God’s Word Translation
Jude 1:6
6He held angels for judgment on the great day. They were held in darkness, bound by eternal chains. These are the angels who didn’t keep their position of authority but abandoned their assigned place.
Jude 1:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
- New International Version (NIV)And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
Context of Jude 1:6
4Some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. Not long ago they were condemned in writing for the following reason: They are people to whom God means nothing. They use God’s kindness as an excuse for sexual freedom and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5I want to remind you about what you already know: The Lord once saved his people from Egypt. But on another occasion he destroyed those who didn’t believe. He held angels for judgment on the great day. They were held in darkness, bound by eternal chains. These are the angels who didn’t keep their position of authority but abandoned their assigned place. 7What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities near them is an example for us of the punishment of eternal fire. The people of these cities suffered the same fate that God’s people and the angels did, because they committed sexual sins and engaged in homosexual activities. 8Yet, in a similar way, the people who slipped in among you are dreamers. They contaminate their bodies with sin, reject the Lord’s authority, and insult his glory.
Read all of Jude 1Jude 1:6 word by word
ἀγγέλους τε τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον, εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας δεσμοῖς ἀϊδίοις ὑπὸ ζόφον τετήρηκεν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andτεte · and/bothG5037
- the angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- which keptτηρέωtēreō · to keep: observeG5083
- notμήmē · notG3361
- theirἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- first estateἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- leftἀπολείπωapoleipō · to leaveG620
- their ownἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
- habitationοἰκητήριονoikētērion · dwellingG3613
- he hath reservedτηρέωtēreō · to keep: guardG5083
- inδεσμόςdesmon desmos · chainG1199
- everlastingἀΐδιοςaidios · eternalG126
- underὑπόhupo · by/under: underG5259
- darknessζόφοςzophos · darknessG2217
- untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the judgmentκρίσιςkrisis · judgmentG2920
- of theἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
Cross-references for Jude 1:6
- John 8:44You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he’s doing what comes naturally to him. He’s a liar and the father of lies.
- Ephesians 6:12This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.
- Matthew 25:41“Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels!
- 2 Peter 2:4God didn’t spare angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, where he has secured them with chains of darkness and is holding them for judgment.
- Matthew 8:29They shouted, “Why are you bothering us now, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before it is time?”
- Hebrews 10:27All that is left is a terrifying wait for judgment and a raging fire that will consume God’s enemies.
- Revelation 20:10The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were also thrown. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.
Commentaries on Jude 1:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The angels which kept not their first estate - ̔ Their own principality. The words may be understood of their having invaded the office or dignity of some others, or of their having by some means forfeited their own. This is spoken of those generally termed the fallen angels; but from what they fell, or from what cause or for what crime, we know not. It is generally thought to have been pride; but this is mere conjecture. One thing is certain; the angels…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6And the angels which kept not their first estate - A second case denoting that the wicked would be punished. Compare the notes, 2 Peter 2:4. The word rendered “estate” ( ̓̀ archēn) is, in the margin, “principality.” The word properly means, “beginning, commencement;” and then that which surpasses others, which is “first,” etc., in point of rank and honor; or pre-eminence, priority, precedence, princedom. Here it refers to the rank and dignity which the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-7Verses 5-7 Outward privileges, profession, and apparent conversion, could not secure those from the vengeance of God, who turned aside in unbelief and disobedience. The destruction of the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness, shows that none ought to presume on their privileges. They had miracles as their daily bread; yet even they perished in unbelief. A great number of the angels were not pleased with the stations God allotted to them; pride was the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6The angels might refer to the fall of Satan and the angels who followed him, but no Old Testament passage clearly describes this event (see study notes on Isaiah 14:12–17; Ezekiel 28:12–19). Jude was probably referring to Genesis 6:1–4. Jewish tradition understood the “sons of God” in Genesis 6 to be wicked angels. They believed God punished these angels because they had sexual relations with women (see 1 Enoch 6–10; see also study notes on 1 Peter…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. (2Pe 2:4.) kept not their first estate--Vulgate translates, "their own principality," which the fact of angels being elsewhere called "principalities," favors: "their own" implies that, instead of being content with the dignity once for all assigned to them under the Son of God, they aspired higher. Alford thinks the narrative in Ge 6:2 is alluded to, not the fall of the devil and his angels, as he thinks "giving themselves over to fornication" (Jude…Read the comment
Topics related to Jude 1:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jude 1
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries