2 Peter 1:18
in 2 Peter 1And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and this voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.
KJV
And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
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This verse in 2 Peter 1
Commentary
12 notes on this verseAnd this voice - we heard - That is, himself, James, and John heard it, and saw this glory; for these only were the εποπται, beholders, on the holy mount. It is worthy of remark that our blessed Lord, who came to give a new law to mankind, appeared on this holy mount with splendor and great glory, as God did when he came on the holy mount, Sinai, to give the old law to Moses.
This site's exposition
we did not follow cleverly devised fables
on 2 Peter 1:16-18
The gospel rests on testimony: we did not follow cleverly devised fables, sesophismenois muthois, and were eyewitnesses, epoptai, of His majesty. The scene is the transfiguration on the holy mountain. Matthew 16:28 promised that sight as a preview of the power and coming of our Lord.
This site's exposition
holy mountain
Peter, James and John heard the voice with their own ears. Adam Clarke sets the scene beside Sinai, where God also came down on a holy mountain in splendor. John Wesley reads the mountain as made holy by that glorious appearing, as Horeb was of old.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Tradition says that the transfiguration took place on Mt. Tabor.
A commentator
Hippolytus of RomeHippolytus Refutation of All Heresies Book X · Written before 235.
proposed
Now the Logos of God controls all these; the first begotten Child of the Father, the voice of the Dawn antecedent to the Morning Star.
The Medieval Church3 voices
This was the third time this happened. The first was at Jesus' baptism, and the second was when the Son cried to the Father: "Father, glorify me with the glory which I had with you before the foundation of the world." The transfiguration was therefore …
And we heard this voice brought from heaven, etc. Some deny that this Epistle was written by the blessed Apostle Peter; had they carefully attended to this verse and what follows: When we were with him on the holy mountain, they would by no means …
And we know the Father's testimony concerning the sonship of our Lord Jesus Christ to be threefold: one at the Baptism (Matt. 3:17), another before the sufferings, when it was said: "and I have glorified it, and will glorify it again" (Jn. 12:28). And the …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And we - Peter, James, and John. St. John was still alive. Being with him in the holy mount - Made so by that glorious manifestation, as Mount Horeb was of old, Exod. iii, 4, 5.
And this voice, which came from heaven, we heard,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
which came--rather as Greek, "we heard borne from heaven." holy mount--as the Transfiguration mount came to be regarded, on account of the manifestation of Christ's divine glory there. we--emphatical: we, James and John, as well as myself.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And this voice which came from heaven we heard - To wit, Peter, and James, and John. When we were with him in the holy mount - Called “holy” on account of the extraordinary manifestation of the Redeemer’s glory there. It is not certainly known what mountain this was, but it has commonly been supposed to be Mount Tabor. See the notes at Mat 17:1.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ταύτην | tauten | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φωνὴν | phonen | voice | G5456 → | 139 times |
| ἡμεῖς | hemeis | we ourselves | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἠκούσαμεν | ekousamen | heard | G191 → | |
| ἐξ | ex | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| οὐρανοῦ | ouranou | heaven | G3772 → | 272 times |
| ἐνεχθεῖσαν | enechtheisan | having been brought | G5342 → | 66 times |
| σὺν | sun | with | G4862 → | |
| αὐτῷ | auto | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὄντες | ontes | being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἁγίῳ | hagio | holy | G40 → | 220 times |
| ὄρει.¶ | orei | mountain. | G3735 → |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ταύτηνthis
tautenG3778 →1381 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
φωνὴνvoice
phonenG5456 →139 times
ἡμεῖςwe ourselves
hemeisG3165 →1936 times
ἠκούσαμενheard
ekousamenG191 →
ἐξfrom
exG1537 →911 times
οὐρανοῦheaven
ouranouG3772 →272 times
ἐνεχθεῖσανhaving been brought
enechtheisanG5342 →66 times
σὺνwith
sunG4862 →
αὐτῷHim
autoG846 →5565 times
ὄντεςbeing
ontesG1510 →2333 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἁγίῳholy
hagioG40 →220 times
ὄρει.¶mountain.
oreiG3735 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 3:5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
it leads to
- Joshua 5:15
The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
- Acts 7:33
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
- Exodus 19:12
And you are to set up a boundary for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful not to go up on the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain…
- Ecclesiastes 5:1
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
- Hebrews 12:20
For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”
- Joshua 5:15
Through
Isaiah 11:9They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:14
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
- Isaiah 52:10
The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.
- Habakkuk 2:14
Through
Joshua 5:15The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
it leads to
- Exodus 3:5
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
- Exodus 3:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
On this chapter
About 2 Peter
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER; Hippolytus of Rome, Hippolytus Refutation of All Heresies Book X; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Peter.