2 Peter 2:3
in 2 Peter 2In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.
KJV
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
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This verse in 2 Peter 2
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And through covetousness - This shows what one of the things was by which they were influenced - a thing which, like licentiousness, usually exerts a powerful influence over the teachers of error. The religious principle is the strongest that is implanted in the human bosom: and men who can obtain a livelihood in no other way, or who are too unprincipled or too indolent to labor for an honest living, often turn public teachers of religion, and adopt the kind of doctrines that will be likely to give them the greatest power over the purses of others.
This site's exposition
pernicious ways
on 2 Peter 2:2-3
Many shall follow their pernicious ways, and the church's public witness pays for it, the way of truth evil spoken of because the world judges the gospel by the conduct of false professors inside it. Covetousness drives the whole operation, feigned words, plastois logois, speech shaped and molded to fit the hearer rather than the truth, used to make merchandise of the flock, emporeuontai, the verb for a trader buying and selling goods, applied here to souls. Their judgment has already been pronounced and only waits, of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not, judgment pictured as awake and already in motion rather than delayed.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The destruction of these people comes from none other than the God of Israel, who is never idle or asleep.
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their obscene ways, and because …
The Medieval Church3 voices
They were doing this for money. Excess is sometimes geared toward wickedness and sometimes toward profit, but here the addition of the word exploit makes the meaning clear. They will indeed have their reward, which is death. The phrase "of old" indicates God's foreknowledge of …
Their judgment has not ceased long ago. When 'long ago' signifies a past time and 'has not ceased' is a word in the present tense, it seems to mean nothing else but that the judgment of the perdition of the impious, which has already long …
By the word "covetousness" he shows that they acquire gain in a shameful manner. For covetousness sometimes means injustice, and sometimes the baseness of acquisition in general. That is why the word "exploit" is fittingly used. To show that they are completely foreign to divine …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They will make merchandise of you - Only use you to gain by you, as merchants do their wares. Whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not - Was long ago determined, and will be executed speedily. All sinners are adjudged to destruction; and God's punishing some proves he will punish the rest.
And through covetousness;....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
through, &c.--Greek, "IN covetousness" as their element (2Pe 2:14, end). 12:17. of a long time--in God's eternal purpose. "Before of old ordained to condemnation" (Jude 4). lingereth not--though sinners think it lingers; "is not idle." damnation--Greek, "destruction" (see on 2Pe 2:1).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
And through covetousness - That they might get money to spend upon their lusts, with feigned words, πλαστοις λογοις, with counterfeit tales, false narrations, of pretended facts, lying miracles, fabulous legends. “In this single sentence,” says Dr. Macknight, “there is a clear prediction of the iniquitous practices of those great merchants of souls, the Romish clergy, who have rated all crimes, even the most atrocious, at a fixed price; so that if their doctrine be true, whoever pays the price may commit the crime without hazarding his salvation.” How the popish Church has made merchandise of souls, needs no particular explanation here. It was this abominable doctrine that showed to some, then in that Church, the absolute necessity of a reformation. Whose judgment now of a long time - From the beginning God has condemned sin, and inflicted suitable punishments on transgressors; and has promised in his word, from the earliest ages, to pour out his indignation on the wicked. The punishment, therefore, so long ago predicted, shall fall on these impure and incorrigible sinners; and the condemnation which is denounced against them slumbers not - it is alert, it is on its way, it is hurrying on, and must soon overtake them.
The words behind it
19 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 |
| ἐν | en | through | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πλεονεξίᾳ | pleonexia | covetousness | G4124 → | |
| πλαστοῖς | plastois | with fabricated | G4112 → | |
| λόγοις | logois | words | G3056 → | 329 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐμπορεύσονται, | emporeusontai | they will exploit, | G1710 → | |
| οἷς | hois | for whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κρίμα | krima | judgment | G2917 → | |
| ἔκπαλαι | ekpalai | of long ago | G1597 → | |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἀργεῖ | argei | is idle | G691 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀπώλεια | apoleia | destruction | G684 → | 18 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| νυστάζει.¶ | nustazei | slumbers. | G3573 → |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνthrough
enG1722 →2738 times
πλεονεξίᾳcovetousness
pleonexiaG4124 →
πλαστοῖςwith fabricated
plastoisG4112 →
λόγοιςwords
logoisG3056 →329 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
ἐμπορεύσονται,they will exploit,
emporeusontaiG1710 →
οἷςfor whom
hoisG3739 →1405 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
κρίμαjudgment
krimaG2917 →
ἔκπαλαιof long ago
ekpalaiG1597 →
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἀργεῖis idle
argeiG691 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
ἀπώλειαdestruction
apoleiaG684 →18 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
νυστάζει.¶slumbers.
nustazeiG3573 →
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
2 Corinthians 2:17For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 4:2
Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to…
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 2 Corinthians 1:12
And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom,…
- 2 Corinthians 4:2
Through
Deuteronomy 32:35Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”
it leads to
- Romans 12:19
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
- Nahum 1:2
The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and full of wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and reserves wrath for His enemies.
- Hebrews 10:30
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
- Romans 12:19
Through
Romans 16:18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
it leads to
- Colossians 2:4
I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
- Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
- Colossians 2:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About 2 Peter
This page draws on 12 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); Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER; 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 Peter and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Peter.