God’s Word Translation
2 Peter 2:18
18They arrogantly use nonsense to seduce people by appealing to their sexual desires, especially to sexual freedom. They seduce people who have just escaped from those who live in error.
2 Peter 2:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
- New International Version (NIV)For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.
Context of 2 Peter 2:18
16But he was convicted for his evil. A donkey, which normally can’t talk, spoke with a human voice and wouldn’t allow the prophet to continue his insanity. 17These false teachers are dried-up springs. They are a mist blown around by a storm. Gloomy darkness has been kept for them. They arrogantly use nonsense to seduce people by appealing to their sexual desires, especially to sexual freedom. They seduce people who have just escaped from those who live in error. 19They promise these people freedom, but they themselves are slaves to corruption. A person is a slave to whatever he gives in to. 20People can know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and escape the world’s filth. But if they get involved in this filth again and give in to it, they are worse off than they were before.
Read all of 2 Peter 22 Peter 2:18 word by word
Ὑπέρογκα γὰρ ματαιότητος φθεγγόμενοι δελεάζουσιν ἐν ἐπιθυμίαις σαρκὸς ἀσελγείαις τοὺς ἀποφεύγοντας τοὺς ἐν πλάνῃ ἀναστρεφομένους,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- when they speakφθέγγομαιphtheggomai · to speakG5350
- great swellingὑπέρογκοςhuperogkos · boastfulG5246
- of vanityματαιότηςmataiotēs · futilityG3153
- they allureδελεάζωdeleazō · to enticeG1185
- throughἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the lustsἐπιθυμίαepithumia · desireG1939
- of the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- wantonnessἀσέλγειαaselgeia · debaucheryG766
- those that were cleanὄντωςontōs · reallyG3689
- escapedὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- escapedἀποφεύγωapopheugō · to escapeG668
- from them who liveἀναστρέφωanastrepho · to live/returnG390
- errorπλάνηplanē · errorG4106
Cross-references for 2 Peter 2:18
- Psalms 52:1Why do you brag about the evil you’ve done, you hero? The mercy of God lasts all day long!
- Psalms 73:8They ridicule. They speak maliciously. They speak arrogantly about oppression.
- Daniel 4:30The king thought, “Look how great Babylon is! I built the royal palace by my own impressive power and for my glorious honor.”
- Daniel 11:36“The king will do as he pleases. He will highly honor himself above every god. He will say amazing things against the God of gods. He will succeed until God’s anger is over, because what has been decided must be done.
- Acts 8:9A man named Simon lived in that city. He amazed the people of Samaria with his practice of magic. He claimed that he was great.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4He opposes every so-called god or anything that is worshiped and places himself above them, sitting in God’s temple and claiming to be God.
- Jude 1:13Their shame is like the foam on the wild waves of the sea. They are wandering stars for whom gloomy darkness is kept forever.
- Revelation 13:5The beast was allowed to speak arrogant and insulting things. It was given authority to act for 42 months.
- Romans 13:13We should live decently, as people who live in the light of day. Wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, rivalry, and jealousy cannot be part of our lives.
- James 5:5You have lived in luxury and pleasure here on earth. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.
- 2 Peter 2:20People can know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and escape the world’s filth. But if they get involved in this filth again and give in to it, they are worse off than they were before.
- 2 Peter 1:4Through his glory and integrity he has given us his promises that are of the highest value. Through these promises you will share in the divine nature because you have escaped the corruption that sinful desires cause in the world.
- Acts 2:40Peter said much more to warn them. He urged, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Commentaries on 2 Peter 2:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18They speak great swelling words of vanity - The word ̔ 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…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18For 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-22Verses 17-22 The word of truth is the water of life, which refreshes the souls that receive it; but deceivers spread and promote error, and are set forth as empty, because there is no truth in them. As clouds hinder the light of the sun, so do these darken counsel by words wherein there is no truth. Seeing that these men increase darkness in this world, it is very just that the mist of darkness should be their portion in the next. In the midst of their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18those who are just escaping: The false teachers cleverly targeted new believers. These were people who had only recently committed themselves to Christ.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. allure--Greek, "lay baits for." through--Greek, "in"; the lusts of the flesh being the element IN which they lay their baits. much wantonness--Greek, "by licentiousness"; the bait which they lay. clean escaped--Greek, "really escaped." But the oldest manuscripts and Vulgate read, "scarcely," or "for but a little time"; scarcely have they escaped from them who live in error (the ungodly world), when they are allured by these seducers into sin again…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Peter 2:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Peter 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries