These words state more than appears on the surface of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ suffering and his response, inasmuch as now Peter drills down to why Jesus could abstain from counter-reviling and threatening. Peter finds the explanation for Jesus’ silence in Isaiah’s words (Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 53:8); in his suffering Jesus could keep entrusting himself to the righteous Judge. Peter’s point in mentioning this is that those who follow Jesus need also to keep entrusting themselves to this same God even when they experience such gross injustice as Joseph experienced (Genesis 39:1–23). Setting the matter straight is not their own responsibility.
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.