1 Peter 5:7 - "Cast Your Care" vs "Cast Your Cares"
1 Peter 5:7, in the King James Version, reads, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" [1]. The Webster Bible translation presents the same wording [2]. This verse encourages believers to entrust their anxieties to God, based on the assurance of His concern for them.
This instruction appears within the concluding exhortations of Peter's first epistle. The preceding verse, 1 Peter 5:6, calls for humility: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time" [1]. The act of "casting all your care" is presented as a direct consequence or advantage of this humble submission to God [6]. The broader context of 1 Peter includes themes of suffering, steadfastness, and hope in the face of persecution, urging believers to live holy lives amidst trials (e.g., 1 Pet 1:5-7, 4:7) [4, 3].
The phrase "casting all your care" is a translation of the Greek word merimna (μέριμνα), which denotes anxiety, worry, or solicitude [6]. The verb "casting" (ἐπιρίψαντες, epiripsantes) is an aorist participle in Greek, which Jamieson, Fausset & Brown interpret as suggesting a decisive, "once for all" action [6]. The second instance of "careth" in the verse uses a different Greek word, melei (μέλει), which is less intense than merimna, implying God's benevolent concern rather than anxious worry [6].
The interpretation of "care" versus "cares" largely hinges on whether the Greek noun merimna is understood as a collective singular (representing all anxieties) or as a plural. While some English translations render it as "care" (KJV, Webster) [1, 2], the underlying Greek noun is singular. However, the accompanying adjective "all" (πᾶσαν, pasan) indicates that the singular "care" encompasses every kind of anxiety or worry a person might have. John Gill notes that the Syriac and Ethiopic versions explicitly add "upon God," clarifying the recipient of this casting of care [5].
Commentators frequently connect 1 Peter 5:7 to Psalm 55:22, which states, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee" [5, 6]. The Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) translation of Psalm 55:22 uses "cast thy care upon the Lord," suggesting Peter's allusion to this Old Testament passage [5]. Other biblical parallels include Luke 12:22, 37 and Philippians 4:6, which also address anxiety and reliance on God [6].
The theological implication is that believers should not be consumed by worldly anxieties but should instead trust in divine providence [5]. This does not negate the diligent use of means or responsible action, but rather discourages anxious thought and promotes dependence on God [5]. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, discusses how human preparation for grace is both from God as Mover and from free will, suggesting that while human effort is involved, the ultimate gift of grace exceeds human power [7]. This aligns with the idea that while believers act, the ultimate "care" or outcome rests with God.
The passage functions as a source of comfort and a call to trust in God's benevolent oversight. It assures believers that God is not indifferent to their struggles but actively "careth for you" [1]. This assurance provides a foundation for casting off anxieties, knowing that God's concern is real and active [6].
Sources
- King James Version “[KJV] 1 Peter 5:7 — Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
- I Peter “I Peter 5:7 (Webster) — Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
- OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: 1Cor.7.31 → 1Pet.4.7 (confidence: 12 votes)”
- OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: 1Cor.10.13 → 1Pet.1.5-1Pet.1.7 (confidence: 13 votes)”
- 1 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon him,.... "Upon God": as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read. The words are taken out of, or at least refer to Psa 55:22, where, instead of "cast thy burden upon the Lord", the Septuagint have it, "cast thy care upon the Lord"; the care of the body, and of all the affairs of life, concerning which saints should not be anxiously thoughtful, but depend upon the providence of God, though in the diligent use of means, which is not forbidden, nor discouraged by this, or any such like exhortation; as also the care of the soul, and the spiritual a”
- 1 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Peter 5:7: Casting--once for all: so the Greek aorist. care--"anxiety? The advantage flowing from humbling ourselves under God's hand (Pe1 5:6) is confident reliance on His goodness. Exemption from care goes along with humble submission to God. careth for you--literally "respecting you." Care is a burden which faith casts off the man on his God. Compare Psa 22:10; Psa 37:5; Psa 55:22, to which Peter alludes; Luk 12:22, Luk 12:37; Phi 4:6. careth--not so strong a Greek word as the previous Greek "anxiety."”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part (Prima Secundae), Of the Cause of Grace, Art. 3: Article: Whether grace is necessarily given to whoever prepares himself for it, or to whoever does what he can? I answer that, As stated above (Article [2]), man's preparation for grace is from God, as Mover, and from the free-will, as moved. Hence the preparation may be looked at in two ways: first, as it is from free-will, and thus there is no necessity that it should obtain grace, since the gift of grace exceeds every preparation of human power. But it may be considered, secondly, as it”