishable [ornament] of a quiet and gentle spirit | reuses ἄφθαρτον (see 1:4) applied to inner character | ”imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (ESV) | valued “precious in God’s sight,” paralleling 1:7’s “precious” testing of faith | कोमल आ शान्त आत्माक अविनाशी सुन्दरता | High | अविनाशी reused for terminological consistency with 1:4; flag same soul-immortality idiom risk noted there. |
| weaker vessel | ἀσθενεστέρῳ σκεύει / asthenesterō skeuei | weaker container/vessel | relative physical-social vulnerability, calling for honor, not superiority | ”weaker vessel” (ESV/KJV); “weaker partner” (NIV) | husbands commanded to honor wives as fellow “heirs of the grace of life,” not lesser co-heirs | कमजोर पात्र (kamjor pātra) | Medium-High | Requires careful pastoral framing to avoid reinforcing existing gender-hierarchy assumptions rather than the text’s actual point (honor, shared heirship). |
| heirs of the grace of life | συγκληρονόμοι χάριτος ζωῆς / sygklēronomoi charitos zōēs | co-heirs of grace-of-life | husband and wife as equal recipients of God’s gracious gift of life | ”heirs with you of the grace of life” (ESV) | grounds marital honor in shared, equal standing before God | जीवनक अनुग्रहक सहभागी वारिस (jīvanak anugrahak sahabhāgī vāris) | High | अनुग्रह [BASELINE REUSE]; वारिस/सहभागी (co-heir) echoes the विरासत/inheritance theme from 1:4, reinforcing that this inheritance is unearned and mutual, not gained through lineage-verified household status. |
| unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender heart, humble mind | ὁμόφρονες, συμπαθεῖς, φιλάδελφοι, εὔσπλαγχνοι, ταπεινόφρονες | same-minded, feeling-with, brother-loving, well-innarded, low-minded | community virtue list | ”unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (ESV) | church-community ethic amid suffering | एकमन, सहानुभूतिशील, भाईचाराक प्रेम, करुणामय हृदय, नम्र मन | Low-Medium | Standard virtue vocabulary; नम्र मन anticipates ch. 5’s नम्रता (humility) doctrine. |
| suffer for righteousness’ sake | πάσχοιτε διὰ δικαιοσύνην / paschoite dia dikaiosynēn | suffer because of righteousness | suffering caused specifically by doing right, not by wrongdoing | ”suffer for righteousness’ sake” (ESV/KJV) | names the doctrine “Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake” explicitly, quoting the Beatitude tradition (Matt 5:10) | धार्मिकताक हेतु दुःख भोगब | Critical | धार्मिकता [BASELINE REUSE, Critical]; must never shift to धर्म (duty/cosmic order) — this is suffering because of right-standing-produced conduct, not because of failure to perform social/religious duty. |
| sanctify Christ as Lord | κύριον δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ἁγιάσατε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν / kyrion de ton Christon hagiasate | set apart Christ as Lord | inward confession/reverence of Christ’s supreme Lordship as the ground of courage under threat | ”in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy” (ESV); “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts” (KJV) | direct echo of Isa 8:13, applied to Christ — a striking, high-Christology move | अपन हृदयमे ख्रीष्टकेँ प्रभुक रूपमे पवित्र मानू | Critical | Combines two baseline Critical terms (प्रभु, पवित्र) applied jointly to Christ in an OT-Yahweh-text context — an explicit high-Christology statement that must not be softened; parallels the Romans 10:9 confession’s doctrinal weight. |
| defense/answer | ἀπολογίαν / apologian | a speech in defense | reasoned account/answer given when questioned | ”a defense”/“an answer” (all versions) | believers must be ready to explain “the hope that is in you” (echoing 1:3’s living hope) | उत्तर / बचाव (uttar / bacāv) | Low-Medium | Standard vocabulary; theological weight carried by “hope,” not by this word itself. |
| good conscience | συνείδησιν ἀγαθήν / syneidēsin agathēn | good co-knowledge (with oneself) | inward moral awareness kept clear through righteous conduct | ”good conscience” (all versions) | recurring theme (also 3:21) tying right living to inward integrity | नीक विवेक (nīk vivek) | Medium | Standard vocabulary. |
| Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous | Χριστὸς ἅπαξ περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ἔπαθεν, δίκαιος ὑπὲρ ἀδίκων / hapax peri hamartiōn epathen, dikaios hyper adikōn | Christ once concerning sins suffered, righteous on behalf of unrighteous | the letter’s clearest substitutionary/penal statement — ἅπαξ (“once”) stresses unrepeatability; ὑπέρ (“on behalf of/instead of”) stresses substitution | ”Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous” (ESV) | doctrinal center of “Christ’s Substitutionary Suffering” | ख्रीष्ट एक बेर पापक हेतु दुःख भोगलनि, धर्मी अधर्मीक बदलामे | Critical | धर्मी (righteous one) reuses baseline righteousness/justification root (धार्मिकता/“धर्मी घोषित कएल जाएब”); एक बेर (once) must be preserved emphatically — this is unrepeatable, unlike regional ritual sacrifice performed repeatedly; बदलामे (“in place of/instead of”) must convey genuine substitution, not mere accompaniment or example. |
| bring us to God | ἵνα ὑμᾶς προσαγάγῃ τῷ θεῷ / hina hymas prosagagē tō theō | in order to bring/lead you to God | purpose of Christ’s substitutionary suffering — reconciled access to God | ”that he might bring us to God” (ESV) | echoes Romans 5:1-2’s “peace with God” / “access… into this grace” | हमरासभकेँ परमेश्वरक लग आनब | High | Reuses conceptual ground of baseline’s “peace” and “grace” entries; access to God is the goal of the atonement, not an incidental byproduct. |
| put to death in the flesh, made alive in the spirit | θανατωθεὶς μὲν σαρκί ζῳοποιηθεὶς δὲ πνεύματι / thanatōtheis men sarki, zōopoiētheis de pneumati | put to death by/in flesh, made alive by/in spirit | contested but load-bearing clause describing Christ’s death and resurrection existence | ”being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (ESV) | transitions into the proclamation-to-spirits and resurrection statement | देहमे मृत्यु भेल, आत्मामे जीवित कएल गेला (dehamē mṛtyu bhel, ātmāmē jīvit kael gelā) | Critical | Must be handled carefully to avoid implying Christ’s human nature was discarded (a docetic-leaning misreading) or that this is a metaphor for reincarnation; best practice is to keep this phrase tightly linked to the following resurrection statement (v.21-22) so it is read as death-and-resurrection language, not a body-soul separation doctrine standing alone. Flag for theologian review per doctrine “Christ’s Proclamation to the Spirits.” |
| proclaimed to the spirits in prison | τοῖς ἐν φυλακῇ πνεύμασιν ἐκήρυξεν / tois en phylakē pneumasin ekēryxen | he proclaimed/heralded to the spirits in prison | one of the most debated verses in the NT; widely understood as Christ (in his resurrected/exalted state) proclaiming victory/judgment to fallen spiritual powers associated with Noah’s generation | ”he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison” (ESV) | names the unique doctrine “Christ’s Proclamation to the Spirits (1 Peter 3:18-22)“ | बन्दीगृहक आत्मासभकेँ प्रचार कएलनि (bandīgṛhak ātmāsabhkẽ pracār kaelani) | Critical | Extremely high collision risk in Mithila specifically. Regional culture maintains strong ancestor-spirit veneration and death-rites (श्राद्ध, पिंडदान) intended to secure a deceased ancestor’s peaceful passage or liberation, plus widespread belief in wandering, unsatisfied spirits (भूत-प्रेत, प्रेतात्मा) requiring ritual appeasement. “Spirits in prison” (आत्मासभ बन्दीगृहमे) must NOT be heard as (a) a class of unquiet ancestor-spirits needing ritual release, or (b) evidence that the deceased can still be spiritually helped through ongoing human ritual action after death. A mandatory translator/study note is required clarifying this refers to imprisoned spiritual beings (traditionally understood as fallen angels/spirits from Noah’s time, cf. related material in 2 Peter/Jude) and Christ’s unique, sovereign proclamation of victory — not a template for human intercession for the dead. Requires theologian review at every occurrence. |
| disobedient formerly, in the days of Noah | ἀπειθήσασίν ποτε… ἐν ἡμέραις Νῶε / apeithēsasin pote… en hēmerais Nōe | having disobeyed formerly | historical reference-point situating the imprisoned spirits | ”formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah” (ESV) | ties proclamation to a specific past disobedience during the Flood generation | पहिने अवज्ञाकारी, नूहक समयमे (pahine avajñākārī, Nūhak samayamē) | Medium | Historical-narrative reference; Noah (नूह) needs no special caution beyond standard proper-name transliteration. |
| ark | κιβωτοῦ / kibōtou | box/chest, ark | Noah’s vessel of salvation through water | ”ark” (all versions) | typological link between the Flood-water and baptism | जहाज (jahāj) | Low | Standard term. |
