2 Peter 2:14

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ That punishment is for those who are always doing the evil that their sinful selves want to do. It is for those who hate the Lord's authority. These false teachers do whatever they want, and they are so proud of themselves. They are not afraid even to say bad things against the glorious ones. ¹⁰ and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and wilful, they are not afraid to revile the glorious ones, ¹⁰ namely them that walke after the flesshe in the lust of vnclennes and despyse the rulars. Presumpteous are they and stubborne and feare not to speake evyll of them that are in auctorite. 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 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority. Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling, ¹⁰ That punishment is especially for those who live by doing the evil things their sinful selves want and who hate authority. These false teachers are bold and do anything they want. They are not afraid to speak against the angels. ¹⁰ but chiefly those that walk after the flesh in the desire of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble to rail at dignities: ¹⁰ But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous [are they], self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 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:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

eyes: 2 Samuel 11:2-4, Job 31:7, Job 31:9, Proverbs 6:25, Matthew 5:28, 1 John 2:16

adultery: Gr. an adulteress

that cannot: Isaiah 1:16, Jeremiah 13:23, Matthew 12:34, John 5:44

beguiling: 2 Peter 2:18, 2 Peter 3:16, Mark 13:22, Romans 16:18, 1 Corinthians 11:19, Ephesians 4:14, Colossians 2:18, James 1:8, Revelation 12:9

an heart: 2 Peter 2:3, Jude 1:11

cursed: Isaiah 34:5, Isaiah 65:20, Matthew 25:41, Ephesians 2:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:2 - saw Genesis 39:7 - cast Genesis 49:4 - Unstable Exodus 18:21 - hating Numbers 22:32 - thy way Numbers 25:18 - beguiled Judges 18:4 - hired me 2 Kings 5:20 - and take Psalms 119:36 - and not to Proverbs 1:19 - every Proverbs 4:16 - General Isaiah 33:15 - shaketh Isaiah 44:18 - cannot Isaiah 56:11 - they are Isaiah 57:17 - the iniquity Jeremiah 6:13 - For Jeremiah 14:15 - Sword and famine shall not Jeremiah 17:11 - he that Jeremiah 22:17 - thine eyes Jeremiah 23:14 - they commit Jeremiah 51:13 - and the Ezekiel 6:9 - their eyes Ezekiel 13:18 - hunt souls Ezekiel 23:16 - and sent Hosea 1:2 - children Micah 3:11 - and the prophets Matthew 12:45 - and the Matthew 13:22 - the care Matthew 23:14 - for ye Matthew 24:49 - and to Matthew 26:15 - What Mark 14:11 - and promised Luke 12:15 - Take John 2:16 - make John 10:1 - the same John 12:39 - they Acts 5:2 - kept Acts 8:20 - Thy Acts 24:26 - hoped Romans 8:7 - neither Romans 13:13 - chambering 1 Corinthians 5:11 - or covetous Galatians 1:8 - let Ephesians 2:2 - the children Ephesians 5:3 - covetousness Colossians 3:6 - children 1 Thessalonians 2:5 - a cloak 1 Timothy 3:3 - not covetous 2 Timothy 3:2 - covetous 2 Timothy 3:3 - incontinent 2 Timothy 3:8 - men Hebrews 12:11 - exercised Hebrews 13:5 - conversation

Cross-References

Genesis 10:11
From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and

Genesis 10:11
Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh, and Rehoboth-ir, and Calah,

Genesis 10:11
From there he went to Assyria, where he built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, and Calah.

Genesis 10:11
From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,

Genesis 10:11
Out of that land went forth Ashur, and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

Genesis 10:11
Out of that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,

Genesis 10:11
From that land Nimrod went to Assyria, and built Nineveh, and Rehoboth-Ir, and Calah,

Genesis 10:11
Assur yede out of that lond, and bildide Nynyue, `and stretis of the citee,

Genesis 10:11
from that land he hath gone out to Asshur, and buildeth Nineveh, even the broad places of the city, and Calah,

Genesis 10:11
From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Having eyes full of adultery,.... For the seventh command is not only violated by unclean actions, and obscene words, but also by unchaste looks: and so the Jews explain k that precept,

""thou shalt not commit adultery", Exodus 20:14; you shall not go after your hearts, nor after "your eyes"; says R. Levi, the heart and the "eye" are sin's two brokers.''

Hence we read l of נואף בעיניו, "one that commits adultery with his eyes"; Exodus 20:14- :; compare

Job 31:1. Some read the words, "having eyes full of the adulteress": that is, having a lewd and infamous woman always in mind and sight, continually looking at her and lusting after her:

and that cannot cease from sin: which may be understood either of these wicked men, who are like the troubled sea, that cannot rest, but are continually casting up the mire and dirt of sin out of their polluted heart; who live and walk in sin, and are always committing it, their conversation being nothing else but one continued series of sinning; nor can they do otherwise, since they are slaves to their lusts, and are carried away with the force and power of them: or of their eyes, which were always rolling after unlawful objects; their eyes and their hearts were only, and always, for their lust, as the prophet says of others, that they were but for their covetousness, Jeremiah 22:17; a sin also which reigned in these men:

beguiling unstable souls: such as were unsteady in their principles, and unstable in their ways; were like children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, not being rooted in Christ, nor established in the faith; these, as the serpent beguiled Eye, they corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ; imposed false doctrines on them, and deceived them by false glosses and outward appearances; and by fair words and good speeches, and by their wanton looks and carnal lusts, they allured them into the sin of adultery; or ensnared them, drew them into the net and snare of Satan, and so they were taken and led captive.

