ή,
= , ς ” lol , 12. οὗτοι δέ, ὡς ἄλογα Loa γεγεννηµένα φυσικὰ εἰς ἅλωσιν καὶ Φθοράν, ἐν “ois ἀγνοοῦσιν βλασφημοῦντες, ἐν τῇ Φθορᾷ αὐτῶν καὶ φθαρήσονται, 13. ἀδικούμενοι) μισθὸν > , ο c x c , ‘ > ς / , / A A ἀδικίας ' ἡδονὴν ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τρυφήν, σπίλοι καὶ μῶμοι
n Rom. x. 14, vi. 21, xiv. 21, John xix. 37,
1 αδικουµενοι δὴ BP, syrh + WH; xoptovpevoe ACKLN¢, boh., spec., syrh +
ee ceg.
We may note the tendency in 2 Peter exemplified here to put in general terms what Jude states in the particular, in the story of Michael and Satan. The par- ticulars of Jude are omitted (as also the name Enoch afterwards) in order to avoid direct reference to apocryphal writings. Accordingly the sentence, οὐ φέρουσιν kat’ αὐτῶν βλάσφημον κρίσιν, is only intelligible by reference to Jude 9, where Michael does not himself condemn Satan, but says ἐπιτ'μήσαι cot κύριος. Cf. note on βλασφημουντες, ν. 10.
Ver. 12. γεγεννηµένα φυσικὰ---'' born creatures of instinct’’. Instinct is here distinguished from the rational centres of thought and judgment. They are ἄλογα {6a. Their chief characteristic is that they are ‘‘alive,”’ and have no sense of the moral issues of life. Like animals, they exist eis ἅλωσιν καὶ φθοράν. ἐν ols ἀγνοοῦσιν βλασφημοῦντες-- ἐν τούτοις ἃ ... “Speaking lightly of things they are ignorant of’. Spiritually they are incapable. They know not what they do, in thus clouding moral issues. ἐν τῇ φθορᾷ αὐτῶν καὶ Φθαρήσονται. Here is a subtle example of the dependence of this epistle upon Jude. In Jude 10, we have ἐν τούτοις φθείρονται, referring to ὅσα δὲ φυσικῶς ... ἐπίστανται. The sense in 2 Peter is confused, and there is no distinction between the two kinds of knowledge, although the intended meaning in both passages is the same. Cf. Rom. viii. 5, 6.
Ver. 13. ἀδικούμενοι μισθὸν ἀδικίας (cf. ν. 12). This playing upon words is characteristic of 2 Peter, ἀδικεῖν has usually the sense of ‘doing harm to”’ (cf. Acts xxxv. 10; Galat. iv. 12). Here it would seem to mean “ being defrauded of the wages of fraud,” or “being done out of the wages of wrong-doing’’. It has been customary to see in this phrase an illustration of the irresponsible use of words in 2 Peter. “' Another example of the author’s love of far-fetched and ~stificial expressions”? (Mayor). In P.
Eleph., however 27a*4/ (iii. B.c.), the writers ask for a receipt with reference toa certain business transaction. τούτου δὲ yevopevou ἐσόμεθα οὐκ ἠδικημένοι ἔεελὶς having been arranged, we shall not be defrauded”’. To this may be added Mayor’s citation of Plut. Cato Mi. 17 (p. 766) εὗρὼν xpéa παλαιὰ τῷ δηµοσίῳ πολλοὺς ὀφείλοντας καὶ πολλοῖς τὸ δηµόσιον, Gua τὴν πόλιν ἔπαυσεν ἆδι- κουµένην καὶ ἀδικοῦσαν. The accusative yet after ἀδικ. is very unusual. In classical writers it is found only with ἀδίκημα. μισθὸν ἀδικίας suggests the experience of Balaam, of whom the same expression is used in ver. 15, who never received his promised hire from Balak (Num. xxiv. 11). Death deprives the false teachers of all their reward. For significance of the name “' Balaam,”’ in connexion with the false teachers, see Introduction, p. 118. ἡδονὴν in N.T. only in a bad sense, cf. Luke ; viii.. τὴ, Tit. αμ, 3, Jase νο τη, τρυφή only in N.T. in Luke vil. 25 where it is used of “ delicate living,’ a luxurious life, but with no special blame attached. The word is also used of gifts of wisdom in Prev. iv. 9, cf. Ps. xxxvi. 8, ‘the river of thy pleasures’’, Eden is called παρά- δεισος τῆς τρυφῆς, Gen. ii. 15, iii. 13, 24. ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ‘in the day-time,”, ‘in broad day-light”’. σπίλοι καὶ μῶμοι, cf. Ephes. ν. 27. 2 Pet, iii. τὰ, Pets 1. το dessa. μῶμος “reproach,” “disgrace”. Cf, Hort. on 1 Pet. i. το, where he traces the way in which μῶμος and ἅμωμος, came to be used with superficial meaning of ‘“blemish,’’ cf. |Ephes: 1: ανν. ο Που, ix. 14. ἐντρυφῶντες: ‘ to be luxurious,” cf. Xen. Hell. iv. 1, 30. ἐν ταῖς ἁπάταις αὐτῶν: tobe taken with ἐντρυφ. ἁπάτη is a favourite word of Hermas (Mand. viii. 5) and is frequently joined by him with τρυφή (Mand. xi. 12 and throughout Parable 6). According to Deissmann, ἀπάτη in popular Hellenistic has the meaning “pleasure”. Cf. Matt. xiii. 22 = Mark iv. 19 (Luke viii. 14), (see his Hellenisierung des semitischen Monotheis-