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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 17

Psalm 17^[a]

A prayer of David.

17 Lord, consider my just cause.^[b]
Pay attention to my cry for help.
Listen to the prayer
I sincerely offer.^[c]
²Make a just decision on my behalf.^[d]
Decide what is right.^[e]
³You have scrutinized my inner motives;^[f]
you have examined me during the night.^[g]
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful.^[h]
⁴As for the actions of people^[i]—
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men.^[j]
⁵I carefully obey your commands;^[k]
I do not deviate from them.^[l]
⁶I call to you because you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me!^[m]
Hear what I say!^[n]
⁷Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds,^[o]
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies.^[p]
⁸Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye.^[q]
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.^[r]
⁹Protect me from^[s] the wicked men who attack^[t] me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill.^[u]
¹⁰They are calloused;^[v]
they speak arrogantly.^[w]
¹¹They attack me, now they surround me;^[x]
they intend to throw me to the ground.^[y]
¹²He^[z] is like a lion^[aa] that wants to tear its prey to bits,^[ab]
like a young lion crouching^[ac] in hidden places.
¹³Rise up, Lord!
Confront him.^[ad] Knock him down.^[ae]
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man.^[af]
¹⁴Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers,^[ag]
from the murderers of this world.^[ah]
They enjoy prosperity;^[ai]
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire.^[aj]
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring.^[ak]
¹⁵As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face;^[al]
when I awake you will reveal yourself to me.^[am]

