_But there were false prophets also among the people_ The section of the Epistle which now opens contains so many parallelisms with the Epistle of St Jude that we can scarcely avoid the conclusion that one was derived from the other, or both from a common source. For a discussion of the questions wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_And many shall follow their pernicious ways_ Better, THEIR LASCIVIOUSNESSES. The word is the same as in Mark 7:22, Rom 13:13, 1 Peter 4:3, and elsewhere; and the English version loses the distinctive character of the sectarian teaching and conduct (analogous to what is noted in Jude, 2Pe 2:4; 2 Pet... [ Continue Reading ]
_through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you_ Better, IN or WITH covetousness. The adjective for "_feigned_" is not found elsewhere in the New Testament. This greed of gain, found in strange union with high-flown claims to a higher knowledge and holiness than that of o... [ Continue Reading ]
_For if God spared not the angels that sinned_ Better, SPARED NOT ANGELS, there being no article in the Greek. Here the nature of the sin is not specified. We may think either of a rebellion of angels headed by Satan, such as Milton has represented in _Paradise Lost_, or of the degradation of their... [ Continue Reading ]
_and spared not the old world_ The _à fortiori_argument is continued, and enters on the series of typical examples of judgments which St Peter had heard from our Lord's lips in Luke 17:26-29. In regard to this instance we note the parallelism with 1 Peter 3:20, extending even to the stress laid on t... [ Continue Reading ]
_and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes_ The parallelism with Luke 17:26-29 continues and here runs on side by side with Jude (2 Peter 2:7), who omits, however, any reference to the deluge, and does not dwell on the deliverance of Lot. _making them an ensample_ St Peter does not see... [ Continue Reading ]
_vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked_ More accurately, VEXED WITH THE MODE OF LIFE (or CONDUCT) OF THE LAWLESS ONES IN LASCIVIOUSNESS. On "conversation" see notes on 1 Peter 1:15, and on "lasciviousness" note on 2 Peter 2:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
_for that righteous man_ Literally, THE righteous man. We note the use of the term in this half-generic, half-individual, way as analogous to that of James 5:6. _vexed his righteous soul_ Literally, TORTURED, as in Mark 5:7; Mark 6:48. It would have seemed scarcely necessary to point out that the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
_the godly … the unjust_ Both adjectives are in the Greek without the article. _out of temptations_ The word includes the _trial_of conflict with evil, as well as its alluring side. See note on 1 Peter 1:6. _to be punished_ Literally, UNDER PUNISHMENT. The participle is in the present tense, and ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness_ Literally, in the lust of DEFILEMENT, the genitive being either that of a characterising attribute, or implying that those of whom the writer speaks had fallen to a depth of baseness in which they seemed to desire impurity for i... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whereas angels, which are greater in power_ Some of the MSS. omit the words "before the Lord." The words as they stand here leave it uncertain of what instance the Apostle speaks, but it is probable that he refers to the tradition mentioned by St Jude (see notes on Judges 9), or possibly to the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
_But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed_ Literally, AS IRRATIONAL MERELY NATURAL ANIMALS BORN FOR CAPTURE AND DESTRUCTION. A different order of the words in some MSS. justifies the rendering BORN BY THEIR NATURE. The words express a strong indignation, at first sight scar... [ Continue Reading ]
_and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness_ The words, which stand in the Greek as one of a series of participial clauses, are, perhaps, better joined with the last clause of the preceding verse, THEY SHALL PERISH … RECEIVING THE REWARD.… _as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time... [ Continue Reading ]
_having eyes full of adultery_ The Greek gives literally the somewhat strange figure, HAVING EYES FULL OF AN ADULTERESS. The phrase is probably connected with a recollection of our Lord's words as to the sin of looking on a woman, to lust after her, being equivalent to adultery (Matthew 5:28). St Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
_which have forsaken the right way_ There may possibly be a reference to "the way of truth" in 2 Peter 2:2 and to the general use of "the way" for the sum and substance of the doctrine of Christ. (See note on 2 Peter 2:2.) It may be noted that the charge thus brought against the false teachers by St... [ Continue Reading ]
_but was rebuked for his iniquity_ Literally, HAD A REBUKE FOR HIS TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW. _the dumb ass speaking with man's voice_ The Greek word for "ass" is literally BEAST OF BURDEN. It is used, as here, in Matthew 21:5. The term for "madness" is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, but t... [ Continue Reading ]
_These are wells without water_ In the parallel passage of St Jude (2 Peter 2:12) we have "_clouds_without water." In St Peter's variation we may, perhaps, trace an allusive reference to our Lord's teaching as to the "fountain of springing water" in John 4:14, or to St James" illustration from the ... [ Continue Reading ]
_For when they speak great swelling words of vanity_ Literally, FOR SPEAKING.… The adjective is used by classical writers both literally and figuratively of excessive magnitude. It indicates what we should call the "high-flown" character of the language of the false teachers. "Vanity" is used in its... [ Continue Reading ]
_While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption_ We have here the characteristic feature of the teaching which St Peter condemns. It offered its followers freedom from the restraints which the Council of Jerusalem had imposed alike on participation in idolatrous feas... [ Continue Reading ]
_For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world_ The word "escaped" had been used above (2 Peter 2:18) of the followers. Here, as the context shews, in the repetition of the word "overcome" from the preceding verse, it is used of the teachers themselves. They also had once fled from the... [ Continue Reading ]
_For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness_ The verb for "known" is, like the noun in the preceding verse, that which implies the fullest form of knowledge, as in 1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 4:3. The "way of righteousness" is like the "way of tr... [ Continue Reading ]
_it is happened unto them according to the true proverb_ Literally, THAT (SAYING) OF THE TRUE PROVERB HAS HAPPENED TO THEM … In the words that follow we have another of St Peter's references, without a formal citation, to the Book of Proverbs (Proverbs 26:11). See notes on 1Pe 4:8; 1 Peter 5:5. The... [ Continue Reading ]