2 Peter 2:18

2 Peter 2:18

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.

a. 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. [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, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error; [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: For overswellings of vanity speaking, they do entice in desires of the flesh -- lasciviousnesses, those who had truly escaped from those conducting themselves in error,[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 uttering loud boasts of folly, they beguile and lure with lustful desires of the flesh those who are barely escaping from them who are wrongdoers.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1. “For when they speak great swelling words of vanity…”

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. [when they] speak [Strong: 5350. phtheggomai ftheng'-gom-ahee probably akin to 5338 and thus to 5346; to utter a clear sound, i.e. (generally) to proclaim:--speak.]

c. great swelling [Strong: 5246. huperogkos hoop-er'-ong-kos from 5228 and 3591; bulging over, i.e. (figuratively) insolent:--great swelling.] [Thayer: overswollen, metaph. immoderate, extravagant.]

1). This same Greek word is used only one other time in the NT, in Jude. It is also the comparative verse for our verse.

a). Jude 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

b. [words of] vanity [Strong: 3153. mataiotes mat-ah-yot'-ace from 3152; inutility; figuratively, transientness; morally, depravity:--vanity.] [Thayer: what is devoid of truth and appropriateness, perverseness, depravity, frailty, want of vigour.]

1). The Apostle Paul warned the Ephesians of men who would preach vain words condoning sexual immorality.

a). Ephesians 5:3-6 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5:5 or this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

b). It seems to be that the false teachers of Jude, 2 Peter and Ephesians all have in common that they all condoned immorality. The Scripture labels it all as vain words or vanity. These not only speak great swelling words but as Jude 16 declares they are also murmurers and complainers.

c). Jude 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

(1) murmurmers [Strong: 1113. goggustes gong-goos-tace' from 1111; a grumbler:--murmurer.] [Thayer: a murmurer, one who discontentedly complains (against God)]

(2) complainers [Strong: 3202. mempsimoiros mem-psim'-oy-ros from a presumed derivative of 3201 and moira (fate; akin to the base of 3313); blaming fate, i.e. querulous (discontented):--complainer.] [Zodhiates: a discontented, complaining person, one who finds fault with his lot.]

2. “…they allure through the lusts of the flesh…”

a. [they] allure [Strong: 1185. deleazo del-eh-ad'-zo from the base of 1388; to entrap, i.e. (figuratively) delude:--allure, beguile, entice.] [Thayer: to bait, catch by a bait, metaph. to beguile by blandishments, allure, entice, deceive.]

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. [the] lusts [Strong: 1939. epithumia ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah from 1937; a longing (especially for what is forbidden):--concupiscence, desire, lust (after).] [Thayer: desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust.]

d. [of the] flesh [Strong: 4561. sarx sarx probably from the base of 4563; flesh (as stripped of the skin), i.e. (strictly) the meat of an animal (as food), or (by extension) the body (as opposed to the soul (or spirit), or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or (by implication) human nature (with its frailties (physically or morally) and passions), or (specially), a human being (as such):--carnal(-ly, + -ly minded), flesh(-ly).]

3. “…through much wantonness…”

a. [through much] wantonness [Strong:  766. aselgeia as-elg'-i-a from a compound of 1 (as a negative particle) and a presumed selges (of uncertain derivation, but apparently meaning continent); licentiousness (sometimes including other vices):--filthy, lasciviousness, wantonness.] [Thayer: unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence.]

4. “…those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.”

a. those [Strong: 3588. [tous] 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: [tous] 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.]

b. [that were] clean [Strong: 3689. ontos on'-toce adverb of the oblique cases of 5607; really:--certainly, clean, indeed, of a truth, verily.] [Thayer: truly, in reality, in point of fact…that which is truly etc., that which is indeed.]

c. escaped [Strong: 668. apopheugo ap-of-yoo'-go from 575 and 5343; (figuratively) to escape:--escape.] [apopheugo; apo-from; pheugo-to flee] [Thayer:  to flee from, escape.] 

d. [from] them [Strong: 3588. [tous] 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: [tous] 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. [who] live [Strong: 390. anastrepho an-as-tref'-o from 303 and 4762; to overturn; also to return; by implication, to busy oneself, i.e. remain, live:--abide, behave self, have conversation, live, overthrow, pass, return, be used.]

f. in [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.]

g. error [Strong: 4106. plane plan'-ay feminine of 4108 (as abstractly); objectively, fraudulence; subjectively, a straying from orthodoxy or piety:--deceit, to deceive, delusion, error.] [Thayer:  a wandering, a straying about, one led astray from the right way, roams hither and thither, metaphorically mental straying, error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion, error which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting, error, that which leads into error, deceit or fraud.]