Abstract
First Peter, which contains one of the largest concentrations of citations and allusions to the Old Testament of any New Testament book other than Revelation, cites Psalm 34 twice, with the longest sustained reference in 1 Peter (3:10–12) from this song. This essay examines how the citation and allusion to this psalm serves to further the exhortation of Peter's epistle. In order to answer these questions, the author analyzes the citation of Ps 34:13–17 in 1 Pet 3:10–12. After a brief survey of the New Testament context of the quotation, he then considers the Old Testament context to see how it may inform the function of the citation and allusions to the psalm in 1 Peter. The examination of Peter's use of Psalm 34 suggests that he did so because it has the same theme as his letter, namely, suffering and deliverance. The citation suggests that Peter's exiled and righteous readers, like the exiled and righteous psalmist, may suffer affliction and tribulation but they can also rejoice that they will also experience the “good life” and taste the Lord's kindness in spite of suffering.
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