◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 119:137-144 (Grant me understanding); Habakkuk 1:5-17 (The wicked swallow the righteous); 2 Peter 1:1-11 (Participants of the divine nature) (New English Translation)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 119:137-144

צ (Tsade)

¹³⁷You are just, O Lord,
and your judgments are fair.
¹³⁸The rules you impose are just,^[a]
and absolutely reliable.
¹³⁹My zeal^[b] consumes^[c] me,
for my enemies forget your instructions.^[d]
¹⁴⁰Your word is absolutely pure,
and your servant loves it.
¹⁴¹I am insignificant and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
¹⁴²Your justice endures,^[e]
and your law is reliable.^[f]
¹⁴³Distress and hardship confront^[g] me,
yet I find delight in your commands.
¹⁴⁴Your rules remain just.^[h]
Give me insight so that I can live.^[i]

Habakkuk 1:5-17

The Lord’s Surprising Answer

⁵“Look at the nations and pay attention!^[a]
You will be shocked and amazed!^[b]
For I will do something in your lifetime^[c]
that you will not believe even though you are forewarned.^[d]
⁶Look, I am about to empower^[e] the Babylonians,
that ruthless^[f] and greedy^[g] nation.
They sweep across the surface^[h] of the earth,
seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.
⁷They are frightening and terrifying;
they decide for themselves what is right.^[i]
⁸Their horses are faster than leopards
and more alert^[j] than wolves in the desert.^[k]
Their horses^[l] gallop,^[m]
their horses come a great distance;
like vultures^[n] they swoop down quickly to devour their prey.^[o]
⁹All of them intend^[p] to do violence;
every face is determined.^[q]
They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand.^[r]
¹⁰They mock kings
and laugh at rulers.
They laugh at every fortified city;
they build siege ramps^[s] and capture them.
¹¹They sweep by like the wind and pass on.^[t]
But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty.”^[u]

Habakkuk Voices Some Concerns

¹²Lord, you have been active from ancient times;^[v]
my sovereign God,^[w] you are immortal.^[x]
Lord, you have made them^[y] your instrument of judgment.^[z]
Protector,^[aa] you have appointed them as your instrument of punishment.^[ab]
¹³You are too just^[ac] to tolerate^[ad] evil;
you are unable to condone^[ae] wrongdoing.
So why do you put up with such treacherous people?^[af]
Why do you say nothing when the wicked devour^[ag] those more righteous than they are?^[ah]
¹⁴You made people like fish in the sea,
like animals in the sea^[ai] that have no ruler.
¹⁵The Babylonian tyrant^[aj] pulls them all up with a fishhook;
he hauls them in with his throw net.^[ak]
When he catches^[al] them in his dragnet,
he is very happy.^[am]
¹⁶Because of his success^[an] he offers sacrifices to his throw net
and burns incense to his dragnet;^[ao]
for because of them he has plenty of food,^[ap]
and more than enough to eat.^[aq]
¹⁷Will he then^[ar] continue to fill and empty his throw net?^[as]
Will he always^[at] destroy^[au] nations and spare none?^[av]

