2 Peter 1:9
in 2 Peter 1But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.
KJV
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
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This verse in 2 Peter 1
Commentary
11 notes on this verseFor he to whom these things are not present is blind, etc. The eye signifies knowledge, the hand signifies work. He is blind and groping with his hand who, not having the knowledge of righteous work, performs whatever seems right to him, and, ignorant of …
This site's exposition
barren nor unfruitful
on 2 Peter 1:8-9
The ladder's presence and abundance make the believer neither barren nor unfruitful, argos, idle, in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; knowledge in this letter is proven by produce. The lack is diagnosed as eye disease, blind, and cannot see afar off, muopazon, the squint of the short-sighted, a man who has lost the horizon, and as amnesia, hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Backsliding begins, on this anatomy, with forgetting the cleansing.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. "has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins." This is similar to what was said by blessed James: "For if a …
If these virtues are present, we can see God, but if they are absent, we are blind.
When we hear these things, we must fortify ourselves and obey what is said, and cleanse ourselves from earthly things. If we do that, we shall share in his blessings, and we shall not need anything else. But if we do not obey, we shall be destroyed. What difference does it make whether we are destroyed through wealth or through laziness? Or if not through laziness, through cowardice? For when a farmer destroys his crop, it hardly matters how he does it. On the other hand, he will raise us up to do all the good works which he has predicted we shall do. Therefore it is necessary that once someone has been cleansed and has partaken of holiness, that he hold on to it through thick and thin, for without it he will not see the Lord.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Blind (μυωπάζων). This expression refers to mice (μυων), which constantly remain in blindness underground. The saying of the Apostle Peter is similar to what was said by the Apostle James, namely: "whoever hears the word and does not do it, he is like a man …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
There he sets forth how miserable it is to be without those quickening fructifying graces; for he who has not the forementioned graces, or, though he pretends or seems to have them, does not exercise and improve them, is blind, that is, as to spiritual and heavenly things, as the next words explain it: He cannot see far off.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He has lost sight of the precious promises: perfect love and heaven are equally out of his sight. Nay, he cannot now see what himself once enjoyed. Having, as it were, forgot the purification from his former sins - Scarce knowing what he himself then felt, when his sins were forgiven.
But he that lacketh these things,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
But he that lacketh these things - He, whether Jew or Gentile, who professes to have Faith in God, and has not added to that Faith fortitude, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and universal love; is blind - his understanding is darkened, and cannot see afar off, μυωπαζων, shutting his eyes against the light, winking, not able to look truth in the face, nor to behold that God whom he once knew was reconciled to him: and thus it appears he is wilfully blind, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins - has at last, through his nonimprovement of the grace which he received from God, his faith ceasing to work by love, lost the evidence of things not seen; for, having grieved the Holy Spirit by not showing forth the virtues of him who called him into his marvellous light, he has lost the testimony of his sonship; and then, darkness and hardness having taken place of light and filial confidence, he first calls all his former experience into doubt, and questions whether he has not put enthusiasm in the place of religion. By these means his darkness and hardness increase, his memory becomes indistinct and confused, till at length he forgets the work of God on his soul, next denies it, and at last asserts that the knowledge of salvation, by the remission of sins, is impossible, and that no man can be saved from sin in this life. Indeed, some go so far as to deny the Lord that bought them; to renounce Jesus Christ as having made atonement for them; and finish their career of apostasy by utterly denying his Godhead. Many cases of this kind have I known; and they are all the consequence of believers not continuing to be workers together with God, after they had experienced his pardoning love. Reader, see that the light that is in thee become not darkness; for if it do, how great a darkness!
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But he that lacketh these things is blind - He has no clear views of the nature and the requirements of religion.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ᾯ | ho | In whomever | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| πάρεστιν | parestin | are present | G3918 → | |
| ταῦτα, | tauta | these things, | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| τυφλός | tuphlos | blind | G5185 → | |
| ἐστιν | estin | he is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| μυωπάζων, | muopazon | being short sighted, | G3467 → | |
| λήθην | lethen | forgetfulness | G3024 → | |
| λαβὼν | labon | having received | G2983 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καθαρισμοῦ | katharismou | purification | G2512 → | |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πάλαι | palai | former | G3819 → | |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἁμαρτιῶν. | hamartion | sins. | G266 → |
ᾯIn whomever
hoG3739 →1405 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
πάρεστινare present
parestinG3918 →
ταῦτα,these things,
tautaG3778 →1381 times
τυφλόςblind
tuphlosG5185 →
ἐστινhe is
estinG1510 →2333 times
μυωπάζων,being short sighted,
muopazonG3467 →
λήθηνforgetfulness
lethenG3024 →
λαβὼνhaving received
labonG2983 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
καθαρισμοῦpurification
katharismouG2512 →
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
πάλαιformer
palaiG3819 →
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
ἁμαρτιῶν.sins.
hamartionG266 →
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
Ephesians 5:26to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:22
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
- John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
- Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.
- John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
- John 17:17–19
Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
- Hebrews 10:22
Through
Titus 2:14He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Hebrews 9:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
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, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER; John Chrysostom, CATENA; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 Peter and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Peter.