2 Peter 2:11

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
however, angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring a slanderous charge against them before the Lord.

King James Version (1611)
Whereas Angels which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

King James Version
Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

English Standard Version
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.

New American Standard Bible
whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord.

New Century Version
But even the angels, who are much stronger and more powerful than false teachers, do not accuse them with insults before the Lord.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.

Berean Standard Bible
Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
Although angels are more powerful than these evil beings, even the angels don't dare to accuse them to the Lord.

Complete Jewish Bible
whereas angels, though stronger and more powerful, do not bring before the Lord an insulting charge against them.

Darby Translation
when angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring against them, before the Lord, an injurious charge.

Easy-to-Read Version
The angels are much stronger and more powerful than these beings. But even the angels don't accuse them and say bad things about them to the Lord.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Where as the Angels which are greater both in power and might, giue not railing iudgement against them before the Lord.

George Lamsa Translation
Whereas angels who are greater in power and might do not bring upon themselves the condemnation of blasphemy.

Good News Translation
Even the angels, who are so much stronger and mightier than these false teachers, do not accuse them with insults in the presence of the Lord.

Lexham English Bible
whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not bring against them a demeaning judgment.

Literal Translation
where angels being greater in strength and power do not bring against them a reproaching charge before the Lord.

Amplified Bible
whereas even angels who are superior in might and power do not bring a reviling (defaming) accusation against them before the Lord.

American Standard Version
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord.

Bible in Basic English
Though the angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not make use of violent language against them before the Lord.

Hebrew Names Version
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don't bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord.

International Standard Version
Yet even angels, although they are greater in strength and power, do not bring a slanderous accusation against them from the Lord.Jude 1:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
whereas angels, who in power and strength are (so much) greater than they, bring not against them a judgment of blasphemy.

Murdock Translation
whereas angels, greater than they in might and valor, bring not against them a reproachful denunciation.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When the Angels whiche are greater both in power and might, geue not raylyng iudgement against them before the Lorde.

English Revised Version
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord.

World English Bible
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don't bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, bring not a railing accusation against them before the Lord.

Weymouth's New Testament
while angels, though greater than they in might and power, do not bring any insulting accusation against such in the presence of the Lord.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
whanne thei ben more in strengthe and vertu, beren not `that was the execrable doom ayens hem.

Update Bible Version
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

New English Translation
yet even angels, who are much more powerful, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord.

New King James Version
whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

New Living Translation
But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings.

New Life Bible
Angels are greater in strength and power than they. But angels do not speak against these powers before the Lord.

New Revised Standard
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring against them a slanderous judgment from the Lord.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
where, messengers, though, greater in might and power, are not bringing against them before the Lorda defamatory accusation, -

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, bring not against themselves a railing judgment.

Revised Standard Version
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a reviling judgment upon them before the Lord.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When ye angels which are greater bothe in power and myght receave not of ye lorde raylynge iudgement agaynst them.

Young's Literal Translation
whereas messengers, in strength and power being greater, do not bear against them before the Lord an evil speaking judgment;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
wha the angels yet which are greater both in power and might, beare not that blasphemous iudgment agaynst them of the LORDE.

Mace New Testament (1729)
whereas the angels, who are of superiour power and dignity, don't inveigh against one another.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Even angels, with all their might and power, do not condemn or make fun of anyone before God—not even the counterfeit cowboys. That's because the angels are smart and the counterfeits are not.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰God is especially incensed against these "teachers" who live by lust, addicted to a filthy existence. They despise interference from true authority, preferring to indulge in self-rule. Insolent egotists, they don't hesitate to speak evil against the most splendid of creatures. Even angels, their superiors in every way, wouldn't think of throwing their weight around like that, trying to slander others before God. ¹²These people are nothing but brute beasts, born in the wild, predators on the prowl. In the very act of bringing down others with their ignorant blasphemies, they themselves will be brought down, losers in the end. Their evil will boomerang on them. They're so despicable and addicted to pleasure that they indulge in wild parties, carousing in broad daylight. They're obsessed with adultery, compulsive in sin, seducing every vulnerable soul they come upon. Their specialty is greed, and they're experts at it. Dead souls! ¹⁵They've left the main road and are directionless, having taken the way of Balaam, son of Beor, the prophet who turned profiteer, a connoisseur of evil. But Balaam was stopped in his wayward tracks: A dumb animal spoke in a human voice and prevented the prophet's craziness. ¹⁷There's nothing to these people—they're dried-up fountains, storm-scattered clouds, headed for a black hole in hell. They are loudmouths, full of hot air, but still they're dangerous. Men and women who have recently escaped from a deviant life are most susceptible to their brand of seduction. They promise these newcomers freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, for if they're addicted to corruption—and they are—they're enslaved. ²⁰If they've escaped from the slum of sin by experiencing our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, and then slid back into that same old life again, they're worse than if they had never left. Better not to have started out on the straight road to God than to start out and then turn back, repudiating the experience and the holy command. They prove the point of the proverbs, "A dog goes back to its own vomit" and "A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

angels: Psalms 103:20, Psalms 104:4, Daniel 6:22, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, Jude 1:9

against them: Some read "against themselves.