Footnotes

Habakkuk 1:5 tn Or “look among the nations and observe.” The imperatival forms in v. 5 are plural, indicating that the Lord’s message is for the whole nation, not just the prophet.
Habakkuk 1:5 tn The Hebrew text combines the Hitpael and Qal imperatival forms of the verb תָּמַה (tamah, “be amazed”). A literal translation might read, “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” The repetition of sounds draws attention to the statement. The imperatives here have the force of an emphatic assertion. On this use of the imperative in Hebrew, see GKC 324 §110.c and IBHS 572-73 §34.4c.
Habakkuk 1:5 tc Heb “for a work working in your days.” Following the LXX reading, some supply a first person singular pronoun with the participle פֹּעֵל (poʿel). Ellipsis of a first singular pronoun before participles is relatively rare (see GKC 360 §116.s); perhaps an original אֲנֹכִי (ʾanoki; or אֲנִי, ʾani) followed the initial כִּי (ki) and was omitted by homoioteleuton.
Habakkuk 1:5 tn Heb “you will not believe when it is told.” In this context the force of כִּי (ki) may be “when,” “if,” or “even though.”
Habakkuk 1:6 tn Heb “raise up” (so KJV, ASV).
Habakkuk 1:6 tn Heb “bitter.” Other translation options for this word in this context include “fierce” (NASB, NRSV); “savage” (NEB); or “grim.”
Habakkuk 1:6 tn Heb “hasty, quick.” Some translate here “impetuous” (so NEB, NASB, NIV, NRSV) or “rash,” but in this context greed may very well be the idea. The Babylonians move quickly and recklessly ahead in their greedy quest to expand their empire.
Habakkuk 1:6 tn Heb “the open spaces.”
Habakkuk 1:7 tn Heb “from him his justice, even his lifting up, goes out.” In this context שְׂאֵת (s^eʾet) probably has the nuance “authority.” See R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 150.
Habakkuk 1:8 tn Heb “sharper,” in the sense of “keener” or “more alert.” Some translate “quicker” on the basis of the parallelism with the first line (see HALOT 291 s.v. חדד).
Habakkuk 1:8 tn Heb “wolves of the evening,” that is, wolves that prowl at night. The present translation assumes an emendation to עֲרָבָה (ʿaravah, “desert”). On this phrase see also Zeph 3:3.
Habakkuk 1:8 tn Or “horsemen,” “cavalry.”
Habakkuk 1:8 tn The precise nuance of the rare verb פּוּשׁ (push) is unclear here. Elsewhere it is used of animals jumping or leaping (see Jer 50:11; Mal 4:2).
Habakkuk 1:8 tn Or “eagle” (so NASB, NRSV). The term can refer to either eagles or vultures, but in this context of gruesome destruction and death “vulture” is preferred.
Habakkuk 1:8 tn Heb “they fly like a vulture/an eagle quickly to devour.” The direct object “their prey” is not included in the Hebrew text but is implied, and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
Habakkuk 1:9 tn Heb “come.”
Habakkuk 1:9 tn Heb “The totality of their faces is to the east” (or “is forward”). The precise meaning of the Hebrew term מְגַמַּת (megammat) is unclear. For a discussion of options see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 93. NEB has “a sea of faces rolls on”; NIV “their hordes advance like a desert wind”; NRSV “with faces pressing forward.”
Habakkuk 1:9 tn Heb “and he gathers like sand, prisoners.”
Habakkuk 1:10 tn Heb “they heap up dirt.” This is a reference to the piling up of earthen ramps in the process of laying siege to a fortified city.
Habakkuk 1:11 tn The precise meaning of v. 11a is uncertain. The present translation assumes the first line further describes the Babylonian hordes, comparing them to a destructive wind. Another option is to understand רוּחַ (ruakh) as “spirit,” rather than “wind,” and take the form וְאָשֵׁם (v^eʾashem) with what precedes (as suggested by the scribal punctuation). Repointing this form as a geminate verb from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be astonished”), one could then translate the line, “The spirit passed on and departed, and I was astonished.” In this case the line would describe the cessation of the divine revelation which began in v. 5. For a detailed defense of this view, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 97-100.
