2 Peter 2:18

Contextual Overview

¹⁰This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. ¹⁰ This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; ¹⁰ but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries; ¹⁰ But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government: presumptuous, self-willed; they are not afraid to rail at dignities: ¹⁰ and especially those who are abandoned to sensuality--craving, as they do, for polluted things, and scorning control. Fool-hardy and self-willed, they do not tremble when speaking evil of glorious beings; ¹⁰ But chiefly them that walke after the flesh in the lust of vncleannesse, and despise gouernment. Presumptuous are they; selfe willed: they are not afraid to speake euill of dignities: ¹⁰ and most of all those going after flesh in the lust of defilement, and despising rulership, darers, self-pleasing; they do not tremble at glories, speaking evil; ¹⁰ but specially them that walke after the flesh in ye lust of vnclennes, and despyse the rulers: beynge presumptuous, stubborne, and feare not to speake euell of the yt are in auctorite ¹⁰ especially those, who prostitute themselves to sensual infamous passions: who despise magistrates, who being audacious, and insolent, intrepidly calumniate the higher powers; 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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they speak: Psalms 52:1-3, Psalms 73:8, Psalms 73:9, Daniel 4:30, Daniel 11:36, Acts 8:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Jude 1:13, Jude 1:15, Jude 1:16, Revelation 13:5, Revelation 13:6, Revelation 13:11

great swelling: נוסןדךב [Strong's G5246], things puffed up with the wind.

wantonness: Romans 13:13, James 5:5

that were: 2 Peter 2:20, 2 Peter 1:4, Acts 2:40

clean: or, for a little, or, a while, as some read

Reciprocal: Leviticus 11:7 - swine Numbers 25:18 - beguiled Deuteronomy 14:7 - General Joshua 23:12 - go back 1 Samuel 2:24 - ye make 1 Kings 13:19 - General Psalms 12:3 - tongue Psalms 17:10 - with Proverbs 12:26 - but Proverbs 14:3 - the mouth Proverbs 15:28 - the mouth Proverbs 18:21 - Death Proverbs 28:10 - causeth Isaiah 5:20 - them Jeremiah 6:14 - Peace Jeremiah 23:36 - for every Ezekiel 3:20 - When Ezekiel 13:6 - have seen Ezekiel 13:22 - by promising him life Ezekiel 18:24 - when Ezekiel 35:13 - with Daniel 7:8 - a mouth Daniel 7:11 - the voice Daniel 11:34 - cleave Obadiah 1:12 - spoken proudly Zephaniah 1:6 - turned Matthew 7:15 - which Matthew 15:11 - but Luke 6:26 - when Luke 11:35 - General Luke 17:32 - General Acts 5:36 - boasting Acts 20:30 - speaking Romans 1:30 - boasters Romans 6:1 - Shall Romans 16:18 - by 1 Corinthians 2:4 - not 1 Corinthians 13:1 - I speak 1 Corinthians 15:33 - evil 2 Corinthians 12:20 - swellings 2 Corinthians 12:21 - uncleanness Galatians 3:1 - who Galatians 4:17 - zealously Ephesians 2:3 - in the Ephesians 4:14 - by the Ephesians 4:29 - no Ephesians 5:4 - filthiness Philippians 3:2 - evil Philippians 3:19 - whose glory Colossians 1:23 - ye continue Colossians 3:8 - filthy 1 Thessalonians 2:5 - used 2 Thessalonians 2:10 - deceivableness 1 Timothy 5:11 - to wax 1 Timothy 6:4 - He 2 Timothy 2:16 - for 2 Timothy 2:26 - who are 2 Timothy 3:2 - boasters 2 Timothy 3:6 - divers Hebrews 12:15 - and thereby James 3:5 - so James 4:1 - come they 2 Peter 1:9 - that he 2 Peter 2:14 - beguiling 2 Peter 3:17 - being 1 John 2:16 - the lust of the flesh

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Genesis 1:31
And God seiy alle thingis whiche he made, and tho weren ful goode. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the sixte day.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw euery thing that hee had made: and behold, it was very good. And the euening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31
And God behelde all yt he had made, and lo, they were exceadinge good. Then of the euenynge and mornynge was made the sixte daye.