Footnotes

Psalm 17:1 sn Psalm 17. The psalmist asks God to intervene on his behalf because his life is threatened by dangerous enemies. He appeals to divine justice, for he is certain of his own innocence. Because he is innocent, he expects to encounter God and receive an assuring word.
Psalm 17:1 tn Heb “hear, Lord, what is just.”
Psalm 17:1 tn Heb “Listen to my prayer, [made] without lips of deceit.”
Psalm 17:2 tn Heb “From before you may my justice come out.” The prefixed verbal form יָצָא (yatsaʾ) could be taken as an imperfect, but following the imperatives in v. 1, it is better understood as a jussive of prayer.
Psalm 17:2 tn Heb “May your eyes look at what is right.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as jussive. (See also the preceding note on the word “behalf.”)
Psalm 17:3 tn Heb “you tested my heart.”
Psalm 17:3 tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”
Psalm 17:3 tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammoti) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmati, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.
Psalm 17:4 tn Heb “with regard to the deeds of man[kind].”
Psalm 17:4 tn Heb “by the word of your lips, I, I have watched the paths of the violent” (i.e., “watched” in the sense of “watched for the purpose of avoiding”).
Psalm 17:5 tn Heb “my steps stay firm in your tracks.” The infinitive absolute functions here as a finite verb (see GKC 347 §113.gg). God’s “tracks” are his commands, i.e., the moral pathways he has prescribed for the psalmist.
Psalm 17:5 tn Heb “my footsteps do not stagger.”
Psalm 17:6 tn Heb “Turn your ear toward me.”
Psalm 17:6 tn Heb “my word.”
Psalm 17:7 tn Heb “Set apart faithful acts.”
Psalm 17:7 tn Heb “[O] one who delivers those who seek shelter from the ones raising themselves up, by your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver.sn Those who look to you for protection from their enemies. “Seeking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).
Psalm 17:8 tc Heb “Protect me like the pupil, a daughter of an eye.” The noun בַּת (bat, “daughter”) should probably be emended to בָּבַת (bavat, “pupil”). See Zech 2:12 HT (2:8 ET) and HALOT 107 s.v. *בָּבָה.
Psalm 17:8 sn Your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
Psalm 17:9 tn Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Psalm 17:9 tn Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.
Psalm 17:9 tn Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (b^enefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).
Psalm 17:10 tn Heb “their fat they close.” The Hebrew term חֵלֶב (khelev, “fat”) appears to stand by metonymy for their calloused hearts. They attack the psalmist without feeling any pity or remorse. Some propose emending the text to חֵלֶב לִבָּמוֹ (khelev libbamo, “fat of their heart[s]; cf. Ps 119:70, “their heart is insensitive like fat”). This assumes haplography of the לב (lamed-bet) consonantal sequence.
Psalm 17:10 tn Heb “[with] their mouth they speak with arrogance.”
Psalm 17:11 tc Heb “our steps, now they surround me.” The Kethib (consonantal text) has “surround me,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has “surround us,” harmonizing the pronoun to the preceding “our steps.” The first person plural pronoun does not fit the context, where the psalmist speaks as an individual. In the preceding verses the psalmist uses a first person singular verbal or pronominal form twenty times. For this reason it is preferable to emend “our steps” to אִשְּׁרוּנִי (ʾish^eruni, “they attack me”) from the verbal root אָשַׁר (ʾashar, “march, stride, track”).
Psalm 17:11 tn Heb “their eyes they set to bend down in the ground.”
Psalm 17:12 tn Here the psalmist switches to the singular pronoun; he views his enemies collectively, or singles out a representative of the group, perhaps its leader.
Psalm 17:12 tn Heb “his likeness [is] like a lion.”
Psalm 17:12 tn Heb “[that] longs to tear.”
Psalm 17:12 tn Heb “sitting.”
Psalm 17:13 tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”
Psalm 17:13 tn Or “bring him to his knees.”
Psalm 17:13 tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”
Psalm 17:14 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand, Lord.” The translation assumes an emendation (both here and in the following line) of מִמְתִים (mim^etim, “from men”) to מִמְּמִתִים (mimm^emitim, “from those who kill”). For other uses of the plural form of the Hiphil participle of מוּת (mut, “die”), see 2 Kgs 17:26 (used with lions as subject), Job 33:22 (apparently referring to the agents of death), and Jer 26:15 (used of those seeking Jeremiah’s life).
Psalm 17:14 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
Psalm 17:14 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
Psalm 17:14 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”sn You overwhelm them with the riches they desire. The psalmist is not accusing God of being unjust; he is simply observing that the wicked often prosper and that God is the ultimate source of all blessings that human beings enjoy (see Matt 5:45). When the wicked are ungrateful for God’s blessings, they become even more culpable and deserving of judgment. So this description of the wicked actually supports the psalmist’s appeal for deliverance. God should rescue him because he is innocent (see vv. 3-5) and because the wicked, though blessed abundantly by God, still have the audacity to attack God’s people.
Psalm 17:14 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
Psalm 17:15 tn Heb “I, in innocence, I will see your face.” To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 11:7; see also Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזַה (khazah), is used]). Here, however, the psalmist may be anticipating a mystical experience. See the following note on the word “me.”
Psalm 17:15 tn Heb “I will be satisfied, when I awake, [with] your form.” The noun תְּמוּנָה (t^emunah) normally carries the nuance “likeness” or “form.” In Job 4:16 it refers to a ghostlike spiritual entity (see Job 4:15) that revealed itself to Eliphaz during the night. The psalmist may anticipate a mystical encounter with God in which he expects to see a manifestation of God’s presence (i.e., a theophany), perhaps in conjunction with an oracle of deliverance. During the quiet darkness of the night, God examines the psalmist’s inner motives and finds them to be pure (see v. 3). The psalmist is confident that when he awakens, perhaps sometime during the night or in the morning, he will be visited by God and assured of vindication.sn When I awake you will reveal yourself to me. Some see in this verse an allusion to resurrection. According to this view, when the psalmist awakens from the sleep of death, he will see God. It is unlikely that the psalmist had such a highly developed personal eschatology. As noted above, it is more likely that he is anticipating a divine visitation and mystical encounter as a prelude to his deliverance from his enemies.

Zechariah 3

Vision Four: The Priest

3 Next I saw Joshua the high priest^[a] standing before the angel of the Lord, with Satan^[b] standing at his right hand to accuse him. ²The Lord^[c] said to Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Isn’t this man like a burning stick snatched from the fire?” ³Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes^[d] as he stood there before the angel. ⁴The angel^[e] spoke up to those standing all around, “Remove his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua,^[f] “I have freely forgiven your iniquity and will dress you^[g] in fine clothing.” ⁵Then I spoke up, “Let a clean turban be put on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood nearby. ⁶Then the angel of the Lord exhorted Joshua solemnly: ⁷“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘If you follow^[h] my ways and keep my requirements, you will be able to preside over my temple^[i] and attend to my courtyards, and I will allow you to come and go among these others who are standing by you. ⁸Listen now, Joshua the high priest, both you and your colleagues who are sitting before you, all of you^[j] are a symbol that I am about to introduce my servant, the Branch.^[k] ⁹As for the stone^[l] I have set before Joshua—on the one stone there are seven eyes.^[m] I am about to engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘to the effect that I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.^[n] ¹⁰In that day,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘everyone will invite his friend to fellowship under his vine and under his fig tree.’”^[o]