Habakkuk 1:11 tn Heb “and guilty is the one whose strength is his god.” This assumes that אָשֵׁם (ʾashem) is a predicate adjective meaning “guilty” and that it relates to what follows.
Habakkuk 1:12 tn Heb “Are you not from antiquity, O Lord?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Yes, of course.” The present translation reflects the force of the rhetorical question, rendering it as an affirmation. When used in a temporal sense the phrase מִקֶדֶם (miqedem) means “from antiquity, ancient times,” often referring to earlier periods in Israel’s history. See its use in Neh 12:46; Pss 74:12; 77:11; Isa 45:21; 46:10; Mic 5:2.
Habakkuk 1:12 tn Heb “My God, my holy one.” God’s “holiness” in this context is his sovereign transcendence as the righteous judge of the world (see vv. 12b-13a), thus the translation “My sovereign God.”
Habakkuk 1:12 tc The MT reads, “we will not die,” but an ancient scribal tradition has “you [i.e., God] will not die.” This is preferred as a more difficult reading that can explain the rise of the other variant. Later scribes who copied the manuscripts did not want to associate the idea of death with God in any way, so they softened the statement to refer to humanity.
Habakkuk 1:12 tn Heb “him,” a collective singular referring to the Babylonians. The plural pronoun “them” has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
Habakkuk 1:12 tn Heb “for judgment.”
Habakkuk 1:12 tn Heb “Rock” or “Cliff.” This divine epithet views God as a place where one can go to be safe from danger. The translation “Protector” conveys the force of the metaphor (cf. KJV, NEB “O mighty God”).
Habakkuk 1:12 tn Heb “to correct, reprove.”
Habakkuk 1:13 tn Heb “[you] are too pure of eyes.” God’s “eyes” here signify what he looks at with approval. His “eyes” are “pure” in that he refuses to tolerate any wrongdoing in his presence.
Habakkuk 1:13 tn Heb “to see.” Here “see” is figurative for “tolerate,” “put up with.”
Habakkuk 1:13 tn Heb “to look at.” Cf. NEB “who canst not countenance wrongdoing”; NASB “You can not look on wickedness with favor.”
Habakkuk 1:13 tn Heb “Why do you look at treacherous ones?” The verb בָּגַד (bagad, “be treacherous”) is often used of those who are disloyal or who violate agreements. See S. Erlandsson, TDOT 1:470-73.
Habakkuk 1:13 tn Or “swallow up.”
Habakkuk 1:13 tn Heb “more innocent than themselves.”
Habakkuk 1:14 tn The Hebrew word רֶמֶשׂ (remesh) usually refers to animals that creep, but here the referent seems to be marine animals that glide through the water (note the parallelism in the previous line). See also Ps 104:25.
Habakkuk 1:15 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Babylonian tyrant) has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. NASB “The Chaldeans”; NIV “The wicked foe”; NRSV “The enemy”). Babylonian imperialism is here compared to a professional fisherman who repeatedly brings in his catch and has plenty to eat.
Habakkuk 1:15 tn Apparently two different types of fishing nets are referred to here. The חֵרֶם (kherem, “throw net”) was used by fishermen standing on the shore (see Ezek 47:10), while the מִכְמֶרֶת (mikhmeret, “dragnet”) was used by men in a boat. See R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (WEC), 165.
Habakkuk 1:15 tn Heb “and he gathers.”
Habakkuk 1:15 tn Heb “Therefore he is happy and rejoices.” Here two synonyms are joined for emphasis.
Habakkuk 1:16 tn Heb “therefore.”
Habakkuk 1:16 sn The fishing implements (throw net and dragnet) represent Babylonian military might. The prophet depicts the Babylonians as arrogantly worshiping their own power (sacrifices…burns incense, see also v. 11b).
Habakkuk 1:16 tn Heb “for by them his portion is full [or, “fat”].”
Habakkuk 1:16 tn Heb “and his food is plentiful [or, “fat”].”
Habakkuk 1:17 tn Or “therefore.”
Habakkuk 1:17 tn Heb “Will he then empty his throw net?” The words “continue to fill and” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Habakkuk 1:17 tn Or “continually.”
Habakkuk 1:17 tn Heb “kill.”
Habakkuk 1:17 tn Or “without showing compassion.”