| baptism now saves you | ὃ καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀντίτυπον νῦν σῴζει βάπτισμα / ho kai hymas antitypon nyn sōzei baptisma | which now saves you as an antitype: baptism | Peter immediately qualifies this: “not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience” — baptism saves only as it is united to Christ’s resurrection, and only in the sense of a Spirit-worked pledge/appeal, not automatic ritual efficacy | ”baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you” (ESV) | connects the doctrine “Living Hope of the Resurrection” (v.21b) to the ordinance of baptism | बपतिस्मा…अखन बचबैत अछि (baptismā… akhan bacabait achi) | Critical | Enormous collision risk: sacred ritual bathing (गंगा स्नान, तीर्थ स्नान) for spiritual purification/merit is a deeply embedded regional and pan-Indian practice. Peter’s own immediate qualifying clause — “not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience” — must always be translated together with the “baptism saves” clause, never in isolation, to prevent the verse being read as endorsing ritual water-purification theology. The saving efficacy is explicitly grounded “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” not the water itself. Requires theologian review at every occurrence. |
| appeal to God for a good conscience | συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς ἐπερώτημα εἰς θεόν / syneidēseōs agathēs eperōtēma eis theon | a pledge/appeal of a good conscience toward God | baptism as a verbal/covenantal appeal, not a physical cleansing | ”an appeal to God for a good conscience” (ESV); “the answer of a good conscience” (KJV) | Peter’s own corrective definition of what baptism accomplishes | नीक विवेकक हेतु परमेश्वरसँ बिनती/प्रतिज्ञा | High | See note above; this clause is the theological safeguard and must never be dropped or abbreviated. |
| resurrection of Jesus Christ | δι᾽ ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ / di’ anastaseōs | through the resurrection | [BASELINE REUSE: पुनरुत्थान] | “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (all versions) | grounds baptism’s saving significance | पुनरुत्थान | Critical | Never पुनर्जन्म. |
| angels, authorities, powers subjected | ἀγγέλων καὶ ἐξουσιῶν καὶ δυνάμεων ὑποταγέντων αὐτῷ / angelōn kai exousiōn kai dynameōn hypotagentōn autō | angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him | Christ’s exaltation over all spiritual powers, following his ascension | ”angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him” (ESV) | climactic statement of Christ’s supreme Lordship (echoes Rom 8:38’s list) | स्वर्गदूत, अधिकार, आ सामर्थ्यसभ ओकर अधीन (svargadūt, adhikār, ā sāmarthyasabh okar adhīn) | Medium-High | सामर्थ्य reused (not शक्ति) for “powers,” consistent with baseline’s power_of_god caution, even though here it denotes created spiritual powers rather than God’s own power — kept consistent to avoid two different Maithili words implying two different kinds of “power” in translation where the Greek uses related vocabulary. |
Chapter 4
| Term (Eng) | Greek / Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Meaning | Maithili Rendering | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| arm yourselves with the same way of thinking | τὴν αὐτὴν ἔννοιαν ὁπλίσασθε / tēn autēn ennoian hoplisasthe | arm yourselves with the same mindset | military metaphor applied to adopting Christ’s suffering-oriented mindset | ”arm yourselves with the same way of thinking” (ESV) | transition from ch.3’s suffering-Christ statement to ethical application | ओहि समान विचारसँ अस्त्र धारण करू | Low | Standard martial metaphor; low doctrinal risk. |
| whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin | ὁ παθὼν σαρκὶ πέπαυται ἁμαρτίας / ho pathōn sarki pepautai hamartias | one having suffered in flesh has stopped from sin | suffering (following Christ’s pattern) breaks sin’s ongoing grip | ”whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin” (ESV) | connects suffering to holy living, not to karmic cleansing | देहमे दुःख भोगनिहार पापसँ रुकि गेल अछि | Medium | Must not be read as suffering itself atoning for or burning off sin (a karma-purification reading); the reference point remains union with Christ’s death (ch.3), not self-generated merit through suffering. |
| the will of God | τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ / to thelēma tou theou | God’s will/desire | God’s personal, purposive intention for how believers now live | ”the will of God” (all versions) | contrasted with “human passions,” reorients the whole of remaining earthly life | परमेश्वरक इच्छा (parameśvarak icchā) | Medium | Distinguish from fatalistic प्रारब्ध; this is a personal, moral will to be actively obeyed, not an impersonal destiny to be passively accepted. |
| sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, lawless idolatry | ἀσελγείαις, ἐπιθυμίαις, οἰνοφλυγίαις, κώμοις, πότοις, ἀθεμίτοις εἰδωλολατρίαις | vice list culminating in “lawless idol-worship” | catalog of the “Gentile” way of life now renounced | ”sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry” (ESV) | names idol-worship (εἰδωλολατρία) explicitly as part of the old, now-abandoned life | लम्पटता, अभिलाषा, मद्यपान, उत्सव-भोज, आ अवैध मूर्तिपूजा | High | मूर्तिपूजा (idol-worship) is the standout high-risk item: direct, explicit naming of image-worship as sin requires the same pastoral sensitivity the baseline’s “evangelism” doctrine already flags for a region with deep, sincere Vaishnava/Shaiva/Shakta devotional practice — must be translated plainly and faithfully to the text (per the requirements document’s “do not soften doctrinal statements” rule) while study materials frame it with gentleness, not confrontation. |
| judge the living and the dead | κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς / krinai zōntas kai nekrous | to judge living and dead | Christ’s future universal judgment, including those already deceased | ”judge the living and the dead” (all versions) | grounds the urgency of holy living (“the end of all things is at hand,” v.7) | जीवित आ मृतकसभक न्याय करब | High | Must be a personal, moral judgment by Christ, not an impersonal karmic reckoning determining rebirth-status; distinguish from baseline’s providence/election cautions about प्रारब्ध. |
| the gospel was preached even to the dead | εὐηγγελίσθη καὶ νεκροῖς / euēngelisthē kai nekrois | good news was proclaimed even to dead ones | one of the most exegetically disputed clauses in the NT; commonly read either (a) as referring back to 3:19’s proclamation, or (b) as describing the gospel once preached to people who are now dead (i.e., before their death) | “the gospel was preached even to those who are dead” (ESV) | connects back to the ch.3 proclamation-to-spirits doctrine | मृतकसभकेँ सेहो सुसमाचार प्रचार कएल गेल | Critical | Per the AI requirements document’s ambiguity-handling protocol: this is a genuinely ambiguous clause requiring the translator to select the reading best fitting the immediate doctrinal context (here, vindication of God’s justice toward those now dead, v.6b: “though judged in the flesh… they might live in the spirit”), record the alternative reading as “alternatives_considered,” and flag for theologian review given its proximity to the same collision risk as 3:19 (regional ancestor-spirit/post-mortem-ritual concerns). Must not be read as license for post-mortem evangelism/second-chance salvation generally, nor conflated with श्राद्ध-style ritual benefit for the dead. |
| love covers a multitude of sins | ἀγάπη καλύπτει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν / agapē kalyptei plēthos hamartiōn | love covers a multitude of sins | proverbial statement (echoing Prov 10:12) about love’s forbearing, forgiving quality within community | ”love covers a multitude of sins” (all versions) | grounds the “above all, keep loving one another earnestly” exhortation | प्रेम बहुत पापकेँ ढकैत अछि | Medium | Must not be read as human love atoning for sin in the way Christ’s blood does (3:18); this is relational forbearance/forgiveness within community, not a rival, merit-based atonement mechanism — a real risk of confusion given the region’s exemplary-virtue models of achieved merit (cf. baseline’s grace/imputed_righteousness cautions about Sita-modeled achieved virtue). |
| gift | χάρισμα / charisma | grace-gift | [BASELINE REUSE: spiritual_gifts = आत्मिक वरदान] | “gift” (all versions) | each believer as steward of a Spirit-given gift for serving others | आत्मिक वरदान | Medium | Reuse baseline term exactly; never merit-earned वरदान alone. |
| good stewards of God’s varied grace | καλοὶ οἰκονόμοι ποικίλης χάριτος θεοῦ / kaloi oikonomoi poikilēs charitos theou | good household-managers of God’s varied grace | believers as trustees, not owners, of Spirit-given gifts, which flow from grace | ”good stewards of God’s varied grace” (ESV) | frames all ministry/service as grace-derived and grace-accountable | परमेश्वरक विविध अनुग्रहक भण्डारी | Medium | अनुग्रह [BASELINE REUSE]; भण्डारी (steward/store-keeper) is a natural, well-understood Maithili household-management term. |
