Ver. 3. τοῦτο πρῶτον Ὑγινώσκοντες. Accusative is required, but all MSS. have nominative, cf. Jude 18. én ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν. Mockers are one of the signs of the approach of the end, cf. 1 John ii. 18. ἐν ἐμπαιγμονῇ ἐμπαῖκται :
143
A ” a“ - ~ .. µενοι, 4. καὶ λέγοντες Ποῦ ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπανχελία τῆς παρουσιας ΄᾿ αὐτοῦ; ¢ x John ii.
Gp’ ἧς yup οἱ πατέρες ἐκοιμήθησαν, πάντα οὕτως Ἀδιαμένει dw 6
ἀρχῆς κτίσεως.
ἦσαν ἔκπαλαι καὶ γῆ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ δι ὕδατος συνεστῶσα τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ "λόγω: 6. δι ὧν ὁ τότε κόσμος ὕδατι κατακλυσθεὶς ἀπώλετω"
ἐμπαίκτης is an unclassical form. cf. Mark xv. 20. ‘This verse is not part of the prophetic or apostolic message of ver. 2, but a particular caution of the writer, based on Jude.
Ver. 4. ποῦ ἐστὶν, κ.τ... The com-
ing ot our Lord in the near future was evidently an integral part of the apostolic teaching, cf. i. 16. ‘There is no sure evidence that Jesus sought to undermine the assumption of His followers, that the tusal glory would be manifested in their day ; and even this we may fairly qualify with the remembrance that amain motive of the principal eschatological discourse, reported by the Synoptists, is to warn the disciples against premature expecta- tions” (J.H- Muirhead, Fschatology of Yesus. pp. 126, 127). τῆς παρουσίας: See note on i. 16. ad’ ἧς γὰρ. κ.τ.λ. ‘‘ The fathers,’” must mean those of the preceding generation, in whose lite-time the παρουσία was expected. ottws=in statu quo. am ἀρχῆς κτίσεως, {.ε., “‘contrary to all previous human ex- perience’’, The Teaching of our Lord Himself in one aspect would imply that the actual παρονσία, would be at- tended with no outward previous dis- turbance of life to act as a warning. Men would be engaged in their ordinary occupations and pleasures (Matt. xxiv. 36-42). The development and ripening of the moral and spiritual issues of men’s lives are often not outwardly apparent (cf. Paget’s “ Studies in the Christian Character,”—‘* The Hidden Issues,” pp. 89 ff). Vv. 5-7. The first part of the argu- ment against the scoffers. ‘‘It is not true that the course of the world is un- changing. They have wilfully forgotten that the heavens existed originally, and the earth was formed out of water, and by means of water, by the Word of God. By th s very water and Word the world, as it then was, was overwhelmed and perished. The present heavens and earth, by the same Word, are treasured up for fire, being reserved for the day when impious men shall meet their doom and destruction.”
5+ λανθάνει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦτο θέλοντας ὅτι οὐρανοὶ
12 2 John , d John xv. 27, Vili. 58, 1 John
iii. 8, Jer. Ss hss Ixxxix. 2.
e Rom. iii. 24, Eph. ii. 8.
Ver. 5. λανθάνει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦτο. ‘‘ This escapes their notice.” τοῦτο is nominative. θέλοντας ' “ wilfully” ** of their own purpose”’. ἔκπαλαι (cf. note, ii. 3): ‘‘ originally,” t.e. before the crea- tion of the world. The Rabbinical school of Shammai held that Gen. i. 1, ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν 6 θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν meant that the heaven was in existence before the six days’ work, i.e. ἔκπαλαι. Perhaps this notion is present here. ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ δι ὕδατο. Two kinds of water are meant. The first may refer to the primeval watery chaos—“‘ the face of the waters’ (Gen. i. 2). The secord is perhaps connected with the formation of the dry land by ‘the gathering to- gether of the waters into one place” (Gen.i.g). But the meaning is obscure (cf. Mayor, ed. Ixxxiii.; Chase, of. cit. 797). συνεστῶσα-ί΄' wasformed’’. Cf. Philo, i. p. 330. ἐκ γῆς καὶ ὕδατος καὶ ἀέρος καὶ πυρὸς συγέστη ὅδε ὁ κόσμος.
The above interpretation is in sub- stantial agreement with Alford’s, who distinguishes ‘tthe waters above the firmament,” and ‘the fountains of the great deep’. The Hebrew had πο’ notion of evaporation. ‘The rivers run into the sea, and the water returns sub. terraneously to their sources again (Ec- εἰες ο η].