2 Peter 1:1-11

Salutation

1 From Simeon^[a] Peter,^[b] a slave^[c] and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God^[d] and Savior,^[e] Jesus Christ, have been granted^[f] a faith just as precious^[g] as ours. ²May grace and peace be lavished on you^[h] as you grow^[i] in the rich knowledge^[j] of God and of Jesus our Lord!^[k]

Believers’ Salvation and the Work of God

³I can pray this because his divine power^[l] has bestowed on us everything necessary^[m] for life and godliness through the rich knowledge^[n] of the one who called^[o] us by^[p] his own glory and excellence. ⁴Through these things^[q] he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised^[r] you may become partakers of the divine nature,^[s] after escaping^[t] the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.^[u] ⁵For this very reason,^[v] make every effort^[w] to add to your faith excellence,^[x] to excellence, knowledge; ⁶to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance;^[y] to perseverance, godliness; ⁷to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish^[z] love.^[aa] ⁸For if^[ab] these things are really yours^[ac] and are continually increasing,^[ad] they will keep you from becoming^[ae] ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of^[af] knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.^[ag] ⁹But^[ah] concerning the one who lacks such things^[ai]—he is blind. That is to say, he is^[aj] nearsighted, since he has forgotten about the cleansing of his past sins. ¹⁰Therefore, brothers and sisters,^[ak] make every effort to be sure of your calling and election.^[al] For by doing this^[am] you will never^[an] stumble into sin.^[ao] ¹¹For thus an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided for you.