Footnotes

Zechariah 3:1 sn Joshua the high priest mentioned here is the son of the priest Jehozadak, mentioned also in Hag 1:1 (cf. Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 4:3; 5:2; 10:18; Neh 7:7; 12:1, 7, 10, 26). He also appears to have been the grandfather of the high priest contemporary with Nehemiah ca. 445 b.c. (Neh 12:10).
Zechariah 3:1 tn The Hebrew term הַשָּׂטָן (hassatan, “the satan”) suggests not so much a personal name (as in almost all English translations) but an epithet, namely, “the adversary.” This evil being is also described this way in Job 1 and 2 and possibly 1 Chr 21:1.
Zechariah 3:2 sn The juxtaposition of the messenger of the Lord in v. 1 and the Lord in v. 2 shows that here, at least, they are one and the same. See Zech 1:11, 12 where they are distinguished from each other.
Zechariah 3:3 sn The Hebrew word צוֹאִים (tsoʾim) means “excrement.” This disgusting figure of speech suggests Joshua’s absolute disqualification for priestly service in the flesh, but v. 2 speaks of his having been rescued from that deplorable state by God’s grace. He is like a burning stick pulled out of the fire before it is consumed. This is a picture of cleansing, saving grace.
Zechariah 3:4 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the angel, cf. v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Zechariah 3:4 tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Joshua) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Zechariah 3:4 tn The occurrence of the infinitive absolute here for an expected imperfect first person common singular (or even imperative second person masculine plural or preterite third person masculine plural) is well-attested elsewhere. Most English translations render this as first person singular (“and I will clothe”), but cf. NAB “Take off…and clothe him.”
Zechariah 3:7 tn Heb “walk,” a frequent biblical metaphor for lifestyle or conduct; TEV “If you [+ truly CEV] obey.” To “walk” in the ways of the Lord is to live life as he intends (cf. Deut 8:6; 10:12-22; 28:9).
Zechariah 3:7 sn The statement you will be able to preside over my temple (Heb “house,” a reference to the Jerusalem temple) is a hint of the increasingly important role the high priest played in the postexilic Jewish community, especially in the absence of a monarchy. It also suggests the messianic character of the eschatological priesthood in which the priest would have royal prerogatives.
Zechariah 3:8 tn Heb “these men.” The cleansing of Joshua and his elevation to enhanced leadership as a priest signify the coming of the messianic age.
Zechariah 3:8 sn The collocation of servant and branch gives double significance to the messianic meaning of the passage (cf. Isa 41:8, 9; 42:1, 19; 43:10; 44:1, 2, 21; Ps 132:17; Jer 23:5; 33:15).
Zechariah 3:9 sn The stone is also a metaphor for the Messiah, a foundation stone that, at first rejected (Ps 118:22-23; Isa 8:13-15), will become the chief cornerstone of the church (Eph 2:19-22).
Zechariah 3:9 tn Some understand the Hebrew term עַיִן (ʿayin) here to refer to facets (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT) or “faces” (NCV, CEV “seven sides”) of the stone rather than some representation of organs of sight.sn The seven eyes are symbolic of divine omniscience and universal dominion (cf. Zech 1:10; 4:10; 2 Chr 16:9).
Zechariah 3:9 sn Inscriptions were common on ancient Near Eastern cornerstones. This inscription speaks of the redemption achieved by the divine resident of the temple, the Messiah, who will in the day of the Lord bring salvation to all Israel (cf. Isa 66:7-9).
Zechariah 3:10 tn Heb “under the vine and under the fig tree,” with the Hebrew article used twice as a possessive pronoun (cf. NASB “his”). Some English translations render this as second person rather than third (NRSV “your vine”; cf. also NAB, NCV, TEV).sn The imagery of fellowship under his vine and under his fig tree describes the peaceful dominion of the Lord in the coming messianic age (Mic 4:4; cf. 1 Kgs 4:25).

