2 Pet. 2 2 Pet. 2:1–6 The apostle foretelleth the appearance of false teachers, the impiety of them and their followers, and the judgments that would overtake them. 2 Pet. 2:7–9 The godly shall be delivered, as Lot was out of Sodom. 2 Pet.

But there were false prophets also: the apostle having been exhorting them to continuance and progress in faith, admonishes them here of such as might labour to draw them from it; and having made mention of the Old Testament prophets, holy men of God, he hereby takes occasion to tell them of, and…

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; Greek, their destructions, i.e. those ways of error which are attended with destruction (the effect being put for the cause by a metonymy); and the sense is, that as these false teachers shall bring destruction upon themselves by their heresies; so…

With feigned words; deceitful speeches, which have a show of truth to hide their errors. Make merchandise of you; as of slaves or beasts: it seems to be a metaphor taken from merchants that speak great things of bad wares, the better to vend them; the sense is, with specious words, and pious…

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell: elsewhere called the deep, Luke 8:31, and the bottomless pit, Rev. 9:1, Rev. 11:7, Rev. 17:8, Rev. 20:1, Rev. 20:3. This implies a change: 1.

And spared not the old world: the world, for men in the world, viz. those that lived in it before the flood. But saved Noah the eighth person; viz. together with the other seven, his wife, three sons, and their wives, 1 Pet. 3:20.

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrha; which being the chief of the five, include Admah and Zeboim, Zoar, the fifth, being spared for Lot’s sake, Gen. 14:18, compared with Gen. 19:25. Condemned them with an overthrow; i.e.

Vexed; grievously afflicted or wearied. The wicked; unjust, lawless, (understand men), such as had no respect to law or justice, in opposition to Lot, whom he calls just and righteous.

Seeing and hearing: their wickedness was so open and shameless, that he not only heard the report of it, but saw them commit it, Isa. 3:9. Vexed; Greek, tormented, i.e. extremely afflicted and troubled his own soul, provoking himself to godly sorrow at the sight and fame of their unlawful deeds.

The Lord knoweth; according to the common rule, that words of knowledge in Scripture connote affections, as Ps. 1:6. God’s knowing here implies not only his infinite wisdom, whereby he is never at a loss, but knows all the various ways whereby the godly may be delivered; but likewise his love and…

But chiefly them: the apostle here applies the general doctrine delivered to false teachers, whose character he gives in several particulars; the sense is, that God reserves all wicked men to the day of judgment, but those especially that second their corrupt doctrine with a wicked conversation.

Angels; good angels, Jude 9. Greater; either greater than these audacious false teachers, or else greater than the forementioned dignities. In power and might; i.e. greater in their natural strength, and in their dignity.

But these; the false teachers before mentioned. As natural brute beasts; beasts which are void of reason, and follow only their sensual inclination. Made to be taken and destroyed; being made for men’s use, and so to be a prey to them; while they hasten after their food, they are taken in nets and…

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness: under this general term, all the several sins they are charged with are comprehended. As they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time; this is said to aggravate their sin, and signifies either their impudence in it, that they had cast off all…

Having eyes; he mentions the eyes, both because they let in the objects of lust into the heart, Job 31:1, Matt. 5:28, and because the signs of lust in the heart appear especially in the eyes, Gen. 39:7, Prov. 6:25.

The right way; the way of truth, 2 Pet. 2:2, i.e. the way of faith and holiness, which is the only right way to happiness. Are gone astray; into the by-paths of error. There is but one right way, and many wrong, in which they wander that leave the right. He seems to allude to Balaam, Num.

But was rebuked; not only by the angel’s speaking to him, but by the ass’s, as follows. The dumb ass speaking with man’s voice, forbade; not in express words, that we read of, but the ass’s speaking with human voice, discerning the angel before Balaam did, and going back, when he, carried out by…

These are wells without water: he compares seducers: 1. To wells without water; because as a well invites a traveller to it in hope of quenching his thirst, but being without water, mocks his expectation; so false teachers, making a show of true wisdom and saving knowledge, draw men to them, but…

Great swelling words of vanity; i.e. big words, full of sound, and void of sense, at least of truth. He seems to tax the affected, vain speech of seducers, who were wont to clothe their erroneous doctrines (if not disguise the truths of God) with strange, uncouth phrases, which made a show of some…

While they promise them liberty; liberty for their lusts, and so from the yoke of the Divine law. They abused the name of Christian liberty, and extended it to licentiousness. They themselves are the servants of corruption; under the power and dominion of sin.

The pollutions of the world; those more gross wickednesses in which most of the world still lieth, 1 John 5:19. Through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; such a knowledge of Christ as brings with it an outward reformation of life, though it do not purify the heart.

It had been better for them not to have known; their sin had been less if they had not known the truth, but now they sin against knowledge, and therein their apostacy is much worse than their ignorance would have been.

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb: this is added, to prevent the scandal that might arise from their apostacy; q.d. It is not to be wondered at that they are again entangled in and overcome by their former pollutions, when there never was a thorough change wrought in their…