Footnotes

2 Peter 1:1 tc Several witnesses, a few of them very significant (P⁷² B Ψ 69 81 614 623 630 1241 1243 2464 al vg co), read Σίμων (Simōn, “Simon”) for Συμεών (Sumeōn, “Simeon”). However, this appears to be a motivated reading as it is the more common spelling. Συμεών occurs only here and in Acts 15:14 as a spelling for the apostle’s name. The reading Συμεών enjoys ample and widespread support among the mss, strongly suggesting its authenticity. Further, this Hebraic spelling is a subtle argument for the authenticity of this letter, since a forger would almost surely follow the normal spelling of the name (1 Peter begins only with “Peter” giving no help either way).
2 Peter 1:1 tn Grk “Simeon Peter.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
2 Peter 1:1 tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households. sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
2 Peter 1:1 tc A few witnesses (א Ψ 442 vg^mss sy^ph sa) read κυρίου (kuriou, “Lord”) for θεοῦ (theou, “God”) in v. 1, perhaps due to confusion of letters (since both words were nomina sacra), or perhaps because “our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” is an unusual expression (though hardly because of theological objections to θεοῦ).
2 Peter 1:1 tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. In fact, the construction occurs elsewhere in 2 Peter, strongly suggesting that the author’s idiom was the same as the rest of the NT authors’ (cf., e.g., 1:11 [“the Lord and Savior”], 2:20 [“the Lord and Savior”]). The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, theos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, sōtēr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on the application of Sharp’s rule to 2 Pet 1:1, see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290. See also Titus 2:13 and Jude 4.
2 Peter 1:1 tn The verb λαγχάνω (lanchanō) means “obtain by lot,” “receive.” A literal translation would put it in the active, but some of the richness of the term would thereby be lost. It is used in collocation with κλῆρος (klēros, “lot”) frequently enough in the LXX to suggest the connotation of reception of a gift, or in the least reception of something that one does not deserve. H. Hanse’s statement (TDNT 4:1) that “Even where there is no casting of lots, the attainment is not by one’s own effort or as a result of one’s own exertions, but is like ripe fruit falling into one’s lap” is apt for this passage. The author’s opening line is a reminder that our position in Christ is not due to merit, but grace.
2 Peter 1:1 tn Grk “equal in value/honor.”sn A faith just as precious. The author’s point is that the Gentile audience has been blessed with a salvation that is in no way inferior to that of the Jews.
2 Peter 1:2 tn Grk “May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”
2 Peter 1:2 tn The words “as you grow” are not in the Greek text, but seem to be implied.
2 Peter 1:2 tn The word ἐπίγνωσις (epignōsis) could simply mean knowledge, but J. B. Mayor (Jude and Second Peter, 171-74) has suggested that it is often a fuller knowledge, especially in reference to things pertaining to spiritual truth. R. Bauckham (Jude, 2 Peter [WBC], 169-70) argues that it refers to the knowledge of God that is borne of conversion, but this is probably saying too much and is asking questions of the author that are foreign to his way of thinking. The term is used in 1:2, 3, 8; 2:20 (the verb form occurs twice, both in 2:21). In every instance it evidently involves being in the inner circle of those who connect to God, though it does not necessarily imply such a direct and relational knowledge of God for each individual within that circle. An analogy would be Judas Iscariot: Even though he was a disciple of the Lord, he was not converted.
2 Peter 1:2 tn A comma properly belongs at the end of v. 2 instead of a period, since v. 3 is a continuation of the same sentence. With the optative in v. 2, the author has departed from Paul’s normal greeting (in which no verb is used), rendering the greeting a full-blown sentence. Nevertheless, this translation divides the verses up along thematic lines in spite of breaking up the sentence structure. For more explanation, see note on “power” in v. 3.
2 Peter 1:3 tn The verse in Greek starts out with ὡς (hōs) followed by a genitive absolute construction, dependent on the main verb in v. 2. Together, they form a subordinate causal clause. A more literal rendering would be “because his divine power…” The idea is that the basis or authority for the author’s prayer in v. 2 (that grace and peace would abound to the readers) was that God’s power was manifested in their midst. The author’s sentence structure is cumbersome even in Greek; hence, the translation has broken this up into two sentences.
2 Peter 1:3 tn The word “necessary” is not in the Greek, but is implied by the preposition πρός (pros).
2 Peter 1:3 tn See the note on “rich knowledge” in v. 2.
2 Peter 1:3 sn Called. The term καλέω (kaleō), used here in its participial form, in soteriological contexts when God is the subject, always carries the nuance of effectual calling. That is, the one who is called is not just invited to be saved—he is also and always saved (cf. Rom 8:30). Calling takes place at the moment of conversion, while election takes place in eternity past (cf. Eph 1:4).
2 Peter 1:3 tn The datives ἰδίᾳ δόξῃ καὶ ἀρετῇ (idia doxē kai aretē) could be taken either instrumentally (“by [means of] his own glory and excellence”) or advantage (“for [the benefit of] his own glory and excellence”). Both the connection with divine power and the textual variant found in several early and significant witnesses (διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀρετῆς in P⁷² B 0209^vid) argues for an instrumental meaning. The instrumental notion is also affirmed by the meaning of ἀρετῇ (“excellence”) in contexts that speak of God’s attributes (BDAG 130 s.v. ἀρετή 2 in fact defines it as “manifestation of divine power” in this verse).
2 Peter 1:4 tn Verse 4 is in Greek a continuation of v. 3, “through which things.”sn The phrase these things refers to God’s glory and excellence.
2 Peter 1:4 tn Grk “through them.” The implication is that through inheriting and acting on these promises the believers will increasingly become partakers of the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:4 sn Although the author has borrowed the expression partakers of the divine nature from paganism, his meaning is clearly Christian. He does not mean apotheosis (man becoming a god) in the pagan sense, but rather that believers have an organic connection with God. Because of such a connection, God can truly be called our Father. Conceptually, this bears the same meaning as Paul’s “in Christ” formula. The author’s statement, though startling at first, is hardly different from Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians that they “may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (3:19).