An heart they have exercised with covetous practices; an immoderate love of money, a covetous desire after it, is the root of all evil, the bane of religion, and source of heresy, and is a vice which has always prevailed among false teachers; and the character here given well agrees with Simon Magus, the father of heresies, and his followers: hence care is always taken to insert, among, the characters and qualifications of Gospel ministers, that they be not greedy of filthy lucre, 1 Timothy 3:3; this iniquity, when it is a reigning one, and is become an habit, as it was in the persons here described, for it had its seat in their heart, they were habituated to it, and continually exercised it in a multitude of instances and wicked practices, is insatiable and damnable:

cursed children; or "children of the curse"; which may be understood either actively, children that do curse, as children of disobedience are such as commit acts of disobedience; so these were cursing children, who, though their mouths might not be full of cursing and bitterness, as openly profane sinners be, yet they inwardly, and from their hearts, cursed the true followers of Christ, and their principles; or passively, cursed children who were under the curse of the law, and from which there was no redemption for them, but at the last day will have the awful sentence pronounced on them, Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.

k T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 3. 3. l Vajikra Rabba, sect. 23. fol. 165. 1. Vid. A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 3. c. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Having eyes full of adultery - Margin, as in the Greek, “an adulteress;” that is, gazing with desire after such persons. The word “full” is designed to denote that the corrupt passion referred to had wholly seized and occupied their minds. The eye was, as it were, full of this passion; it saw nothing else but some occasion for its indulgence; it expressed nothing else but the desire. The reference here is to the sacred festival mentioned in the previous verse; and the meaning is, that they celebrated that festival with licentious feelings, giving free indulgence to their corrupt desires by gazing on the females who were assembled with them. In the passion here referred to, the “eye” is usually the first offender, the inlet to corrupt desires, and the medium by which they are expressed. Compare the notes at Matthew 5:28. The wanton glance is a principal occasion of exciting the sin; and there is much often in dress, and mien, and gesture, to charm the eye and to deepen the debasing passion.

And that cannot cease from sin - They cannot look on the females who may be present without sinning. Compare Matthew 5:28. There are many men in whom the presence of the most virtuous woman only excites impure and corrupt desires. The expression here does not mean that they have no natural ability to cease from sin, or that they are impelled to it by any physical necessity, but only that they are so corrupt and unprincipled that they certainly will sin always.

Beguiling unstable souls - Those who are not strong in Christian principle, or who are naturally fluctuating and irresolute. The word rendered beguiling means to bait, to entrap, and would be applicable to the methods practiced in hunting. Here it means that it was one of their arts to place specious allurements before those who were known not to have settled principles or firmness, in order to allure them to sin. Compare 2 Timothy 3:6.

An heart they have exercised with covetous practices - Skilled in the arts which covetous men adopt in order to cheat others out of their property. A leading purpose which influenced these men was to obtain money. One of the most certain ways for dishonest men to do this is to make use of the religious principle; to corrupt and control the conscience; to make others believe that they are eminently holy, or that they are the special favorites of heaven; and when they can do this, they have the purses of others at command. For the religious principle is the most powerful of all principles; and he who can control that, can control all that a man possesses. The idea here is that these persons had made this their study, and had learned the ways in which men could be induced to part with their money under religious pretences. We should always be on our guard when professedly religious teachers propose to have much to do with money matters. While we should always be ready to aid every good cause, yet we should remember that unprincipled and indolent men often assume the mask of religion that they may practice their arts on the credulity of others, and that their real aim is to obtain their property, not to save their souls.

Cursed children - This is a Hebraism, meaning literally, “children of the curse,” that is, persons devoted to the curse, or who will certainly be destroyed.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. Having eyes full of adultery — μοιχαλιδος. Of an adulteress; being ever bent on the gratification of their sensual desires, so that they are represented as having an adulteress constantly before their eyes, and that their eyes can take in no other object but her. But instead of μοιχαλιδος of an adulteress, the Codex Alexandrinus, three others, with the Coptic, Vulgate, and one copy of the Itala, together with several of the fathers, have μοιχαλιας, of adultery.

Cannot cease from sin — Which cease not from sin; they might cease from sin, but they do not; they love and practise it. Instead of ακαταπαυστους, which cannot cease, several MSS. and versions have ακαταπαυστου, and this requires the place to be read, Having eyes full of adultery and incessant sin. The images of sinful acts were continually floating before their disordered and impure fancy. This figure of speech is very common in the Greek writers; and Kypke gives many instances of it, which indeed carry the image too far to be here translated.

Beguiling unstable souls — The metaphor is taken from adulterers seducing unwary, inexperienced, and light, trifling women; so do those false teachers seduce those who are not established in righteousness.

Exercised with covetous practices — The metaphor is taken from the agonistae in the Grecian games, who exercised themselves in those feats, such as wrestling, boxing, running, c., in which they proposed to contend in the public games. These persons had their hearts schooled in nefarious practices they had exercised themselves till they were perfectly expert in all the arts of seduction, overreaching, and every kind of fraud.

Cursed children — Such not only live under God's curse here, but they are heirs to it hereafter.