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2 Peter 2:8

in 2 Peter 2

(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

(for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds):

KJV

(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

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This verse in 2 Peter 2

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

That righteous man dwelling among them - Lot, after his departure from Abraham, A. M. 2086, lived at Sodom till A. M. 2107, a space of about twenty years; and, as he had a righteous soul, he must have been tormented with the abominations of that people from day to day. The word εβασανιζεν, tormented, is not less emphatic than the word καταπονουμενον, grievously pained, in the preceding verse, and shows what this man must have felt in dwelling so long among a people so abandoned.

This site's exposition

if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah

on 2 Peter 2:6-8

Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes, tephrosas, as an example, hypodeigma, for the ungodly. Lot, a righteous man, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard. God judges and rescues in one act, as at the flood.

This site's exposition

tormented in his righteous soul

Lot lived in Sodom about twenty years by Adam Clarke's reckoning, and every day brought fresh grief. Clarke notes that the word for tormented is as strong as the word for distressed in verse 7. His grief marks him as righteous.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on 2 Peter · Written before 550.

proposed

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them into chains of gloomy Tartarus10, delivering them to be kept for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought …

A commentator

Severus of Antioch

CATENA · Written before 538.

proposed

We need to be clearly convinced that our distress at such evil deeds and our compassion for those who suffer earns the greatest reward with God and guarantees acceptance with him. All the more so, because in the face of what often appears to be …
On account of his hospitality and godliness, Lot was saved out of Sodom when all the country round was punished by means of fire and brimstone, the Lord thus making it manifest that He does not forsake those that hope in Him, but gives up such as depart from Him to punishment and torture. [Genesis 19:15-26, 2 Peter 2:6-9] For Lot's wife, who went forth with him, being of a different mind from himself, and not continuing in agreement with him [as to the command which had been given them], was made an example of, so as to be a pillar of salt unto this day. This was done that all might know that those who are of a double mind, and who distrust the power of God, bring down judgment on themselves and become a sign to all succeeding generations.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on 2 Peter · Written before 1107.

proposed

Not without reason does the apostle begin with believers, who are more honorable, but he wishes to show that they are liable to greater condemnation for their sins. They have the advantage of being the first called to apostleship. Therefore, for going astray from the …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

For that righteous man dwelling among them,.... Which is sometimes the lot of good men, to their great sorrow and grief, Psa 120:5. Upon mentioning those words in Gen 13:12 "and pitched his tent towards Sodom", but the men of Sodom were wicked, &c. says R.
1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

For that righteous man dwelling among them - The Latin Vulgate renders this, “For in seeing and hearing he was just;” meaning that he maintained his uprightness, or that he did not become contaminated by the vices of Sodom. Many expositors have supposed that this is the correct rendering; but the most natural and the most common explanation is that which is found in our version. According to that, the meaning is, that compelled as he was, while living among them, to see and to hear what was going on, his soul was constantly troubled. In seeing and hearing - Seeing their open acts of depravity, and hearing their vile conversation. The effect which this had on the mind of Lot is not mentioned in Genesis, but nothing is more probable than the statement here made by Peter. Whether this statement was founded on tradition, or whether it is a suggestion of inspiration to the mind of Peter, cannot be determined. The words rendered “seeing” and “hearing” may refer to the ACT of seeing, or to the object seen. Wetstein and Robinson suppose that they refer here to the latter, and that the sense is, that he was troubled by what he saw and heard. The meaning is not materially different. Those who live among the wicked are compelled to see and hear much that pains their hearts, and it is well if they do not become indifferent to it, or contaminated by it. “Vexed” his “righteous soul from day to day with” their “unlawful deeds.” Tortured or tormented his soul - ἐβασάνιζεν ebasanizen Compare Mat 8:6, Mat 8:29; Luk 8:28; Rev 9:5; Rev 11:10; Rev 14:10; Rev 20:10, where the same word is rendered “tormented.” The use of this word would seem to imply that there was something active on the part of Lot which produced this distress on account of their conduct. […]

The words behind it

17 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

13 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Psalms 119:158I look on the faithless with loathing because they do not keep Your word.7 worksPsalms 119:136My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.5 worksEzekiel 9:4“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”5 works1 Timothy 1:9We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers,3 worksProverbs 25:26Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.3 worksJames 5:16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.3 works
The other 7 cross-references, with their words ▾
Habakkuk 1:3Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.3 worksProverbs 28:12When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.2 worksPsalms 119:139My zeal has consumed me because my foes forget Your words.2 worksMalachi 3:15–17So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”2 worksHosea 7:16They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.2 worksEzekiel 9:6Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.1 worksJob 3:17There the wicked cease from raging, and there the weary find rest.1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Ezekiel 9:4

    “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.”

    it leads to

    • Revelation 9:4

      They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

    • 2 Corinthians 1:22

      placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.

    • Revelation 14:1

      Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

    • Revelation 7:2–3

      And I saw another angel ascending from the east, with the seal of the living God. And he called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to…

    • Revelation 20:4

      Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for…

  • Through

    1 Timothy 1:9

    We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers,

    it leads to

    • Galatians 3:19

      Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.

    • 1 Peter 4:18

      And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

  • Through

    Psalms 119:136

    My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 119:53

      Rage has taken hold of me because of the wicked who reject Your law.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Peter

The Transfiguration, Giovanni Bellini, about 1478 to 1479, Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte. Public domain.
The Transfiguration, Giovanni Bellini, about 1478 to 1479, Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte. Public domain.
2 Peter: the study guide →Read 2 Peter 2 →
This page draws on 9 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); Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 11; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 Peter; Severus of Antioch, CATENA and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Peter.

Read on in 2 Peter 2 →