2 Peter 2:3

2 Peter 2:3

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

a. NLT: In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed. [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 in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And in covetousness, with moulded words, of you they shall make merchandise, whose judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction doth not slumber. [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 in their covetousness (lust, greed) they will exploit you with false (cunning) arguments. From of old the sentence [of condemnation] for them has not been idle; their destruction (eternal misery) has not been asleep. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1. “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you…”

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. through [Strong: 1722. en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

c. covetousness [Strong: 4124. pleonexia pleh-on-ex-ee'-ah from 4123; avarice, i.e. (by implication) fraudulency, extortion:--covetous(-ness) practices, greediness.] [Thayer: greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice.]

d. [shall they with] feigned [Strong: 4112. plastos plas-tos' from 4111; moulded, i.e. (by implication) artificial or (figuratively) fictitious (false):--feigned.] [Thayer: moulded, formed, as from clay, wax, or stone, feigned.] [English: plastic]

e. words [Strong: 3056. logos log'-os from 3004; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):--account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say(-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.]

f. [make] merchandise [Strong: 1710. emporeuomai em-por-yoo'-om-ahee from 1722 and 4198; to travel in (a country as a pedlar), i.e. (by implication) to trade:--buy and sell, make merchandise.] [Thayer: to go a trading, to travel for business, to traffic, trade, of a thing, to import for sale, to deal in to use a person or a thing for gain.]

1). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers: The verb means literally to travel, especially as a merchant on business; and hence “to be a merchant,” “to trade,” and, with an accusative, “to deal in,” “make merchandise of.” (Comp. our commercial phrase, “to travel in” such and such goods.) It may also mean simply “to gain,” or “gain over,” which would make good sense here; but our version is perhaps better.

2). These words remind me of a inspired description the prophet Ezekiel gave of Lucifer in the midst of the behavior of his fall. It was said that Lucifer defiled his sanctuaries by two things, the multitude of his iniquities and the iniquity of his traffic. Lucifer spread his rebellion through the angelic ranks. He “trafficked” in it. Here in 2 Peter 2:3, it appears that the false teachers will traffic also, but in speaking lies about the truth and spreading heresy.

a). Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

g. [of] you [Strong: 5209. humas hoo-mas' accusative case of 5210; you (as the objective of a verb or preposition):--ye, you (+ -ward), your (+ own).]

2. “…whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

a. whose [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.]

b. judgment [Strong: 2917. krima kree'-mah from 2919; a decision (the function or the effect, for or against ("crime")):--avenge, condemned, condemnation, damnation, + go to law, judgment.] [Thayer:  a decree, judgments,  judgment, condemnation of wrong, the decision (whether severe or mild) which one passes on the faults of others.]

c. [now] of a long time [Strong: 1597. ekpalai eh'-pal-ahee from 1537 and 3819; long ago, for a long while:--of a long time, of old.]

d. lingereth [Strong: 691. argeo arg-eh'-o from 692; to be idle, i.e. (figuratively) to delay:--linger.] [Thayer: to be idle, inactive, to linger, delay.]

e. not [Strong: 3756. ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

f. 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.]

g. 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.]

h. damnation [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

i. slumbereth [Strong: 3573. nustazo noos-tad'-zo from a presumed derivative of 3506; to nod, i.e. (by implication) to fall asleep; figuratively, to delay:--slumber.] [Thayer: to nod in sleep, to sleep, to be overcome or oppressed with sleep, to fall asleep, drop off to sleep, to be negligent, careless, of a thing i.e. to linger, delay]

j. not [Strong: 3756. ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]