2 Petrus 2:18

2:18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words ¹  they are able to entice, ²  with fleshly desires and with debauchery, ³  people ⁴  who have just escaped ⁵  from those who reside in error. ⁶ 

2 Petrus 3:3

3:3 Above all, understand this: ⁷  In the last days blatant scoffers ⁸  will come, being propelled by their own evil urges ⁹ 

[2:18]  ¹ tn Grk “high-sounding words of futility.”

[2:18]  ² tn Grk “they entice.”

[2:18]  ³ tn Grk “with the lusts of the flesh, with debauchery.”

[2:18]  ⁴ tn Grk “those.”

[2:18]  ⁵ tn Or “those who are barely escaping.”

[2:18]  ⁶ tn Or “deceit.”

[3:3]  ⁷ tn Grk “knowing this [to be] foremost.” Τοῦτο πρῶτον (touto prwton) constitute the object and complement of γινώσκοντες (ginwskonte"). The participle is loosely dependent on the infinitive in v. 2 (“[I want you] to recall”), perhaps in a telic sense (thus, “[I want you] to recall…[and especially] to understand this as foremost”). The following statement then would constitute the main predictions with which the author was presently concerned. An alternative is to take it imperativally: “Above all, know this.” In this instance, however, there is little semantic difference (since a telic participle and imperatival participle end up urging an action). Cf. also 2 Pet 1:20.

[3:3]  ⁸ tn The Greek reads “scoffers in their scoffing” for “blatant scoffers.” The use of the cognate dative is a Semitism designed to intensify the word it is related to. The idiom is foreign to English. As a Semitism, it is further incidental evidence of the authenticity of the letter (see the note on “Simeon” in 1:1 for other evidence).

[3:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “going according to their own evil urges.”