| fiery trial | τῇ ἐν ὑμῖν πυρώσει / tē en hymin pyrōsei | the fiery ordeal/burning among you | intensified form of the testing-imagery from 1:6-7 (there πειρασμός; here πύρωσις, literally “a burning/refining”) | “the fiery trial” (ESV/KJV); “the fiery ordeal” (NIV) | names the intense persecution the letter’s audience is facing/anticipating | अग्नि-परीक्षा (agni-parīkṣā) | Medium | Deliberately intensified beyond the generic परीक्षा of 1:6, echoing the gold-refining-by-fire image of 1:7 for terminological continuity across the letter. |
| share Christ’s sufferings | κοινωνεῖτε τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθήμασιν / koinōneite tois tou Christou pathēmasin | you share/participate in the sufferings of Christ | present, ongoing solidarity with Christ’s own suffering pattern, a cause for joy | ”share Christ’s sufferings” (ESV) | reframes persecution as participation, not tragedy, tying to core-passage joy language (1:6, 1:8) | ख्रीष्टक दुःखमे सहभागी होएब | High | κοινωνέω echoes baseline’s fellowship = सङ्गति (Low-risk baseline term), but here compounded with suffering raises the stakes considerably — this is shared participation in Christ’s own redemptive suffering pattern, not merely social fellowship; render as सहभागी होएब (become a co-participant) to keep both senses (participation + suffering) visible. |
| Spirit of glory and of God rests on you | τὸ τῆς δόξης καὶὶ τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πνεῦμα ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἀναπαύεται / to tēs doxēs kai to tou theou pneuma eph’ hymas anapauetai | the [Spirit] of glory and of God rests upon you | echoes Isa 11:2 — the Spirit resting on the Suffering Servant/Messiah, now extended to suffering believers | ”the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (ESV) | dignifies suffering-for-Christ’s-name as a locus of the Spirit’s presence | महिमा आ परमेश्वरक आत्मा अहाँ पर ठहरैत अछि | High | पवित्र आत्मा [BASELINE REUSE] and महिमा [BASELINE REUSE] combined; a striking, high-Christology/Trinitarian statement requiring careful, undiminished rendering. |
| judgment begins at the household of God | ἄρξασθαι τὸ κρίμα ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ / arxasthai to krima apo tou oikou tou theou | judgment begins from the house of God | God’s refining discipline of his own people precedes final judgment of outsiders | ”judgment begins at the household of God” (ESV) | frames present suffering as purifying discipline, not final condemnation | परमेश्वरक घरानासँ न्यायक शुरुआत | Medium | घराना (household/family) is a natural, well-understood Maithili term for God’s household-community, distinct from मण्डली (baseline term for the local congregation) — both may be needed; recommend घराना for the familial-household sense here and मण्डली for institutional/congregational references elsewhere. |
| entrust their souls to a faithful Creator | παρατιθέσθωσαν τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν πιστῷ κτίστῃ / paratithesthōsan tas psychas autōn pistō ktistē | let them deposit/entrust their souls to a faithful creator | a banking/deposit metaphor — placing one’s soul in trustworthy safekeeping | ”entrust their souls to a faithful Creator” (ESV) | closing counsel of the suffering-section, grounding hope in God’s reliable, creative sovereignty | अपन आत्मा विश्वासयोग्य सृष्टिकर्ताकेँ सुम्हारब | High | विश्वास [BASELINE REUSE] root. सृष्टिकर्ता (Creator) is used here in a legitimate biblical sense distinct from the baseline’s specific caution against सृष्टिकर्ता as a rendering for “Father” (a Trinitarian-person term); here it names God’s role as Creator of all things generally, a valid and needed biblical title, but should always be paired with परमेश्वर (“परमेश्वर, विश्वासयोग्य सृष्टिकर्ता”) to avoid standing alone as an ambiguous, un-personalized deity-title that could be heard as one more Creator-figure among the region’s own creation narratives (e.g., Brahma). |
Chapter 5
| Term (Eng) | Greek / Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Meaning | Maithili Rendering | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| elders | πρεσβυτέρους / presbyterous | older men/elders | recognized, appointed local church leaders (not merely elderly people by age) | “elders” (all versions) | direct address opening the doctrine “Elders and Humility” | प्राचीन (prācīn) | Medium | प्राचीन follows established North Indian Bible-translation convention (paralleling baseline’s approach to apostle/prophet); must be distinguished from the village headman/मुखिया social-authority role and from the hereditary Brahmin पुरोहित/पंडित office (see ch. 2’s holy/royal priesthood caution) — this is a functional, appointed church office, not a caste or elder-by-birth status. |