Genesis 1:31
God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! It was evening, it was morning— Day Six.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity,.... Marvellous things against the God of gods, great things and blasphemies against God, his name, his tabernacle, and his saints; see Daniel 11:36; or against men, dominions, and dignities, 2 Peter 2:10; or it may design their self-applauses and vain glorying in themselves, and their empty boast of knowledge and learning; and also express the windiness of their doctrines, and the bombast style, and high flown strains of rhetoric in which they were delivered; as likewise the flattering titles they bestowed on men for the sake of their own worldly interest and advantage; see Judges 1:16 and hereby

they allure, through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error: that is, from those who lived in the error of Heathenism or Judaism, from whom, and which, they were clean escaped; or truly, really, and entirely delivered, being fully convinced of the falsity thereof, and of the truth of the Christian religion; though some copies, as the Alexandrian, and two of Beza's, and two of Stephens's, read, not

οντως, "truly", but ολιγως, "a little"; and the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "a very little"; to which agrees the Complutensian edition; and the Syriac version renders it "in a few words", or "almost"; and according to the Ethiopic version, "a few persons" are designed; but be they more or less, and truly, or but a little, and for a little while, or almost, escaped from their former errors, in which they were brought up, and lived; yet by the carnal lusts and liberties, lasciviousness and wantonness, which these false teachers indulged, they were allured, ensnared, and drawn by them into their wicked principles and practices.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity - When they make pretensions to wisdom and learning, or seem to attach great importance to what they say, and urge it in a pompous and positive manner. Truth is simple, and delights in simple statements. It expects to make its way by its own intrinsic force, and is willing to pass for what it is worth. Error is noisy and declamatory, and hopes to succeed by substituting sound for sense, and by such tones and arts as shall induce men to believe that what is said is true, when it is known by the speaker to be false.

They allure through the lusts of the flesh - The same word is used here which in 2 Peter 2:14 is rendered “beguiling,” and in James 1:14 “enticed.” It does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means that they make use of deceitful arts to allure, ensnare, or beguile others. The “means” which it is here said they employed, were “the lusts of the flesh;” that is, they promised unlimited indulgence to the carnal appetites, or taught such doctrines that their followers would feel themselves free to give unrestrained liberty to such propensities. This has been quite a common method in the world, of inducing people to embrace false doctrines.

Through much wantonness - See the notes at 2 Timothy 3:6. The meaning here is, that they made use of every variety of lascivious arts to beguile others under religious pretences. This has been often done in the world; for religion has been abused to give seducers access to the confidence of the innocent, only that they might betray and ruin them. It is right that for all such the “mist of darkness should be reserved forever;” and if there were not a place of punishment prepared for such men, there would be defect in the moral administration of the universe.

Those that were clean escaped from them who live in error - Margin, “for a little while.” The difference between the margin and the text here arises from a difference of reading in the Greek. Most of the later editions of the Greek Testament coincide with the reading in the margin, (ὀλίγως oligōs,) meaning “little, but a little, scarcely.” This accords better with the scope of the passage; and, according to this, it means that they had “almost escaped” from the snares and influences of those who live in error and sin. They had begun to think of their ways; they had broken off many of their evil habits; and there was hope that they would be entirely reformed, and would become decided Christians, but they were allured again to the sins in which they had so long indulged. This seems to me to accord with the design of the passage, and it certainly accords with what frequently occurs, that those who are addicted to habits of vice become apparently interested in religion, and abandon many of their evil practices, but are again allured by the seductive influences of sin, and relapse into their former habits. In the case referred to here it was by professedly religious teachers - and is this never done now? Are there none for example, who have been addicted to habits of intemperance, who had been almost reformed, but who are led back again by the influence of religious teachers? Not directly and openly, indeed, would they lead them into habits of intemperance. But, when their reformation is begun, its success and its completion depend on total abstinence from all that intoxicates. In this condition, nothing more is necessary to secure their entire reformation and safety than mere abstinence; and nothing more may be necessary to lead them into their former practices than the example of others who indulge in moderate drinking, or than the doctrine inculcated by a religious teacher that such moderate drinking is not contrary to the spirit of the Bible.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. They speak great swelling words of vanity — The word υπερογκα signifies things of great magnitude, grand, superb, sublime; it sometimes signifies inflated, tumid, bombastic. These false teachers spoke of great and high things, and no doubt promised their disciples the greatest privileges, as they themselves pretended to a high degree of illumination; but they were all false and vain, though they tickled the fancy and excited the desires of the flesh; and indeed this appears to have been their object. And hence some think that the impure sect of the Nicolaitans is meant. See the preface.

Those that were clean escaped — Those who, through hearing the doctrines of the Gospel, had been converted, were perverted by those false teachers.