2 Peter 2:2

2 Peter 2:2

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

a. NLT: Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And many shall follow out their destructive ways, because of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: And many will follow their immoral ways and lascivious doings; because of them the true Way will be maligned and defamed. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1. “And many shall follow their pernicious ways

a. And [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. many [Strong: 4183. polus pol-oos' including the forms from the alternate pollos; (singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many; neuter (singular) as adverbial, largely; neuter (plural) as adverb or noun often, mostly, largely:--abundant, + altogether, common, + far (passed, spent), (+ be of a) great (age, deal, -ly, while), long, many, much, oft(-en (-times)), plenteous, sore, straitly.] [Thayer: many, much, large.]

b. [shall] follow [Strong: 1811. exakoloutheo ex-ak-ol-oo-theh'-o from 1537 and 190; to follow out, i.e. (figuratively) to imitate, obey, yield to:--follow.] [Thayer: to follow out or up, tread in one's steps, metaph., to imitate one's ways of acting, to follow one's authority, to comply with, yield to.]

c. their [Strong:846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

d. [Strong: 3588. [tais] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tais] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

e. pernicious [ways] [Strong: 684. apoleia ap-o'-li-a from a presumed derivative of 622; ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal):--damnable(-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste.] [Thayer: destroying, utter destruction, of vessels, a perishing, ruin, destruction, of money, the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell

2.  “…by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”

a. by reason of [Strong: 1223. dia dee-ah' a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.] [Thayer: through, of place, with, in, of time, throughout, during, of means, by, by the means of, by reason of, on account of, because of for this reason, therefore

on this account.]

b. whom [Strong: 3739. hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.] [Thayer: who, which, what, that]

c. way [Strong: 3598. hodos hod-os' apparently a primary word; a road; by implication, a progress (the route, act or distance); figuratively, a mode or means:--journey, (high-)way.] [Thayer: a way, a travelled way, road, a travellers way, journey, travelling metaphorically a course of conduct, a way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding.]

d. [of] truth [Strong: 225. aletheia al-ay'-thi-a from 227; truth:--true, X truly, truth, verity.]

1). This word directly refers to not only Christ, but also to the truth of the gospel and basically the whole word of God.

a). John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

b). Acts 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

c). Acts 9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

d). Acts 13:10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

d. [shall be] evil spoken of [Strong: 987. blasphemeo blas-fay-meh'-o from 989; to vilify; specially, to speak impiously:--(speak) blaspheme(-er, -mously, -my), defame, rail on, revile, speak evil.] [Thayer: to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme, to be evil spoken of, reviled, railed at.]

1). Jesus and the gospel and the way of the Lord will be slandered and blasphemed.