Focused Passage

2 Peter 2:4-10

False Teachers, Corruption, and the Certainty of Judgment

Peter moves from the certainty that false teachers will arise, to the certainty that God judges the wicked and rescues the godly, then to the moral anatomy and final ruin of those who promise freedom while remaining slaves of corruption.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

5 if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;

6 if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;

7 and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless

8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

9 if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

10 Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 4

Original words

For γὰρ G1063 Conjunction if Εἰ G1487 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular God Θεὸς G2316 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular {did} not οὐκ G3756 Adverb spare ἐφείσατο G5339 Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular [the] angels ἀγγέλων G32 Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural when they sinned ἁμαρτησάντων G264 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural but ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction cast [them] deep into hell ταρταρώσας G5020 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular placing [them] παρέδωκεν G3860 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular in chains σειραῖς* G4577 Noun - Dative Feminine Plural of darkness ζόφου G2217 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular to be held τηρουμένους G5083 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural for εἰς G1519 Preposition judgment κρίσιν G2920 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Greek cast them into Tartarus; see the First Book of Enoch (1 Enoch 13:1–11 and 1 Enoch 20:1–4).
Verse 5

Original words

[if] καὶ G2532 Conjunction vvv οὐκ G3756 Adverb He did not spare ἐφείσατο G5339 Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular [the] ancient ἀρχαίου G744 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular world κόσμου G2889 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular when He brought ἐπάξας G1863 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular [the] flood κατακλυσμὸν G2627 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular [on its] κόσμῳ G2889 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular ungodly [people] ἀσεβῶν G765 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural but ἀλλὰ G235 Conjunction preserved ἐφύλαξεν G5442 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Noah Νῶε G3575 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular a preacher κήρυκα G2783 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular of righteousness δικαιοσύνης G1343 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular among the eight ὄγδοον G3590 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 6

Original words

[if] καὶ G2532 Conjunction He condemned κατέκρινεν G2632 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular [the] cities πόλεις G4172 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural of Sodom Σοδόμων G4670 Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction Gomorrah Γομόρρας G1116 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular to destruction καταστροφῇ G2692 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular reducing [them] to ashes τεφρώσας G5077 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular [as] τεθεικώς G5087 Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular an example ὑπόδειγμα G5262 Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular of what is coming on μελλόντων G3195 Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter Plural the ungodly ἀσεβέσιν G765 Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • WH does not include to destruction.
  • Or on future generations of the ungodly
Verse 7

Original words

and καὶ G2532 Conjunction [if] He rescued ἐρρύσατο G4506 Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Lot Λὼτ G3091 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular a righteous [man] δίκαιον G1342 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular distressed καταπονούμενον G2669 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Singular by ὑπὸ G5259 Preposition the τῆς G3588 Article - Genitive Feminine Singular vvv ἐν G1722 Preposition depraved ἀσελγείᾳ G766 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular conduct ἀναστροφῆς G391 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular of the τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Plural lawless ἀθέσμων G113 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 8

Original words

(for γὰρ G1063 Conjunction that G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular righteous [man] δίκαιος G1342 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular living ἐνκατοικῶν G1460 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular among ἐν G1722 Preposition them αὐτοῖς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural day ἡμέραν G2250 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular after ἐξ G1537 Preposition day ἡμέρας G2250 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular was tormented ἐβασάνιζεν G928 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular [in his] righteous δικαίαν G1342 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular soul ψυχὴν G5590 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular [by the] lawless ἀνόμοις G459 Adjective - Dative Neuter Plural deeds ἔργοις G2041 Noun - Dative Neuter Plural he saw βλέμματι G990 Noun - Dative Neuter Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction heard ἀκοῇ G189 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Verse 9

Original words

[ if all this is so, then the ] Lord Κύριος G2962 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular knows how οἶδεν G1492 Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to rescue ῥύεσθαι G4506 Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive [the] godly εὐσεβεῖς G2152 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural from ἐκ G1537 Preposition trials πειρασμοῦ G3986 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular and δὲ G1161 Conjunction to hold τηρεῖν G5083 Verb - Present Infinitive Active [the] unrighteous ἀδίκους G94 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural for punishment κολαζομένους G2849 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural on εἰς G1519 Preposition [the] day ἡμέραν G2250 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular of judgment κρίσεως G2920 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 10

Original words

[ Such punishment is ] δὲ G1161 Conjunction specially [reserved] μάλιστα G3122 Adverb for those who τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural indulge πορευομένους G4198 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural . . . ἐν G1722 Preposition [the] corrupt μιασμοῦ G3394 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular desires ἐπιθυμίᾳ G1939 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular of ὀπίσω G3694 Preposition [the] flesh σαρκὸς G4561 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction despise καταφρονοῦντας G2706 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural authority κυριότητος G2963 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Bold τολμηταὶ G5113 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural [and] self-willed αὐθάδεις G829 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb they are unafraid τρέμουσιν G5141 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural to slander βλασφημοῦντες G987 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural glorious beings δόξας G1391 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural

BSB notes

  • Or to blaspheme angelic majesties

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.