WOl'd rondered "corruption'' (,peop&) in- "entan~led" (lµ1r?..a1dvns) suggests the cludes the sense of" destruction," as in ver. figure of fishes entanc,led in the meshes of a 12 and eh. i. 4 (comp. Rom. viii. 21). For net, and seems to point bnck to the li,?..«l- of whom a ma.n is overcome, of the same is (ouuw ("entice") of vers. 18 and 14; they en- he brought in bondage, "Of whom," or tice others, but they are entangled themselves "by whatever; " by Satan, the persona.I (comp. 2 Tim. ii. 4), and become captives tempter, or by sin, the innate tendency; the and slaves to the pollutions of the world Greek word will bear either meaning. from which they ha.cl once escaped. The Some good manuscripts add "also," which latter end is worse with them than the strengthens the assertion ; " is be also beginning; rather, as in the Revised Version brought in bondage." St. Peter's teaching the laBt Btate iB become woTBe with them Iha,; corresponds exrictly with that of St. Paul in lhe firBt. This is a distinct quotation of our Rom. vi. 16. There is a very close parallel Lord's words in Matt. xii. 45 and Luke xi. 26. to this clause in the 'Clementine Recogni- The evil spirit had been cast out from these tions' (v. 12; quoted by Dr. Sa.Iman, in his men; for a time they hacl lived in the full 'Historical Introduction to the Books of the knowledge of Christ; but now the evil spirit New Testament'): "unusquisque illius fit had returned, and had brought with him servus cui se ipse subjecerit." seven other spirits more wicked than him- Ver. 20.-For if a.fter they have escaped self. This spontaneous adoption of our the pollutions of the world ; literally, for if, Lord's words without marks of quotation is ha11ing escaped (,brurpu-y6nes). Is St. Peter not like the work of o. forger. in this verse still speaking of the false Ver. 21.-For it had been better for them teachers, or of those whom they ha.d enticed not to have known the way of righteousness; (ver. 18)? Bengel, Fronmiiller, and others better, as in the Revised Version,/or it were take the latter view, thinking tha.t the ,bro- better. (For this use of the imperfect indi- ,pu-y6nes (" those having escaped") of this cative, see Winer, iii. 41. 2, a.) 'l'ho verb verse must be the same with the l11rorpd,- l1re-yv,,,,ce1Ca1, "to have known," here, and ')'OVTas or d1ro,pu-y6vns (" those who are the participle '11r1-y11oiirr,,,, "after they ho.ve escaping," or " those having escaped") of known," in the next clause, correspond with ver. 18. But it is far more natural to under- the noun brt-yvwrr,s of the preceding, and, etand St, Peter o.s continuing his description like that, imply that these unhappy men of the false teachers. '.!.'he conjunction "for" once had the foll knowledge of Christ. (For connects the clause closely with that "the way, of righteousness," compare "the immediately preceding, and suggests that way of uuth" in ver. 2, and note there.) St. Peter is explaining the term "bond- Than, after they have known it, to turn from servants or slaves" applied to the false the holy oomme.ndment delivered unto them. teachers in ver. 19; the repetition of the The manuscripts exhibit some slight varia- word "overcome" also seems to imply tha.t tions here : the Sinaitic e.nd .A.lexa.ndrine the subjects of vers. 20 and 19 are the same. give "to turn back." By " the holy com- The word for" pollutions" (µ,d.rrµaTa) occurs mandment" St. Peter means the whole only here. In 'Herm11s' (Vis., iv. 3. 2) there moral Law, which the Lord enforced o.nd occurs what niay be e. reminiscence of this widened in his sermon on the mount ; from verse: "Ye who have escaped this world." this the false teachers turned o.wo.y. For Through the knowledge of the Lord and the word "delivered" (1rapa608el<TTJS), comp. Saviour Jesus Christ. Severo.I of the most Jude 3. Like the corresponding word ,rapci- ancient manuscripts read, "our Lord ullCI Bou,s, tradition (2 Thess. iii. 6), it implies the Saviour." 'l'he word rendered" knowledge" oral transmission of Christian teaching in tho is bri-yvwu,s, full knowledge (comp. eh. i. 2, 3, fh-st a.ges (comp. also 1 Pet. i. IS). 8; also Eph. iv. 13; Col. ii. 2; iii. 10; I Ver. 22.-But it is happened unto them Tim. ii. 4; Rom. i. 28; iii. 20). The pre- acoording to the true proverb. '.!.'he con- position is lv. The full, personal knowledge junction "but" is omitted in the best of the Saviour is the sphere in which the manuscripts. The literal tro.oslo.tion is, Christi(ln lives; while he abides in that "There bath ho.ppeued unto ihem th;1t of knowledge gro.ce and peace are multiplied the true proverb ( TO Ti)s 1rapo1µlas) ; " corn p. unto him, o.ud he is eno.bled to escape the l\Iatt. xxi. 21, TO Tiis uu1Cijs. The dog is pollutions of the world. The apostle warns turned to his own vomit again~ The con- us here that some of those who once enjoyed struction is participial; literally, a dog the blessedness of that s11cred know ledge having turned. Seu Winer (iii. 45. 6, b ), have been entangled in sin and have fallen who says that in such proverbial expressions from gmce. They a.re again entangled there is no reason for changing the participle therein, 11nd overoome, The first clRuse is into a finite verb: "They ure spoken oeucn- participi11l ; the connection scenu to bo, ""'s, as it wern, with reference to a ea.so "If, having escnpcd . . . but beiug agllin actually obse1·vcd." St. Peter may lie eqtnnglccl thoy arlJ ovcrcQ!llll," Tllo word qnoti11g Prov. XJ!.Yi. 11 ; liut his wonls 1uo II, PE'l'EU, J,; THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [cH. n. 1-22.
very different from the Septuagint VeJ·sion manuscripts, "hor wallowing-pince." St. of 1hnt pass::tge; perhaps it is more probnble Peter compt\l'es the lives of tile false tea.chore ihat tl.ie expression hnd bcoome proverbial, to tho habits of thoso animals wliioh were and that the apostle is referring to a form regarded as unclean, and wero most dospised of it in common use wil.h his readers; like by the Jows (compare our Lord's words in tha.t which follows, which is not in the Matt. vii. 6). The words i~<pr1~ur., vomit; Book of Proverbs. And the sow that was 1w/l.11rµ&s, wnllowiug; nn~l 13&p/3opos, miro, washed to her wallowing in the mire ; are not found elsewhere 111 the New Testa- lit.era.Uy, the sow that had washed to her ment. wallowing; or, according to some ancient