2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

VUL 2 Peter 2:12 hii vero velut inrationabilia pecora naturaliter in captionem et in perniciem in his
quae ignorant blasphemantes in corruptione sua et peribunt
LWB 2 Peter 2:13 Receiving unrighteousness as their reward for unrighteousness
[wrongdoing], regarding riotous living [partying] in the daytime a pleasure [no job,
self-discipline or motive in life], moral blemishes [lowlifes], degenerates [disgraceful
scum], carousing at your love-feasts [with ulterior motives] while feasting together
with you,
KW 2 Peter 2:13 Receiving unrighteousness as the hire for unrighteousness, deeming
luxurious living in the daytime a pleasure; moral blemishes and disgraceful blots,
reveling in their deceitful cravings while they are feasting with you [at the Christian lovefeasts],
KJV 2 Peter 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to
riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings
while they feast with you;
TRANSLATION HIGHLIGHTS
Peter lists some examples of the type of depraved behavior the false teachers are
destroying themselves with. All of the verbs are in the iterative present tense, because
they make it a regular habit to do these things. They are receiving unrighteousness as
their reward for wrongdoing. It’s just a coincidence that the Latin word for wages or
reward in this verse is mercedes, so don’t start singing that silly tune “Lord won’t you
buy me a Mercedes Benz.” They regard partying all day long (Latin: voluptuous
existence) instead of working at a constructive job a pleasure (Latin: delicious). They
have no self-discipline or purpose in life but to live riotously with no concern for
tomorrow. Their investment in sin (commercial metaphor) will pay unhealthy,
diminishing returns. In other words, “it’s payback time.”
They are moral blemishes, what we would classify as lowlifes. They are degenerates,
disgraceful scum in fancy clothes with fancy talk. They enjoy carousing at your feasts or
potluck suppers, eating free meals and looking for someone to fleece. While they are
feasting with you (Temporal Participle), they are considering their options with ulterior
motives. They want food, drink, sex, power and money; they consider the pursit of these
things while under the cover of religion to be a sport. “Fornication is not enough; it must
be rape at the meal table.” (M. Green) The love feasts or convivia of the time were
merely field training exercises (FTX) for the false teachers, precursors for actual
battlefield operations in the marketplace and other public forums.
RELEVANT OPINIONS
The traits of the deceitful life of the false teachers is described here. Instead of focusing
on the spiritual life, the apostate teacher forcuses attention on his own life and personality
to lure the unwary into accepting his fraudulent message. Personally charming, socially