2 Peter 2:4-21

⁴For if God did not spare the angels who sinned,^[a] but threw them into hell^[b] and locked them up^[c] in chains^[d] in utter darkness,^[e] to be kept until the judgment, ⁵and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others,^[f] when God^[g] brought a flood on an ungodly world,^[h] ⁶and if he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction,^[i] having appointed^[j] them to serve as an example^[k] to future generations of the ungodly,^[l] ⁷and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless^[m] men,^[n] ⁸(for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul^[o] by the lawless deeds he saw and heard^[p]) ⁹—if so,^[q] then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials,^[r] and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment^[s] at the day of judgment, ¹⁰especially those who indulge their fleshly desires^[t] and who despise authority.

Brazen and insolent,^[u] they are not afraid to insult^[v] the glorious ones,^[w] ¹¹yet even^[x] angels, who are much more powerful,^[y] do not bring a slanderous^[z] judgment against them in the presence of the Lord.^[aa] ¹²But^[ab] these men,^[ac] like irrational animals—creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed^[ad]—do not understand whom^[ae] they are insulting, and consequently^[af] in their destruction they will be destroyed,^[ag] ¹³suffering harm as the wages for their harmful ways.^[ah] By considering it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight,^[ai] they are stains and blemishes, indulging^[aj] in their deceitful pleasures when they feast together with you. ¹⁴Their eyes,^[ak] full of adultery,^[al] never stop sinning;^[am] they entice^[an] unstable people.^[ao] They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!^[ap] ¹⁵By forsaking the right path they have gone astray, because they followed the way of Balaam son of Bosor,^[aq] who loved the wages of unrighteousness,^[ar] ¹⁶yet was rebuked^[as] for his own transgression (a dumb donkey,^[at] speaking with a human voice,^[au] restrained the prophet’s madness).^[av]

¹⁷These men^[aw] are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm, for whom the utter depths of darkness^[ax] have been reserved. ¹⁸For by speaking high-sounding but empty words^[ay] they are able to entice,^[az] with fleshly desires and with debauchery,^[ba] people^[bb] who have just escaped^[bc] from those who reside in error.^[bd] ¹⁹Although these false teachers promise^[be] such people^[bf] freedom, they themselves are enslaved to^[bg] immorality.^[bh] For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved.^[bi] ²⁰For if after they have escaped the filthy things^[bj] of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,^[bk] they^[bl] again get entangled in them and succumb to them,^[bm] their last state has become worse for them than their first. ²¹For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them.

Footnotes

2 Peter 2:4 tn The participle ἁμαρτησάντων (hamartēsantōn) could either be attributive (“who sinned”) or adverbial (“when they sinned”). The relation to the judgment of the false teachers in v. 3 suggests that the objects of God’s judgment are not in question, but the time frame for the execution of justice is. If the participle is taken temporally, the point of comparison is not as acute. The objection that the illustrations following (the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah) are viewed temporally does not mitigate this translation, for in both instances only the time of executing judgment is in view. Further, in both instances the OT notes that God withheld punishment for a long time.
2 Peter 2:4 tn Grk “casting them into Tartarus” or “holding them captive in Tartarus.” This verb, ταρταρόω (tartaroō), occurs only here in the NT, but its meaning is clearly established in both Hellenistic and Jewish literature. “Tartarus [was] thought of by the Greeks as a subterranean place lower than Hades where divine punishment was meted out, and so regarded in Israelite apocalyptic as well” (BDAG 991 s.v.). Grammatically, it has been translated as an indicative because it is an attendant circumstance participle.
2 Peter 2:4 tn Grk “handed them over.”
2 Peter 2:4 tc The reading σειραῖς (seirais, “chains”) is found in P⁷² P Ψ 33 1739 M vg sy, while σιροῖς (sirois [or σειροῖς, seirois], “pits”) is found in א A B C 81. The evidence is thus fairly evenly divided. Internally, the reading adopted here (σειραῖς) is a rarer term, perhaps prompting some scribes to replace it with the more common word. However, this more common term is not a synonym and hence does not follow the normal pattern of scribes. As well, the use of the genitive ζόφου (zophou) in “chains of darkness” is a bit awkward (a rare genitive of place), perhaps prompting some scribes to change the imagery to “pits of darkness” (in which case ζόφου is an attributive genitive). A further point that complicates the issue is the relationship of 2 Peter to Jude. Jude’s parallel (v. 6) has δεσμοῖς (desmois, “chains”). Apart from the issue of whether 2 Peter used Jude or Jude used 2 Peter, this parallel suggests one of two possibilities: either (1) since these two books obviously have a literary relationship, σειραῖς is autographic, or (2) early scribes, recognizing that these two books shared their material, changed σειροῖς to σειραῖς to conform the wording, at least conceptually, to Jude 6. On balance, σειραῖς looks to be original because scribes were not prone to harmonize extensively between books other than the Gospels (although 2 Peter and Jude do display some of this harmonizing). Further, such harmonization is often, if not usually, verbally exact, but δεσμοῖς is not a variant here.
2 Peter 2:4 tn The genitive ζόφου (zophou) is taken as a genitive of place. See previous note for discussion.
2 Peter 2:5 tn “Along with seven others” is implied in the cryptic, “the eighth, Noah.” A more literal translation thus would be, “he did protect Noah [as] the eighth…”
2 Peter 2:5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been repeated here for clarity, although this is somewhat redundant with the beginning of v. 4.
2 Peter 2:5 tn Grk “a world of the ungodly.”
2 Peter 2:6 tc Several significant witnesses omit καταστροφῇ (katastrophē, “destruction”; such as P^72* B C* 442 1175 1241 1243 1739 1881 bo), but this is probably best explained as an accidental omission due to homoioarcton (the word following is κατέκρινεν [katekrinen, “he condemned”]).tn Or “ruin,” or “extinction.” The first part of this verse more literally reads “And [if] he condemned to annihilation the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, by turning them to ashes.”sn The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is detailed in Gen 18:16—19:29.
2 Peter 2:6 tn The perfect participle τεθεικώς (tetheikōs) suggests an antecedent act. More idiomatically, the idea seems to be, “because he had already appointed them to serve as an example.”
2 Peter 2:6 tn “To serve as” is not in Greek but is implied in the object-complement construction.
2 Peter 2:6 tn Grk “an example of the things coming to the ungodly,” or perhaps “an example to the ungodly of coming [ages].”
2 Peter 2:7 tn Or “unprincipled.”
2 Peter 2:7 tn This verse more literally reads “And [if] he rescued righteous Lot, who was deeply distressed by the lifestyle of the lawless in [their] debauchery.”
2 Peter 2:8 tn Grk “that righteous man tormented his righteous soul.”
2 Peter 2:8 tn Grk “by lawless deeds, in seeing and hearing [them].”
2 Peter 2:9 tn The Greek is one long conditional sentence, from v. 4 to v. 10a. 2 Pet 2:4-8 constitute the protasis; vv. 9 and 10a, the apodosis. In order to show this connection more clearly, a resumptive summary protasis—“if so,” or “if God did these things”—is needed in English translation.
2 Peter 2:9 tn Grk “from trial,” or possibly “from temptation” (though this second meaning for πειρασμός (peirasmos) does not fit the context in which Noah and Lot are seen as in the midst of trials, not temptation).
2 Peter 2:9 tn The adverbial participle κολαζομένους (kolazomenous) can refer either to contemporaneous time or subsequent time. At stake is the meaning of the following prepositional phrase (at the day of judgment or until the day of judgment). If the participle is contemporaneous, the idea is “to keep the ungodly in a state of punishment until the day of judgment.” If subsequent, the meaning is “to keep the ungodly to be punished at the day of judgment.” Many commentators/translations opt for the first view, assuming that the present participle cannot be used of subsequent time. However, the present participle is the normal one used for result, and is often used of purpose (cf., e.g., for present participles suggesting result, Mark 9:7; Luke 4:15; John 5:18; Eph 2:15; 2 Pet 2:1, mentioned above; for present participles indicating purpose, note Luke 10:25; John 12:33; Acts 3:26; 2 Pet 2:10 [as even most translations render it]). Further, the context supports this: 2:1-10 forms something of an inclusio, in which the final end of the false teachers is mentioned specifically in v. 1, then as a general principle in v. 9. The point of v. 3—that the punishment of the false teachers is certain, even though the sentence has not yet been carried out, is underscored by a participle of purpose in v. 9.
2 Peter 2:10 tn Grk “those who go after the flesh in [its] lust.”
2 Peter 2:10 tn There is no “and” in Greek; it is supplied for the sake of English convention.
2 Peter 2:10 tn The translation takes βλασφημοῦντες (blasphēmountes) as an adverbial participle of purpose, as most translations do. However, it is also possible to see this temporally (thus, “they do not tremble when they blaspheme”).
2 Peter 2:10 tn Δόξας (doxas) almost certainly refers to angelic beings rather than mere human authorities, though it is difficult to tell whether good or bad angels are in view. Verse 11 seems to suggest that wicked angels is what the author intends.
2 Peter 2:11 tn Grk “whereas.”
2 Peter 2:11 tn Grk “who are greater in strength and power.” What is being compared, however, could either be the false teachers or “the glorious ones,” in which case “angels” would refer to good angels and “the glorious ones” to evil angels.
2 Peter 2:11 tn Or “insulting.” The word comes from the same root as the term found in v. 10 (“insult”), v. 12 (“insulting”), and v. 2 (“will be slandered”). The author is fond of building his case by the repetition of a word in a slightly different context so that the readers make the necessary connection. English usage cannot always convey this connection because a given word in one language cannot always be translated the same way in another.
2 Peter 2:11 tc Several witnesses lack παρὰ κυρίῳ (para kuriō; so A Ψ 33 81 436 442 1505 1611 1735 1881 2344 2464 al vg co), while others have the genitive παρὰ κυρίου (para kuriou; so P⁷² 5 1241 al sy^ph,mss,h**). The majority of witnesses (including א B C P 1175 1243 1739 1852 2492 M) read the dative παρὰ κυρίῳ. The genitive expression suggests that angels would not pronounce a judgment on “the glorious ones” from the Lord, while the dative indicates that angels would not pronounce such a judgment in the presence of the Lord. The parallel in Jude 9 speaks of a reviling judgment against the devil in which the prepositional phrase is entirely absent. At the same time, in that parallel Michael does say, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Hence, he is offering something of a judgment from the Lord.) The best options externally are the dative or the omission of the phrase, but a decision is difficult. Internally, the omission may possibly be a motivated reading in that it finds a parallel in Jude 9 (where no prepositional phrase is used). All things considered, the dative is to be preferred, though with much reservation. NA²⁸ has the omission preceded by a diamond in the apparatus, indicating a toss-up as to the initial text.
2 Peter 2:12 tn 2 Pet 2:12 through 16 constitute one cumbersome sentence in Greek. It is difficult to tell whether a hard break belongs in the middle of v. 13, as the translation has it, or whether the compounding of participles is meant in a loosely descriptive sort of way, without strong grammatical connection. Either way, the sentence rambles in a way that often betrays a great “vehemence of spirit” (A. T. Robertson, Grammar, 435). The author is obviously agitated at these false teachers who are to come.
2 Peter 2:12 tn The false teachers could conceivably be men or women, but in v. 14 they are said to have eyes “full of an adulteress.” This can only refer to men. Hence, both here and in v. 17 the false teachers are described as “men.”
2 Peter 2:12 tn Grk “born for capture and destruction.”
2 Peter 2:12 tn Grk “with [reference to] whom.”
2 Peter 2:12 tn There is no conjunction joining this last clause of v. 12 to the preceding (i.e., no “and consequently”). The argument builds asyndetically (a powerful rhetorical device in Greek), but cannot be naturally expressed in English as such.
2 Peter 2:12 tn This cryptic expression has been variously interpreted. (1) It could involve a simple cognate dative in which case the idea is “they will be utterly destroyed.” But the presence of αὐτῶν (autōn; their, of them) is problematic for this view. Other, more plausible views are: (2) the false teachers will be destroyed at the same time as the irrational beasts, or (3) in the same manner as these creatures (i.e., by being caught); or (4) the false teachers will be destroyed together with the evil angels whom they insult. Because of the difficulties of the text, it was thought best to leave it ambiguous, as the Greek has it.
