2 Petrus 1:16

1:16 For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return ¹  of our Lord Jesus Christ; ²  no, ³  we were ⁴  eyewitnesses of his ⁵  grandeur. ⁶ 

2 Petrus 2:14

2:14 Their eyes, ⁷  full of adultery, ⁸  never stop sinning; ⁹  they entice ¹⁰  unstable people. ¹¹  They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children! ¹² 

2 Petrus 2:16

2:16 yet was rebuked ¹³  for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, ¹⁴  speaking with a human voice, ¹⁵  restrained the prophet’s madness). ¹⁶ 

2 Petrus 2:18

2:18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words ¹⁷  they are able to entice, ¹⁸  with fleshly desires and with debauchery, ¹⁹  people ²⁰  who have just escaped ²¹  from those who reside in error. ²² 

2 Petrus 3:17

3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, ²³  be on your guard that you do not get led astray by the error of these unprincipled men ²⁴  and fall from your firm grasp on the truth. ²⁵ 

[1:16]  ¹ tn Grk “coming.”

[1:16]  ² tn Grk “for we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ by following cleverly concocted fables.”

[1:16]  ³ tn Grk “but, instead.”

[1:16]  ⁴ tn Grk “became.”

[1:16]  ⁵ tn Grk “that one’s.” That is, “eyewitnesses of the grandeur of that one.” The remote demonstrative pronoun is used perhaps to indicate esteem for Jesus. Along these lines it is interesting to note that “the Pythagoreans called their master after his death simply ἐκεῖνος” as a term of reverence and endearment (BDAG 302 s.v. ἐκεῖνος a.γ).

[1:16]  ⁶ sn The term grandeur was used most frequently of God’s majesty. In the 1st century, it was occasionally used of the divine majesty of the emperor. 2 Pet 1:1 and 1:11 already include hints of a polemic against emperor-worship (in that “God and Savior” and “Lord and Savior” were used of the emperor).

[2:14]  ⁷ tn Grk “having eyes.” See note on “men” at the beginning of v. 12.

[2:14]  ⁸ tn Grk “full of an adulteress.”

[2:14]  ⁹ 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.

[2:14]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “enticing.” See note on “men” at the beginning of v. 12.

[2:14]  ¹¹ tn “People” is literally “souls.” The term ψυχή (yuch) can refer to one’s soul, one’s life, or oneself.

[2:14]  ¹² 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.

[2:16]  ¹³ tn Grk “but he had a rebuke.”

[2:16]  ¹⁴ tn The Greek word ἄφωνος (afwno") 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.

[2:16]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “a voice of a (man/person).”

[2:16]  ¹⁶ sn Balaam’s activities are detailed in Num 22—24 (see also Num 31:8, 16).

[2:18]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “high-sounding words of futility.”

[2:18]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “they entice.”

[2:18]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “with the lusts of the flesh, with debauchery.”

[2:18]  ²⁰ tn Grk “those.”

[2:18]  ²¹ tn Or “those who are barely escaping.”

[2:18]  ²² tn Or “deceit.”

[3:17]  ²³ tn Grk “knowing beforehand.”

[3:17]  ²⁴ tn Or “lawless ones.”

[3:17]  sn These unprincipled men. The same word is used in 2:7, suggesting further that the heretics in view in chapter 3 are the false teachers of chapter 2.

[3:17]  ²⁵ tn Grk “fall from your firmness.”