{But ye} (humeis de). In contrast with the disobedient
ones. {An elect race} (genos eklekton). From  Isa 43:20 . The
blood relation of the spiritual Israel (not the Jewish race)
through the new birth ( 1:23 ). {A royal priesthood} (asileion
hierateuma). From  Ex 19:6  (cf.  Re 1:6  5:10 ). The official
in Christian churches is presbuteros=episcopos, not hiereus.
We are all hiereis (priests). Cf.  2:5 . {A holy nation}
(ethnos hagion). Also from  Ex 19:6 , but here applied, not to
the national Israel, but to the spiritual Israel of believers
(both Jews and Gentiles). {A people for God's own possession}
(laos eis peripoi(8873)in). The idea here occurs in  Ex 19:5  De
7:6  14:2  26:18 , where we have laos periousios as in  Tit
2:14  (alone in the N.T.), and in  Mal 3:17  we find eis
peripoi(8873)in (for a possession). Periousios laos is a people
over and above the others and peripoi(8873)is is a possession in a
special sense ( Eph 1:14 ). See Paul's use of periepoi(8873)ato in
 Ac 20:28 . The old rendering, "a peculiar people," had this idea
of possession, for "peculiar" is from _pecus_ (Latin for flock).
{That ye may shew forth} (hop(9373) exaggeil(8874)e). Purpose clause
with hop(9373), rather than hina, with the first aorist active
subjunctive of exaggell(935c), old verb, to tell out, here alone in
N.T. {The excellencies} (	as aretas). From  Isa 43:21 . Old
word for any preeminence (moral, intellectual, military), often
for "virtue," but not in that sense in the O.T. or the N.T. The
word has the sense of moral worth in  2Pe 1:3,5  Php 4:8 ; and
the Apocrypha. In Isaiah (here quoted) it means praise and glory
to God. So also  Isa 42:12 . See  Ac 2:11  	a megaleia tou
theou (the mighty works of God). {Darkness} (skotous).
Heathenism. {His marvellous light} (	o thaumaston autou ph(9373)).
Christianity. For 	haumaston (from 	haumaz(935c)) see  Mt 21:42 .
For the change from heathenism to Christianity see  Col 1:12  Eph
5:8-14 .