2 Peter 2:13 tn There is a play on words in Greek, but this is difficult to express adequately in English. The verb ἀδικέω (adikeō) as a passive means “to suffer harm,” or “to suffer an injustice.” The noun ἀδικία (adikia) means “unrighteousness.” Since the Greek verb has a wider field of meaning than the English, to translate it as suffer an injustice is unwarranted, for it implicitly attributes evil to God. As R. Bauckham notes, “in English it is impossible to translate ἀδικούμενοι as a morally neutral term and ἀδικίας with a morally pejorative term, while retaining the play on words” (Jude, 2 Peter [WBC], 265).
2 Peter 2:13 tn Grk “considering carousing in the daytime a pleasure.”
2 Peter 2:13 tn Or “carousing,” “reveling.” The participle ἐντρυφῶντες (entruphōntes) is a cognate to the noun τρυφή (truphē, “carousing”) used earlier in the verse.
2 Peter 2:14 tn Grk “having eyes.” See note on “men” at the beginning of v. 12.
2 Peter 2:14 tn Grk “full of an adulteress.”
2 Peter 2:14 tn Grk “and unceasing from sin.” Some translate this “insatiable for sin,” but such a translation is based on a textual variant with inadequate support.
2 Peter 2:14 tn Grk “enticing.” See note on “men” at the beginning of v. 12.
2 Peter 2:14 tn “People” is literally “souls.” The term ψυχή (psuchē) can refer to one’s soul, one’s life, or oneself.
2 Peter 2:14 tn Grk “having hearts trained in greediness, children of cursing.” The participles continue the general description of the false teachers, without strong grammatical connection. The genitive κατάρας (kataras, “of cursing”) is taken attributively here.
2 Peter 2:15 tn Although many modern translations (e.g., NASB, TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT) read “Beor” here, this is due to harmonization with the OT rather than following a variant textual reading. The Greek text of NA²⁸ as well as most witnesses reads “Bosor,” an otherwise unattested form of the name of Balaam’s father. Significantly, B and א* stand out against this reading (B has Βεωρ [“Beor”] while א* reads Βεωορσορ [“Beorsor”], a nonsensical conflation of the other two variants).
2 Peter 2:15 tn “Wages of unrighteousness” in Greek is the same expression found in v. 13, “wages for harmful ways.” The repetition makes the link between the false teachers and Balaam more concrete.
2 Peter 2:16 tn Grk “but he had a rebuke.”
2 Peter 2:16 tn The Greek word ἄφωνος (aphōnos) means “mute, silent” or “incapable of speech.” For reasons of English style the word “dumb” was used in the translation. Despite the potential for misunderstanding (since “dumb” can refer to a lack of intellectual capability) more dynamic glosses were judged to be inelegant.
2 Peter 2:16 tn Grk “a voice of a (man/person).”
2 Peter 2:16 sn Balaam’s activities are detailed in Num 22-24 (see also Num 31:8, 16).
2 Peter 2:17 tn Although some translations have simply “these” or “these people,” since in v. 14 they are described as having eyes “full of an adulteress,” men are in view.
2 Peter 2:17 tn Grk “utter darkness of darkness.” Verse 4 speaks of wicked angels presently in “chains of utter darkness,” while the final fate of the false teachers is a darker place still.
2 Peter 2:18 tn Grk “high-sounding words of futility.”
2 Peter 2:18 tn Grk “they entice.”
2 Peter 2:18 tn Grk “with the lusts of the flesh, with debauchery.”
2 Peter 2:18 tn Grk “those.”
2 Peter 2:18 tn Or “those who are barely escaping.”
2 Peter 2:18 tn Or “deceit.”
2 Peter 2:19 tn Verse 19 is a subordinate clause in Greek. The masculine nominative participle “promising” (ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, epangellomenoi) refers back to the subject of vv. 17-18. At the same time, it functions subordinately to the following participle, ὑπάρχοντες (huparchontes, “while being”).
2 Peter 2:19 tn Grk “them.”
2 Peter 2:19 tn Grk “slaves of.” See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.
2 Peter 2:19 tn Or “corruption,” “depravity.” Verse 19 constitutes a subordinate clause to v. 18 in Greek. The main verbal components of these two verses are: “uttering…they entice…promising…being (enslaved).” The main verb is (they) entice. The three participles are adverbial and seem to indicate an instrumental relation (by uttering), a concessive relation (although promising), and a temporal relation (while being [enslaved]). For the sake of English usage, in the translation of the text this is broken down into two sentences.
2 Peter 2:19 tn Grk “for by what someone is overcome, to this he is enslaved.”
2 Peter 2:20 tn Grk “defilements”; “contaminations”; “pollutions.”
2 Peter 2:20 sn Through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The implication is not that these people necessarily knew the Lord (in the sense of being saved), but that they were in the circle of those who had embraced Christ as Lord and Savior.
2 Peter 2:20 tn Grk “(and/but) they.”
2 Peter 2:20 tn Grk “they again, after becoming entangled in them, are overcome by them.”

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 17[a]

A prayer of David.

Footnotes

Vision Four: The Priest

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Psalm 17^[a]