II Peter 2:14
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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.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
full of adultery--literally, "full of an adulteress," as though they carried about adulteresses always dwelling in their eyes: the eye being the avenue of lust [HORNEIUS]. BENGEL makes the adulteress who fills their eyes, to be "alluring desire." that cannot cease--"that cannot be made to cease from sin." beguiling--"laying baits for." unstable--not firmly established in faith and piety. heart--not only the eyes, which are the channel, but the heart, the fountain head of lust. Job 31:7, "Mine heart walked after mine eyes." covetous practices--The oldest manuscripts read singular, "covetousness." cursed children--rather as Greek, "children of curse," that is, devoted to the curse. Cursing and covetousness, as in Balaam's case, often go together: the curse he designed for Israel fell on Israel's foes and on himself. True believers bless, and curse not, and so are blessed.
Open source ↗The apostle, having in the foregoing chapter exhorted them to proceed and advance in the Christian race, now comes to remove, as much as in him lay, what he could not but apprehend would hinder their complying with his exhortation. He therefore gives them fair warning of false teachers, by whom they might be in danger of being seduced. To prevent this, I. He describes these seducers as impious in themselves, and very pernicious to others (Pe2 2:1-3). II. He assures them of the punishment that shall be inflicted on them (Pe2 2:3-6). III. He tells us how contrary the method is which God takes with those who fear him (Pe2 2:7-9). IV. He fills up the rest of the chapter with a further description of those seducers of whom he would have them beware.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.
All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.
He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
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.
How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.