| shepherd the flock of God | ποιμάνατε τὸ ἐν ὑμῖν ποίμνιον τοῦ θεοῦ / poimanate to en hymin poimnion tou theou | shepherd God’s flock among you | pastoral care modeled directly on Christ, “the Shepherd and Overseer of souls” (2:25) | “shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (ESV) | ties elders’ function directly back to Christ’s own shepherding, using the same root | परमेश्वरक झुण्डक रखवारी करू (parameśvarak jhuṇḍak rakhavārī karū) | Medium-High | रखवार/रखवारी deliberately reused from 2:25’s “shepherd and overseer of souls” for terminological consistency between Christ’s pattern and the elders’ derived task. |
| exercising oversight | ἐπισκοποῦντες / episkopountes | overseeing | supervisory pastoral function | ”exercising oversight” (ESV) | qualifies the shepherding as willing, not compelled | अध्यक्षता करैत (adhyakṣatā karait) | Medium | Consistent with ch. 2’s “overseer” (ἐπίσκοπος) root. |
| not for shameful gain but eagerly | μὴ αἰσχροκερδῶς ἀλλὰ προθύμως / mē aischrokerdōs alla prothymōs | not shame-profiting but eagerly | warns against financial exploitation of the pastoral office | ”not for shameful gain, but eagerly” (ESV) | directly relevant given regional concerns about ritual-fee-based religious service | अनुचित लाभक हेतु नहि बल्कि उत्साहसँ (anucit lābhak hetu nahi balki utsāhasã) | Medium-High | Strong contrast opportunity/risk with regional दक्षिणा (ritual fee/offering) customs paid to Brahmin priests for services; teaching materials may usefully (with care) note this as a positive point of contrast — Christian eldership must not become a fee-for-ritual-service economy — but must do so without disparaging the culture’s existing religious practitioners in an inflammatory way. |
| not domineering but being examples | μηδ᾽ ὡς κατακυριεύοντες… ἀλλὰ τύποι γινόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου / mēd’ hōs katakyrieuontes… alla typoi ginomenoi | not lording it over… but becoming examples/patterns | κατακυριεύω shares the κύριος (lord) root — elders must not “lord it over” as if they held Christ’s own exclusive Lordship | ”not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples” (ESV) | safeguards Christ’s unique Lordship (baseline Critical term प्रभु) from being usurped by human leaders | प्रभुत्व जमौने नहि बल्कि आदर्श बनिकऽ (prabhutva jamaune nahi balki ādarś banikã) | High | प्रभुत्व (lordship/dominance) deliberately built on the same प्रभु root as the baseline’s Christ-exclusive Lordship term, to make clear in Maithili that elders must never claim the kind of authority reserved uniquely for Christ. |
| unfading crown of glory | τὸν ἀμαράντινον τῆς δόξης στέφανον / ton amarantinon tēs doxēs stephanon | the unfading/non-withering crown of glory | eschatological reward for faithful shepherding, echoing 1:4’s ἀμάραντον | ”the unfading crown of glory” (ESV) | reward promised at “the chief Shepherd’s” appearing | महिमाक न मुरझाएबाला मुकुट (mahimāk na murjhāebālā mukuṭ) | Medium | Deliberately reuses न मुरझाएबाला from 1:4 (not अजर) for full-book terminological consistency, per the rationale given there. |
| younger, submit to elders | νεώτεροι, ὑποτάγητε πρεσβυτέροις / neōteroi, hypotagēte presbyterois | younger ones, be subject to elders | extends the letter’s submission theme (ch. 2-3) into congregational life | ”you who are younger, be subject to the elders” (ESV) | continues अधीनता theme | जवान प्राचीनसभक अधीन रहू | High | Same अधीनता root as elsewhere; consistent application. |
| clothe yourselves with humility | τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐγκομβώσασθε / tēn tapeinophrosynēn enkombōsasthe | tie on humility [as an apron/garment] | vivid image — ἐγκομβόομαι refers to tying on a servant’s apron (possibly echoing John 13’s foot-washing) | “clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility” (ESV) | central term for the doctrine “Elders and Humility,” extended to the whole congregation | नम्रता धारण करू (namratā dhāraṇ karū) | Medium-High | Ideally the garment/apron imagery (a servant tying on a work-apron) can be preserved with a phrase like “सेवककेँ जकाँ नम्रताक वस्त्र धारण करू” to retain the vivid servant-picture, rather than a flat “be humble.” |
