New Living Translation
2 Peter 2:12
12These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed.
2 Peter 2:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
- New International Version (NIV)But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,
- New King James Version (NKJV)But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,
Context of 2 Peter 2:12
10He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling. 11But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings. These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.
Read all of 2 Peter 22 Peter 2:12 word by word
οὗτοι δὲ ὡς ἄλογα ζῷα γεγεννημένα φυσικὰ εἰς ἅλωσιν καὶ φθοράν, ἐν οἷς ἀγνοοῦσιν βλασφημοῦντες ἐν τῇ φθορᾷ αὐτῶν καὶ φθαρήσονταιRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- naturalφυσικόςphusikos · naturalG5446
- bruteἄλογοςalogos · unreasonableG249
- beastsζῷονzōon · living thingG2226
- madeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- toεἰςeis · towardG1519
- be takenἅλωσιςhalōsis · captureG259
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- destroyedφθοράphthora · corruptionG5356
- speak evilβλασφημέωblasphēmeō · to blasphemeG987
- ofἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the things thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- they understand notἀγνοέωagnoeō · be ignorantG50
- and shall utterly perishκαταφθείρωkataphtheirō · to depraveG2704
- their ownαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- corruptionὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
Cross-references for 2 Peter 2:12
- Psalms 49:10Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind.
- Psalms 92:6Only a simpleton would not know, and only a fool would not understand this:
- Psalms 94:8Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on?
- Jeremiah 4:22“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”
- Jeremiah 5:4Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor? They are ignorant. They don’t know the ways of the Lord. They don’t understand God’s laws.
- Jeremiah 10:8People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!
- Jeremiah 12:3But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered!
- Ezekiel 21:31I will pour out my fury on you and blow on you with the fire of my anger. I will hand you over to cruel men who are skilled in destruction.
- Jude 1:10But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.
- 2 Peter 2:19They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.
- 2 Peter 1:4And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
- Proverbs 14:32The wicked are crushed by disaster, but the godly have a refuge when they die.
- John 8:21Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”
- Galatians 6:8Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Commentaries on 2 Peter 2:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12But these, as natural brute beasts - '̔ · As those natural animals void of reason, following only the gross instinct of nature, being governed neither by reason nor religion. Made to be taken and destroyed - Intended to be taken with nets and gins, and then destroyed, because of their fierce and destructive nature; so these false teachers and insurgents must be treated; first incarcerated, and then brought to judgment, that they may have the reward of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12But these, as natural brute beasts - These persons, who resemble so much irrational animals which are made to be taken and destroyed. The point of the comparison is, that they are like fierce and savage beasts that exercise no control over their appetites, and that seeM to be made only to be destroyed. These persons, by their fierce and ungovernable passions, appear to be made only for destruction, and rush blindly on to it. The word rendered “natural,”…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 Impure seducers and their abandoned followers, give themselves up to their own fleshly minds. Refusing to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ, they act against God's righteous precepts. They walk after the flesh, they go on in sinful courses, and increase to greater degrees of impurity and wickedness. They also despise those whom God has set in authority over them, and requires them to honour. Outward temporal good things are the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-16This description of the false teachers focuses more on how they were living than on what they were teaching.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. (Jude 19). But--In contrast to the "angels," 2Pe 2:11. brute--Greek, "irrational." In contrast to angels that "excel in strength." beasts--Greek, "animals" (compare Psa 49:20). natural--transposed in the oldest manuscripts, "born natural," that is, born naturally so: being in their very nature (that is, naturally) as such (irrational animals), born to be taken and destroyed (Greek, "unto capture and destruction," or corruption, see on Ga 6:8; compare…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Peter 2:12
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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