New International Version
2 Peter 2:18
18For 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.
Context of 2 Peter 2:18
16But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 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. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
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 boast of evil, you mighty hero? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
- Psalms 73:8They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
- Daniel 4:30he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”
- Daniel 11:36“The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.
- Acts 8:9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
- Jude 1:13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
- Revelation 13:5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.
- Romans 13:13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
- James 5:5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
- 2 Peter 2:20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
- 2 Peter 1:4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
- Acts 2:40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “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
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