II Timothy 3:8
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Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Now--Greek, "But"; it is no wonder there should be now such opponents to the truth, for their prototypes existed in ancient times [ALFORD]. Jannes . . . Jambres--traditional names of the Egyptian magicians who resisted Moses (Exo 7:11, Exo 7:22), derived from "the unwritten teaching of the Jews" [THEODORET]. In a point so immaterial as the names, where Scripture had not recorded them, Paul takes the names which general opinion had assigned the magicians. EUSEBIUS [Preparation of the Gospel], quotes from NUMENIUS, "Jannes and Jambres were sacred scribes (a lower order of priests in Egypt) skilled in magic." HILLER interprets "Jannes" from the Abyssinian language a trickster, and "Jambres" a juggler" (Act 13:8). resist--"withstand," as before. They did so by trying to rival Moses' miracles. So the false teachers shall exhibit lying wonders in the last days (Mat 24:24; Th2 2:9; Rev 13:14-15). reprobate--incapable of testing the truth (Rom 1:28) [BENGEL]. ALFORD takes passively, "not abiding the test"; rejected on being tested (Jer 6:30).
Open source ↗3:8 Jannes and Jambres are, according to tradition, the names of the Egyptian sorcerers who opposed Moses (see Exod 7:8-13; 8:18; 9:11).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.
You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and thereby shipwrecked their faith.