2 Peter 1:16

2 Peter 1:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
• New Living Translation (NLT)For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes

Context of 2 Peter 1:16

14because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

2 Peter 1:16 word by word

οὐ γὰρ σεσοφισμένοις μύθοις ἐξακολουθήσαντες ἐγνωρίσαμεν ὑμῖν τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δύναμιν καὶ παρουσίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπόπται γενηθέντες τῆς ἐκείνου μεγαλειότητος.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• we haveἐξακολουθέωexakoloutheō · to followG1811
• notοὐou · noG3756
• cunningly devisedσοφίζωsophizō · to make wiseG4679
• fablesμῦθοςmuthos · mythG3454
• when we made knownγνωρίζωgnōrizō · to make knownG1107
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• the powerὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• comingπαρουσίαparousia · comingG3952
• ofκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• wereγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• eyewitnessesἐπόπτηςepoptēs · eyewitnessG2030
• ofμεγαλειότηςmegaleiotēs · majestyG3168
• hisἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565

Cross-references for 2 Peter 1:16

• 2 Peter 3:3Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
• 1 Corinthians 1:17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
• 1 Corinthians 2:1And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
• 2 Corinthians 2:17Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.
• 2 Corinthians 4:2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
• 2 Corinthians 12:16Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery!
• Ephesians 4:14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie,
• 1 Timothy 1:4or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
• 1 Timothy 4:7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
• Matthew 28:18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
• Mark 9:1And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
• John 17:2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
• Romans 1:4and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 5:4So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,
• Philippians 3:21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Commentaries on 2 Peter 1:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Cunningly devised fables - . I think, with Macknight and others, from the apostle's using , eye witnesses, or rather beholders, in the end of the verse, it is probable that he means those cunningly devised fables among the heathens, concerning the appearance of their gods on earth in human form. And to gain the greater credit to these fables, the priests and statesmen instituted what they called the mysteries of the gods, in which the fabulous appearance…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16For we have not followed cunningly devised fables - That is, fictions or stories invented by artful men, and resting on no solid foundation. The doctrines which they held about the coming of the Saviour were not, like many of the opinions of the Greeks, defended by weak and sophistical reasoning, but were based on solid evidence - evidence furnished by the personal observation of competent witnesses. It is true of the gospel, in general, that it is not…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 The gospel is no weak thing, but comes in power, Ro 1:16. The law sets before us our wretched state by sin, but there it leaves us. It discovers our disease, but does not make known the cure. It is the sight of Jesus crucified, in the gospel, that heals the soul. Try to dissuade the covetous worlding from his greediness, one ounce of gold weighs down all reasons. Offer to stay a furious man from anger by arguments, he has not patience to hear…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18cleverly devised fables: The false teachers were probably claiming that the message about Christ’s return was only a helpful story and not a true event. we were eyewitnesses of His majesty: This refers to the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1–9; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36). The transfiguration was a moment when the appearance of Jesus changed in a bright and glorious way. At that moment, Jesus was revealed as the glorious King, which pointed to his…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. For--reason why he is so earnest that the remembrance of these things should be continued after his death. followed--out in detail. cunningly devised--Greek, "devised by (man's) wisdom"; as distinguished from what the Holy Ghost teaches (compare 1Co 3:13). But compare also 2Pe 2:3, "feigned words." fables--as the heathen mythologies, and the subsequent Gnostic "fables and genealogies," of which the germs already existed in the junction of Judaism with…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Peter 1:16

• Apostles
• Fable
• Gospel
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Peter
• Power
• Testimony

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Jesus Christ
• Calling
• Corruption
• Cunningly
• Diligence
• Escape

Commentaries on 2 Peter 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