| God opposes the proud, gives grace to the humble | ὁ θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν / ho theos hyperēphanois antitassetai, tapeinois de didōsin charin | God arrays himself against the proud, but gives grace to the humble | quoting Prov 3:34 (also cited Jas 4:6) — grace is explicitly contrasted with pride/self-sufficiency | ”God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (ESV) | grounds humility theologically in grace’s very nature (unmerited, opposed to self-exalting pride) | परमेश्वर घमंडीक विरोध करैत छथि, मुदा नम्रकेँ अनुग्रह दैत छथि | High | अनुग्रह [BASELINE REUSE]; this is precisely the kind of grace-versus-merit/self-achievement contrast the baseline’s grace entry and AI requirements document flag as needing careful preservation (Rom 4:4-5; 11:5-6 parallel). |
| humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God | ταπεινώθητε ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χε�ῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ / tapeinōthēte hypo tēn krataian cheira tou theou | be humbled under God’s strong hand | OT idiom (Exod 3:19 etc.) for God’s powerful, sovereign action | ”humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God” (ESV) | active self-humbling in view of God’s sovereign timing (“that he may exalt you at the proper time”) | परमेश्वरक सामर्थ्यवान हाथक नीचाँ नम्र होउ | Medium-High | सामर्थ्यवान (mighty, built on सामर्थ्य) chosen over शक्तिशाली to remain consistent with baseline’s power_of_god caution against शक्ति’s Shakta-goddess associations, even in this idiomatic “mighty hand” expression. |
| cast all your anxiety on him | πᾶσαν τὴν μέριμναν ὑμῶν ἐπιρίψαντες ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν / pasan tēn merimnan hymōn epiripsantes ep’ auton | having thrown all your care upon him | vivid image of unburdening oneself onto God, grounded in “he cares for you" | "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (ESV) | pastoral comfort flowing from God’s personal care, not fatalistic resignation | अपन सभ चिन्ता ओहि पर छोड़ि दियौ | Low-Medium | Care must be taken that this reads as active, trusting transfer of care to a personal God, not passive fatalistic acceptance (प्रारब्ध-toned resignation), a recurring cross-book caution. |
| adversary the devil | ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος / ho antidikos hymōn diabolos | your legal-opponent, the devil | ἀντίδικος = a courtroom adversary/accuser; διάβολος = “slanderer,” the standard NT name for Satan | ”your adversary the devil” (all versions) | personal, active spiritual enemy, not an impersonal evil principle | शत्रु शैतान (śatru śaitān) | High | शैतान is the established North Indian Bible-translation convention for “the devil” (paralleling आमीन/हल्लेलूयाह as retained transliterated forms per the requirements document); must be kept as a specific, personal spiritual being distinct from regional bhoot-pret (ghost/malevolent-spirit) folklore and from mythological antagonist-figures (e.g., Ravana) that could otherwise supply a culturally “available” but doctrinally inaccurate stand-in. |
| roaring lion seeking someone to devour | ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπατεῖ ζητῶν τινα καταπιεῖν / hōs leōn ōryomenos peripatei zētōn tina katapiein | walks about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to swallow | vivid predator image for the devil’s active hostility | ”like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (all versions) | urges sober vigilance | गरजैत सिंहक जकाँ, कोनो केओकेँ खाए लेल खोजैत | Low | Vivid, transparent metaphor; low doctrinal ambiguity. |
| resist him, firm in your faith | ᾧ ἀντίστητε στερεοὶ τῇ πίστει / hō antistēte stereoi tē pistei | resist whom, being solid/firm in the faith | active spiritual resistance grounded in faith, not self-effort alone | ”resist him, firm in your faith” (ESV) | reuses baseline faith term as the ground of resistance | विश्वासमे दृढ़ रहिकऽ ओकर प्रतिरोध करू | High | विश्वास [BASELINE REUSE]. |
| the God of all grace | ὁ θεὸς πάσης χάριτος / ho theos pasēs charitos | the God of all grace | doxological title summarizing the letter’s grace-theme (cf. 1:2, 1:10, 1:13, 3:7, 4:10, 5:5) | “the God of all grace” (ESV) | closing benediction | सर्व अनुग्रहक परमेश्वर | High | अनुग्रह [BASELINE REUSE]. |
| called you to his eternal glory in Christ | καλέσας ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἐν Χριστῷ / kalesas hymas eis tēn aiōnion autou doxan en Christō | having called you to his eternal glory in Christ | ties the letter’s opening “elect” theme (1:1-2) to its closing benediction | ”who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ” (ESV) | closing theological summary | ख्रीष्टमे अपन अनन्त महिमाक हेतु बजाओल | High | बजाओल, महिमा [BASELINE REUSE both]. |
| restore, confirm, strengthen, establish | καταρτίσει, στηρίξει, σθενώσει, θεμελιώσει / katartisei, stērixei, sthenōsei, themeliōsei | will mend/complete, will fix firmly, will make strong, will lay a foundation for | four-verb chain of God’s promised sustaining work after suffering | ”restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (ESV) | closing assurance, echoing “Assurance of Salvation” themes from Romans 8 | सिद्ध, स्थिर, बलवान्, आ आधारित करता | Low-Medium | Standard vocabulary chain; no major doctrinal collision individually, but the cumulative promise should read as God’s own active, certain work, not human self-improvement effort. |
| dominion forever | τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας / to kratos eis tous aiōnas | the might/dominion into the ages | doxological closing, ascribing ultimate sovereign power to God | ”to him be the dominion forever” (ESV) | closing doxology | प्रभुत्व सदासर्वदा (prabhutva sadāsarvadā) | Medium | प्रभुत्व built on प्रभु root, consistent with the letter’s Lordship theme; avoid शक्ति for the same reasons noted throughout. |
| Silvanus, a faithful brother | Σιλουανοῦ… τοῦ πιστοῦ ἀδελφοῦ / Silouanou tou pistou adelphou | Silvanus, the faithful brother | named co-worker/scribe | ”Silvanus, a faithful brother” (all versions) | epistolary closing detail | सिलवानुस, विश्वासयोग्य भाइ | Low | Proper name; standard transliteration. |
| she who is at Babylon | ἡ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι / hē en Babylōni | the [church] in Babylon | widely understood as a coded reference to Rome, not literal Mesopotamian Babylon | ”she who is at Babylon” (ESV); “the church that is at Babylon” (KJV/NIV) | epistolary closing greeting | बाबेलमे रहनिहारि (कलीसिया) | Low-Medium | Requires a background note (Babylon = likely a symbolic name for Rome) to avoid geographic confusion; low doctrinal weight. |
| kiss of love | φιλήματι ἀγάπης / philēmati agapēs | kiss of love | first-century greeting custom expressing familial Christian affection | ”the kiss of love” (ESV); “a kiss of charity” (KJV); “a kiss of love” (NIV) | closing greeting instruction | प्रेमक चुम्बन (premak cumban) | Low (cultural note advised) | Physical kissing is not a standard Maithili social greeting custom; study materials should note this is a first-century cultural expression of the underlying reality (warm, familial Christian affection/greeting), which may be culturally adapted in practice (e.g., an embrace or warm greeting) without altering the text’s translation. |
| peace to all who are in Christ | εἰρήνη ὑμῖν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ / eirēnē hymin pasin tois en Christō | peace to you all who are in Christ | [BASELINE REUSE: peace = शान्ति] | “peace to all of you who are in Christ” (ESV) | closing benediction | शान्ति | Medium | Reuse baseline term exactly. |
Summary: Cross-Chapter Reuse from the Romans Baseline
The following baseline translation_memory.json terms recur across 1 Peter and must be reused exactly, unchanged: gospel (सुसमाचार), grace (अनुग्रह), faith (विश्वास), righteousness (धार्मिकता), salvation (उद्धार), holy (पवित्र), sanctification (पवित्रीकरण), resurrection (पुनरुत्थान), lord (प्रभु), glory (महिमा), sin (पाप), called/calling (बजाओल / बजाओल जाएब), election (परमेश्वरक चुनाव), apostle (प्रेरित), spiritual gifts (आत्मिक वरदान), fellowship (सङ्गति), power of God (परमेश्वरक सामर्थ्य), gentiles (अन्यजाति), god (परमेश्वर), jesus (यीशु), christ (ख्रीष्ट), holy_spirit (पवित्र आत्मा), father (पिता), messiah (मसीह), peace (शान्ति), church (मण्डली — used sparingly in 1 Peter, which prefers “flock/household” imagery, but retained for any direct ekklēsia-equivalent reference).
No chapter of 1 Peter is without new load-bearing theological vocabulary; every chapter (1–5) required new terminology beyond the Romans baseline, chiefly clustered around: new birth/regeneration, inheritance, priesthood, submission, and Christ’s proclamation to imprisoned spirits — five clusters carrying Critical risk specific to Maithili/Mithila religious culture not previously encountered in the Romans package.