2 Peter 2:8

2 Peter 2:8

(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds:)

a. NLT: Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. [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: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds): [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: For in seeing and hearing, the righteous man, dwelling among them, day by day the righteous soul with unlawful works was harassing. [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: For that just man, living [there] among them, tortured his righteous soul every day with what he saw and heard of [their] unlawful and wicked deeds— [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1.  “For that righteous man dwelling among them…”

a. For [Strong: 1063 gar gar a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

b. that [Strong: 3588 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.] 

c. righteous [man] [Strong: 1342 dikaios dik'-ah-yos from 1349; equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively):--just, meet, right(-eous).]

d. dwelling [Strong: 1460 egkatoikeo eng-kat-oy-keh'-o from 1722 and 2730; to settle down in a place, i.e. reside:--dwell among.]

e. among [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.]

f. them [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.]

1). Lot lived in or around the Sodom area for probably over twenty years. His children were probably born while he lived there. I arrived at that amount of years by comparing the amount of time Abram lived in Mamre. 

a). Abram came into the land at age 75 (Genesis 12:4). Then you had the wrong move to Egypt to escape the famine (Genesis 12:10-20), and the fiasco over Sarai, which probably took perhaps a year. Then the whole group moves back to Canaan to the Bethel area which is where the strife between Lot’s herdsmen and Abram’s herdsmen begins. It is here because of the strife that they separate. I’m guessing that a year or two transpired for the move back to Canaan and the strife to grow to the point where separation was needful. So my guess is Abram was probably about 78 or 79 at the time he moved to Mamre. In Genesis 20:1 He moved from Mamre to Gerar immediately after the destruction of the four cities of the plain, which was about or within a year previous to the birth of Isaac. God promised Abraham in Genesis 17:21 that Isaac would be born about a year later. Not long after in Genesis 18, God told both Abraham and Sarah that a son would be born to them, “At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life…” (Genesis 18:14). Because Abraham was 100 years old at the time of Isaac’s birth (Romans 4:19), that would mean they lived in Mamre for about 20 or 21 years.

2). Lot separated from Abram not long after they came up from Egypt after the famine and after they separated, Lot went toward Sodom and Abram went to Mamre.

a). Genesis 13:5-13 And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

13:6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

13:7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

13:8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

13:9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

11:13 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

11:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

2. “…in seeing and hearing…”

a. in seeing [Strong: 990  blemma blem'-mah from 991; vision (properly concrete; by implication, abstract):--seeing.] [Thayer: a look, a glance.]

b. 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.]

hearing [Strong: 189  akoe ak-o-ay' from 191; hearing (the act, the sense or the thing heard):--audience, ear, fame, which ye heard, hearing, preached, report, rumor.] [Thayer:  the sense of hearing, the organ of hearing, the ear, the thing heard.

1). What did Lot see and hear? Part of what he saw and heard is revealed in Isaiah 3.

a). Isaiah 3:9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

b). declare [Strong: 5046   to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise:--bewray, X certainly, certify, declare(-ing), denounce, expound, X fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, X surely, tell, utter.] Gesensius: to bring to the light, hence to shew, to tell; to betray, to declare; to confess, to profess openly, to proclaim, to celebrate with praise, to be shewn.]

c). Remember that the context is sin so the various definitions fit right in with the NIV use of the word “parade”. “To boldly stand out (in their sin), to announce (their sin) by word of mouth, to proclaim (their sin), to celebrate (their sin) with praise”, are all very revealing. They did all this in front of Lot to vex him. Similar to how they do it now with queer pride parades.

2). Another thing Lot and his family probably “saw” and “heard” on a daily basis is revealed in Zephaniah. In Scripture, when any person or people received the same judgment as someone else it was because they were guilty of the same offense. Likewise, in the following example, Moab and Ammon received the similar judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah in that their land is a “perpetual desolation”.

a). Zephaniah 2:8-10  I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

2:9 Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

2:10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

3). Moab and Ammon were guilty of some of the same sins as Sodom and Gomorrah. They reviled reproached and magnified themselves against God’s people. In order to get a better understanding the Hebrew definitions need to be looked at.

a).  revilings [Strong: 1421  gidduwph ghid-doof' or (shortened) gidduph {ghid-doof'}; and (feminine) gidduphah {ghid-doo-faw'}; or gidduphah {ghid-doo-faw'}; from 1422; vilification:--reproach, reviling.   to use abusive, slanderous language about someone, to scornfully insult.]

b). reproach [Strong: 2781 cherpah kher-paw';  a scornful insult.][Gesenius: reproach, scorn, contempt, taunt, scorn (upon enemy), reproach (resting upon condition of shame, disgrace).]

c). magnified [Strong: 1431 gadal gaw-dal'; to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride):--advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be(-come, do, give, make, wax), great(-er, come to...estate, + things), grow(up),increase, lift up, magnify(-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly (spoken)…][ Gesenius: To twist together, to bind together,to be or become great, it is applied to riches and power, to be celebrated with praises, to cause and take care that anything should grow and become great.]

4). Because Lot was a believer he was subjected on a daily basis to abusive, slanderous language; they heaped reproach, scorn, contempt upon him; they taunted him while at the same time they celebrated their own ungodly behaviors.

3. “…vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds:”

a. vexed [Strong: 928 basanizo bas-an-id'-zo; To torture, afflict with pain, vex, harass. (2 Peter 2:8, used metaphorically, to examine, scrutinize, either by words or physical torment.]

1). The definitions reveal that the people of Sodom purposely did things and said things in front of Lot just to bother him. Their behavior was sometimes brutal, and with no restraint they behaved in an insatiable desire for perverse sexual pleasure.

b. [his] righteous [Strong: 1342 dikaios dik'-ah-yos from 1349; equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively):--just, meet, right(-eous).]

c. soul [Strong: 5590 psuche psoo-khay' from 5594; breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from 4151, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from 2222, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew 5315, 7307 and 2416):--heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you.]

d. [from] day [Strong: 2250 hemera hay-mer'-ah feminine (with 5610 implied) of a derivative of hemai (to sit; akin to the base of 1476) meaning tame, i.e. gentle; day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively, a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):--age, + alway, (mid-)day (by day, (-ly)), + for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.]

e. to [Strong: 1537 ek ek or ex ex a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):--after, among, X are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, ...ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with(-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.]

f. day [Strong: 2250 hemera hay-mer'-ah feminine (with 5610 implied) of a derivative of hemai (to sit; akin to the base of 1476) meaning tame, i.e. gentle; day, i.e. (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively, a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):--age, + alway, (mid-)day (by day, (-ly)), + for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.]

g. [with their] unlawful [Strong: 459 anomos an'-om-os from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3551; lawless, i.e. (negatively) not subject to (the Jewish) law; (by implication, a Gentile), or (positively) wicked:--without law, lawless, transgressor, unlawful, wicked.]  [anomos; a-without; nomos-law] 

h. deeds [Strong: 2041 ergon er'-gon from a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act:--deed, doing, labour, work.]

1). As Lot lived among them from day to day, he experienced all these things. The inhabitants of Sodom, his neighbors, these people did things in front of him not only to harass and to torture him but to see how he would react. Over the twenty years he lived among them it wore him down and surely contributed to him making decisions he would not otherwise have made.