2 Peter 1:4 tn The aorist participle ἀποφυγόντες (apophugontes) is often taken as attendant circumstance to the preceding verb γένησθε (genēsthe). As such, the sense is “that you might become partakers…and might escape…” However, it does not follow the contours of the vast majority of attendant circumstance participles (in which the participle precedes the main verb, among other things). Further, attendant circumstance participles are frequently confused with result participles (which do follow the verb). Many who take this as attendant circumstance are probably viewing it semantically as result (“that you might become partakers…and [thereby] escape…”). But this is next to impossible since the participle is aorist: Result participles are categorically present tense.
2 Peter 1:4 tn Grk “the corruption in the world (in/because of) lust.”
2 Peter 1:5 tn The Greek text begins with “and,” a typical Semitism.sn The reason given is all the provisions God has made for the believer, mentioned in vv. 3-4.
2 Peter 1:5 tn The participle is either means (“by making every effort”) or attendant circumstance (“make every effort”). Although it fits the normal contours of attendant circumstance participles, the semantics are different. Normally, attendant circumstance is used of an action that is a necessary prelude to the action of the main verb. But “making every effort” is what energizes the main verb here. Hence it is best taken as means. However, for the sake of smoothness the translation has rendered it as a command with the main verb translated as an infinitive. This is in accord with English idiom.
2 Peter 1:5 tn Or “moral excellence,” “virtue”; this is the same word used in v. 3 (“the one who has called us by his own glory and excellence”).
2 Peter 1:6 tn Perhaps “steadfastness,” though that is somewhat archaic. A contemporary colloquial rendering would be “stick-to-it-iveness.”
2 Peter 1:7 sn The final virtue or character quality in this list is “love” (ἀγάπη, agapē). The word was not used exclusively of Christian or unselfish love in the NT (e.g., the cognate, ἀγαπάω [agapaō], is used in John 3:19 of the love of darkness), but in a list such as this in which ἀγάπη is obviously the crescendo, unselfish love is evidently in view. R. Bauckham (Jude, 2 Peter [WBC], 187) notes that as the crowning virtue, ἀγάπη encompasses all the previous virtues.
2 Peter 1:7 tn Each item in Greek begins with “and.” The conjunction is omitted for the sake of good English style, with no change in meaning.sn Add to your faith excellence…love. The list of virtues found in vv. 5-7 stands in tension to the promises given in vv. 2-4. What appears to be a synergism of effort or even a contradiction (God supplies the basis, the promises, the grace, the power, etc., while believers must also provide the faith, excellence, etc.) in reality encapsulates the mystery of sanctification. Each believer is responsible before God for his conduct and spiritual growth, yet that growth could not take place without God’s prior work and constant enabling. We must not neglect our responsibility, yet the enabling and the credit is God’s. Paul says the same thing: “Continue working out your salvation with humility and dependence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort…is God” (Phil 2:12-13).
2 Peter 1:8 tn The participles are evidently conditional, as most translations render them.
2 Peter 1:8 tn The participle ὑπάρχοντα (huparchonta) is stronger than the verb εἰμί (eimi), usually implying a permanent state. Hence, the addition of “really” is implied.
2 Peter 1:8 sn Continually increasing. There are evidently degrees of ownership of these qualities, implying degrees of productivity in one’s intimacy with Christ. An idiomatic rendering of the first part of v. 8 would be “For if you can claim ownership of these virtues in progressively increasing amounts…”
2 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “cause [you] not to become.”
2 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “unto,” “toward”; although it is possible to translate the preposition εἰς (eis) as simply “in.”
2 Peter 1:8 tn Grk “the [rich] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Verse 8 in Greek does not make a full stop (period), for v. 9 begins with a subordinate relative pronoun. Contemporary English convention requires a full stop in translation, however.
2 Peter 1:9 tn Grk “for.” The connection, though causal, is also adversative.
2 Peter 1:9 tn Grk “to the one for whom these things are not present.”
2 Peter 1:9 tn The words “that is to say, he is” are not in Greek. The word order is unusual. One might expect the author to have said “he is nearsighted and blind” (as the NIV has so construed it), but this is not the word order in Greek. Perhaps the author begins with a strong statement followed by a clarification, i.e., that being nearsighted in regard to these virtues is as good as being blind.
2 Peter 1:10 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1., where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelphoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
2 Peter 1:10 tn Grk “make your calling and election sure.” sn Make sure of your calling and election. The author is not saying that virtue and holiness produce salvation, but that virtue and holiness are the evidence of salvation.
2 Peter 1:10 tn Grk “these things.”
2 Peter 1:10 tn In Greek οὐ μή (ou mē) followed by the subjunctive is normally the strongest way to negate an action. Coupled with πότε (pote, “ever”), the statement is even more emphatic. The author is offering sage advice on how to grow in grace.
2 Peter 1:10 tn The words “into sin” are not in the Greek text, but the Greek word πταίω (ptaiō) is used in soteriological contexts for more than a mere hesitation or stumbling. BDAG 894 s.v. 2 suggests that here it means “be ruined, be lost,” referring to loss of salvation, while also acknowledging that the meaning “to make a mistake, go astray, sin” is plausible in this context. Alternatively, the idea of πταίω here could be that of “suffer misfortune” (so K. L. Schmidt, TDNT 6:884), as a result of sinning.

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

צ (Tsade)

Footnotes

The Lord’s Surprising Answer

Habakkuk Voices Some Concerns

Footnotes

Salutation

Believers’ Salvation and the Work of God

Footnotes