2 Petrus 2:18-19

2:18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words ¹  they are able to entice, ²  with fleshly desires and with debauchery, ³  people ⁴  who have just escaped ⁵  from those who reside in error. ⁶  2:19 Although these false teachers promise ⁷  such people ⁸  freedom, they themselves are enslaved to ⁹  immorality. ¹⁰  For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved. ¹¹ 

[2:18]  ¹ tn Grk “high-sounding words of futility.”

[2:18]  ² tn Grk “they entice.”

[2:18]  ³ tn Grk “with the lusts of the flesh, with debauchery.”

[2:18]  ⁴ tn Grk “those.”

[2:18]  ⁵ tn Or “those who are barely escaping.”

[2:18]  ⁶ tn Or “deceit.”

[2:19]  ⁷ 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 (Juparconte", “while being”).

[2:19]  ⁸ tn Grk “them.”

[2:19]  ⁹ tn Grk “slaves of.” See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.

[2:19]  ¹⁰ 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.

[2:19]  ¹¹ tn Grk “for by what someone is overcome, to this he is enslaved.”