Reciprocal: Isaiah 10:34 - by a mighty one Romans 13:1 - every Ephesians 4:31 - evil speaking 2 Peter 2:4 - into

Cross-References

Genesis 10:7
The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba, Dedan.

1 Samuel 15:7
Then Saul went after Amalek, from the canyon all the way to Shur near the Egyptian border. He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive. Everyone else was killed under the terms of the holy ban. Saul and the army made an exception for Agag, and for the choice sheep and cattle. They didn't include them under the terms of the holy ban. But all the rest, which nobody wanted anyway, they destroyed as decreed by the holy ban.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might,.... Which is not to be understood of evil angels, or devils; for, besides that they are greatly weakened and impaired by their fall, they are the accusers of men, and railers and slanderers of the best and greatest of men, and the origin of all the blasphemies that are vented against God or men; but of good angels, who excel in strength, who are not only guardians to particular men, and encamp about the saints, but preside over provinces and kingdoms, for which their power and might do abundantly qualify them; and in which they are greater, that is, not than the devils, or than the false teachers, though both are true, but than dominions and dignities, than kings, princes, and civil magistrates: and yet these

bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord; either "against themselves", as the Arabic version and one of Beza's copies read; against one another, against those of their own species, that are in a higher or lower class or office than themselves; and therefore men ought not to despise magistracy, or the higher powers that are over them: or else against the fallen angels, the devils, as should seem from Judges 1:9, or rather against civil magistrates, kings, and princes of this world, who, though so much below them, they vouchsafe to take under their care, and protect them, even Heathen princes, Daniel 10:20; and though there may be oftentimes many things unbecoming in them, yet they do not accuse them, or rail against them before the Lord; and even when, by his orders, they inflict punishment on their persons, as on Sennacherib, and Herod, and others, yet they do not speak evil of their office; and therefore, since angels, who are so much above men, even above the most dignified among them, behave in this manner, it must be an aggravation of the sin of these persons, who are so much below them, to speak evil of them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whereas angels - The object, by the reference to angels here, is to show that they, even when manifesting the greatest zeal in a righteous cause, and even when opposing others, did not make use of reproachful terms, or of harsh and violent language. It is not known precisely to what Peter alludes here, nor on what the statement here is based. There can be little doubt, however, as Benson has remarked, that, from the strong resemblance between what Peter says and what Jude says, Jude 1:9-10, there is allusion to the same thing, and probably both referred to some common tradition among the Jews respecting the contention of the archangel Michael with the devil about the body of Moses. See the notes at Jude 1:9. As the statement in Jude is the most full, it is proper to explain the passage before us by a reference to that; and we may suppose that, though Peter uses the plural term, and speaks of “angels,” yet that he really had the case of Michael in his eye, and meant to refer to that as an example of what the angels do. Whatever may have been the origin of this tradition, no one can doubt that what is here said of the angels accords with probability, and no one can prove that it is not true.

Which are greater in power and might - And who might, therefore, if it were in any case proper, speak freely of things of an exalted rank and dignity. It would be more becoming for them than for men. On this difficult passage, see the notes at Jude 1:9.

Bring not railing accusation - They simply say, “The Lord rebuke thee,” Jude 1:9. Compare Zechariah 3:2. The Greek here is, “bring not blasphemous or reproachful judgment, or condemnation” - βλάσφημον κρίσιν blasphēmon krisin. They abhor all scurrility and violence of language; they simply state matters as they are. No one can doubt that this accords with what we should expect of the angels; and that if they had occasion to speak of those who were opposers, it would be in a calm and serious manner, not seeking to overwhelm them by reproaches.

Against them - Margin, “against themselves.” So the Vulgate. The more correct reading is “against them;” that is, against those who might be regarded as their adversaries, Jude 1:9, or those of their own rank who had done wrong - the fallen angels.

Before the Lord - When standing before the Lord; or when represented as reporting the conduct of evil spirits. Compare Zechariah 3:1-2. This phrase, however, is missing in many manuscripts. See Wetstein.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 11. Whereas angels, c.] This is a difficult verse, but the meaning seems to be this: The holy angels, who are represented as bringing an account of the actions of the fallen angels before the Lord in judgment, simply state the facts without exaggeration, and without permitting any thing of a bitter, reviling, or railing spirit, to enter into their accusations. See Zechariah 3:1, and Jude 1:9 to the former of which St. Peter evidently alludes. But these persons, not only speak of the actions of men which they conceive to be wrong, but do it with untrue colourings, and the greatest malevolence. Michael, the archangel, treated a damned spirit with courtesy; he only said, The Lord rebuke thee, Satan! but these treat the rulers of God's appointment with disrespect and calumny.

Before the Lord. — παρακυριω is wanting in a number of MSS. and most of the versions.