2 Peter 2:19
in 2 Peter 2They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.
KJV
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
⋯
This verse in 2 Peter 2
Commentary
15 notes on this verseFor as the serpent beguiled Eve, by promising her what he had not himself, so also do these men, by pretending [to possess] superior knowledge, and [to be acquainted with] ineffable mysteries; and, by promising that admittance which they speak of as taking place within the Pleroma, plunge those that believe them into death, rendering them apostates from Him who made them.
This site's exposition
wells without water
on 2 Peter 2:17-19
Wells without water and clouds carried by a tempest name the same failure twice, promise without substance, a cistern that looks like it should hold something and a cloud that looks like it should bring rain, both offering nothing when tested, and the mist of darkness reserved for them for ever answers their own emptiness with an emptiness that never lifts. They speak great swelling words of vanity, hyperonka, bombastic and hollow, and allure through the lusts of the flesh those that were clean escaped, only just breaking free from a life of error, catching converts on their way out the door. While they promise them liberty, eleutherian, they are themselves the servants of corruption, douloi tes phthoras, the letter's own irony sharpest here, that the men selling freedom are slaves twice over, first to their own lusts and now to the ruin those lusts produce.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A man is the slave of whatever vice controls him.
When a man is said to be given up to his desires, he derives guilt from them, because, deserted by God, he yields and consents to them, is conquered, seized, attracted and possessed by them.
These are the springs lacking water, the clouds carried by the storm, by which the darkness of gloom has been preserved for eternity. Indeed, where the proud words of vanity have sounded, they ensnare through the lusts of the flesh in their desires, those who …
The Medieval Church2 voices
These men promised people freedom from deception when in fact they were encouraging others to lapse back into it.
The one who is enslaved to any single passion is also dominated by it and is unable to obey the commandments of the Lord.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
They themselves, he says, being slaves of the aforementioned impurity, which he rightly also called corruption, promise freedom to those they deceive. And as to why they promise freedom to others while themselves being slaves of sin, he brings forth a fine proof of this: …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
While they promise them liberty - From needless restraints and scruples; from the bondage of the law. Themselves are slaves of corruption - Even sin, the vilest of all bondage.
While they promise them liberty,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
promise . . . liberty--(Christian)--These promises are instances of their "great swelling words" (2Pe 2:18). The liberty which they propose is such as fears not Satan, nor loathes the flesh.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
While they promise them liberty - Either to live in the highest degrees of spiritual good, or a freedom from the Roman yoke; or from the yoke of the law, or what they might term needless restraints. Their own conduct showed the falsity of their system; for they were slaves to every disgraceful lust. For of whom a man is overcome - This is an allusion to the ancient custom of selling for slaves those whom they had conquered and captivated in war. The ancient law was, that a man might either kill him whom he overcame in battle, or keep him for a slave. These were called servi, slaves, from the verb servare, to keep or preserve. And they were also called mancipia, from manu capiuntur, they are taken captive by the hand of their enemy. Thus the person who is overcome by his lusts is represented as being the slave of those lusts. See Rom 6:16, and the note there.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
While they promise them liberty - True religion always promises and produces liberty (see the notes at Joh 8:36), but the particular liberty which these persons seem to have promised, was freedom from what they regarded as needless restraint, or from strict and narrow views of religion. They themselves are the servants of corruption - They are the slaves of gross and corrupt passions, themselves utter strangers to freedom, and bound in the chains of servitude. These passions and appetites have obtained the entire mastery over them, and brought them into the severest bondage.
Modern Voices2 voices
A commentator
GK ChestertonWine When It Is Red (All Things Considered) · Written before 1936.
proposed
For in so far as drinking is really a sin it is not because drinking is wild, but because drinking is tame; not in so far as it is anarchy, but in so far as it is slavery. Probably the worst way to drink is …
A Free Lover is worse than a profligate. For a profligate is serious and reckless even in his shortest love; while a Free Lover is cautious and irresponsible even in his longest devotion.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐλευθερίαν | eleutherian | freedom | G1657 → | |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, | epangellomenoi | promising, | G1861 → | |
| αὐτοὶ | autoi | themselves | G846 → | 5565 times |
| δοῦλοι | douloi | slaves | G1401 → | |
| ὑπάρχοντες | huparchontes | being | G5225 → | 60 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φθορᾶς· | phthoras | of corruption; | G5356 → | 9 times |
| ᾧ | ho | By what | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| γάρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἥττηται, | hettetai | has been subdued, | G2274 → | |
| τούτῳ | touto | by that | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| δεδούλωται. | dedoulotai | he has been enslaved. | G1402 → |
ἐλευθερίανfreedom
eleutherianG1657 →
αὐτοῖςthem
autoisG846 →5565 times
ἐπαγγελλόμενοι,promising,
epangellomenoiG1861 →
αὐτοὶthemselves
autoiG846 →5565 times
δοῦλοιslaves
douloiG1401 →
ὑπάρχοντεςbeing
huparchontesG5225 →60 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
φθορᾶς·of corruption;
phthorasG5356 →9 times
ᾧBy what
hoG3739 →1405 times
γάρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
ἥττηται,has been subdued,
hettetaiG2274 →
τούτῳby that
toutoG3778 →1381 times
δεδούλωται.he has been enslaved.
dedoulotaiG1402 →
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
Galatians 5:1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.
it leads to
- Galatians 5:13
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 2:16
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
- Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
- John 8:32–36
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
- Galatians 5:13
Through
Galatians 5:13For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 9:19
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
- 1 Corinthians 8:9
Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
- Romans 15:1–2
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
- 1 Corinthians 9:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About 2 Peter
This page draws on 15 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; Augustine of Hippo, AGAINST JULIAN 5.3.12; GK Chesterton, Wine When It Is Red (All Things Considered); GK Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles, The Diabolist (1909); Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book IV; 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; Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 Peter; Symeon the New Theologian, DISCOURSES 27.1 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Peter.