2 Timothy 2:26
in 2 Timothy 2Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him unto his will.
KJV
And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
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This verse in 2 Timothy 2
Commentary
12 notes on this verseAnd that they may recover themselves - The construction of this verse is extremely difficult, though the sense given by our translation is plain enough. I shall set down the original, and the principal English translations: - Και ανανηψωσιν εκ της του διαβολου παγιδος, εζωγρημενοι ὑπ’ αυτου εις εκεινου θελημα. And thei rise agein fro snaaris of the debyl, of whome thei ben holde captyffis at his wille. - Wiclif. First translation into English, 1378. And to turne agayne from the snare of devell, which are holden in prison of him at his will. - Coverdale.
This site's exposition
foolish and ignorant speculation
on 2 Timothy 2:23-26
The servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. The goal is restoration, that God may grant them repentance, so that they escape the snare of the devil.
This site's exposition
come to their senses
Albert Barnes explains the rare word as waking sober after drunkenness, as captives come back to a right mind. The last clause is hard to construe. Adam Clarke sets out several English renderings, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the Greek for taken captive means caught alive.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Correcting challengers with gentleness, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the Devil's snare, having been captured by him to do his will. correcting challengers with …
A commentator
Ignatius of AntiochEpistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians · Written before 108.
proposed
For as many as are of Christ are also with the bishop; but as many as fall away from him, and embrace communion with the accursed, these shall be cut off along with them. For they are not Christ's husbandry, but the seed of the enemy, from whom may you ever be delivered by the prayers of the shepherd, that most faithful and gentle shepherd who presides over you.
"And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." It is truly said, "Who are taken captive," for meanwhile they float in error. Observe here how he teaches to be humble-minded. He has not said, if peradventure you should be able, but, "if peradventure God should grant them a recovery"; if anything be done, therefore, all is of the Lord. Thou plantest, thou waterest but He soweth and maketh it produce fruit. Let us not therefore be so affected, as if we ourselves wrought the persuasion, even if we should persuade any one. "Taken captive by him," he says, "to His will." This no one will say relates to doctrine, but to life. For "His will" is that we live rightly. But some are in the snare of the devil by reason of their life, we ought not therefore to be weary even with respect to these. "If peradventure," he says, "they may recover, that are taken captive, unto His will." Now "If peradventure," implies much longsuffering. For not to do the will of God is a snare of the devil. For as a sparrow, though it be not wholly enclosed, but only caught by the foot, is still under the power of him who set the snare; so though we be not wholly subverted, both in faith and life, but in life only, we are under the power of the devil.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Understand this not only in relation to teaching, but also in relation to life. People are in the snare of the devil not only in teaching, but also in life. Consequently, without bitterness one must correct also those who waver in life. For just as …
And they may recover themselves from the snares of the devil, i.e., from the causes of error on the part of the intellect, as false phantasies, and on the part of the will, as envies, pride, and the like. But the need for repentance is …
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And that they may recover themselves,....
They are slaves to the worst of task-masters; he is the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, Eph. ii. They are taken in a snare, and in the worst snare, because it is the devil's; they are as fishes that are taken in n evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
However, different Greek pronouns stand for "him" and "his"; and the Greek for "taken captive" means not "captured for destruction," but "for being saved alive," as in Lu 5:10, "Thou shalt catch men to save them unto life"; also there is no article before the Greek participle, which the English Version "who are taken captive," would require.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And that they may recover themselves - Margin, “awake.” The word which is rendered “recover” in the text, and “awake” in the margin - ἀνανήψωσιν ananēpsōsin - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means, to become sober again, as from inebriation; to awake from a deep sleep, and then, to come to a right mind, as one does who is aroused from a state of inebriety, or from sleep. The representation in this part of the verse implies that, while under the influence of error, they were like a man intoxicated, or like one in deep slumber. From this state they were to be roused as one is from sleep, or as a man is recovered from the stupor and dullness of intoxication. Out of the snare of the devil - The snare which the devil has spread for them, and in which they have become entangled. There is a little confusion of metaphor here, since, in the first part of the verse, they are represented as asleep, or intoxicated; and, here, as taken in a snare. Yet the general idea is clear. In one part of the verse, the influence of error is represented as producing sleep, or stupor; in the other, as being taken in a snare, or net; and, in both, the idea is, that an effort was to be made that they might be rescued from this perilous condition. Who are taken captive by him at his will - Margin, “alive.” The Greek word means, properly, to take alive; and then, to take captive, to win over Luk 5:10; and then, to ensnare, or seduce. Here it means that they had been ensnared by the arts of Satan “unto (εἰς eis) his will;” that is, they were so influenced by him, that they complied with his will. Another interpretation of this passage should be mentioned here, by which it is proposed to avoid the incongruousness of the metaphor of “awaking” one from a “snare.” It is adopted by Doddridge, and is suggested also by Burder, as quoted by Rosenmuller, “A. u. n. […]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀνανήψωσιν | ananepsosin | they may recover | G366 → | |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διαβόλου | diabolou | devil | G1228 → | |
| παγίδος | pagidos | snare | G3803 → | |
| ἐζωγρημένοι | ezogremenoi | captured | G2221 → | |
| ὑπ᾽ | hup᾽ | by | G5259 → | |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | for | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκείνου | ekeinou | his | G1565 → | 260 times |
| θέλημα.¶ | thelema | will. | G2307 → |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀνανήψωσινthey may recover
ananepsosinG366 →
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
διαβόλουdevil
diabolouG1228 →
παγίδοςsnare
pagidosG3803 →
ἐζωγρημένοιcaptured
ezogremenoiG2221 →
ὑπ᾽by
hup᾽G5259 →
αὐτοῦhim
autouG846 →5565 times
εἰςfor
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
ἐκείνουhis
ekeinouG1565 →260 times
θέλημα.¶will.
thelemaG2307 →
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
Colossians 1:13He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
- Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
- 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.
- Titus 3:3–6
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:12
encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
- Ephesians 5:8
Through
Psalms 124:7We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; the net is torn, and we have slipped away.
it leads to
- Psalms 91:3
Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly plague.
- Proverbs 6:5
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
- Psalms 25:15
My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh.
- Psalms 91:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About 2 Timothy
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); Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Timothy 6; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Timothy.