2 Peter 1:16 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
2 Peter 1:16
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
to make known · verb — aorist active indicative, 1st person plural
you
ὑμῖνhymîn
G5213
to (with or by) you
power
δύναμινdunamin
G1411
force (literally or figuratively) · noun — accusative singular feminine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
coming
παρουσίαν,parousian
G3952
a being near · noun — accusative singular feminine
of
κυρίουkuriou
G2962
supreme in authority · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
our
ἡμῶνhēmōn
G2257
of (or from) us
Lord
κύριοςkýrios
G2962
supreme in authority
Jesus
ἸησοῦIēsou
G2424
Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
Christ
ΧριστοῦChristou
G5547
anointed · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
but
ἀλλ᾽all᾽
G235
properly · conjunction
were
γενηθέντεςgenēthentes
G1096
to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — aorist passive deponent participle, nominative plural masculine
eyewitnesses
ἐπόπταιepoptai
G2030
a looker-on · noun — nominative plural masculine
of
μεγαλειότητος.megaleiotētos
G3168
superbness · noun — genitive singular feminine
his
ἐκείνουekeinou
G1565
that one (or (neuter) thing) · demonstrative pronoun — genitive singular masculine
majesty
μεγαλειότηςmegaleiótēs
G3168
superbness
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace a…
1 Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1 John 1:1-3 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have hand…
Luke 9:28-32 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning…
1 Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Peter 1:16-18
Here we have the reason of giving the foregoing exhortation, and that with so much diligence and seriousness. These things are not idle tales, or a vain thing, but of undoubted truth and vast concern. The gospel is not a cunningly devised fable. These are not the words of one who hath a devil, nor the contrivance of any number of men who by cunning craftiness endeavour to deceive. The way of salvation by Jesus Christ is eminently the counsel of God, the most excellent contrivance of the infinitely wise Jehovah; it was he that invented this way of saving sinners by Jesus Christ, whose power and coming are set forth in the gospel, and the apostle's preaching was a making of these things known.…
For--reason why he is so earnest that the remembrance of these things should be continued after his death.
followed--out in detail.
cunningly devised--Greek, "devised by (man's) wisdom"; as distinguished from what the Holy Ghost teaches (compare Co1 3:13). But compare also Pe2 2:3, "feigned words."
fables--as the heathen mythologies, and the subsequent Gnostic "fables and genealogies," of which the germs already existed in the junction of Judaism with Oriental philosophy in Asia Minor. A precautionary protest of the Spirit against the rationalistic theory of the Gospel history being myth.
when we made known unto you--not that Peter himself had personally taught the churches in Pontus…
Cunningly devised fables - Σεσοφισμενοις μυθοις. I think, with Macknight and others, from the apostle's using εποπται, eye witnesses, or rather beholders, in the end of the verse, it is probable that he means those cunningly devised fables among the heathens, concerning the appearance of their gods on earth in human form. And to gain the greater credit to these fables, the priests and statesmen instituted what they called the mysteries of the gods, in which the fabulous appearance of the gods was represented in mystic shows. But one particular show none but the fully initiated were permitted to behold; hence they were entitled εποπται, beholders. This show was probably some resplendent image…
The Church Fathers
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths, etc. Here he touches upon both pagans and heretics, the former of whom did not fear to call whatever pleased them gods; the latter, after receiving the mysteries of the true God, no longer paid attention to the divine Scriptures but instead tried to transfer them by badly interpreting them according to their own erroneous understanding.
The constructions of the heretics are myths and human fantasies, which Paul wants us to avoid, as he writes: "Warn a heretic once or twice, and after that have nothing to do with him." Peter is here already starting to do battle against the heretics. To the extent that they do not possess the truth, heretics are obliged to concoct a lie by using flowery words. But we are not like that, he says, because we saw the truth with our eyes when we were with him on the mountain. Therefore we have the prophets who have proclaimed the same truth to us, and even better, as we came to behold ourselves, the Word came to us. What the prophets foretold, Christ fulfilled when he appeared. We were witnesses of this, and we heard the Father's testimony also.
When Peter had said that they should diligently attend to themselves, and that those things which had been announced to them were indeed so, and he had explained this at length, frequently: although he knew and they had heard in various ways, he now adds their confirmation and says: I do not apply a vain diligence to these matters, but since I know the truth of them to be certain and undoubted, I dwell on them. And what is this? We made known to you the power and coming of our Lord, not by human wisdom with adorned speeches, as if deceiving your hearing with tricks, as the Greeks and heretics do: indeed, the Greeks using elaborate speech and deception; the heretics, however, with fabricated words: just as the Valentinians fleeing into profound depths and silence. For it is likely that they were beginning to arise. Therefore, there is nothing of this kind to be found in us, but we have delivered to you the teaching in a simple and humble manner: which Paul also says to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 2:1): and those things which we have from the sight of our own eyes, we who ascended with him to the holy mountain. Peter says, however, that the Lord showed them on the holy mountain the glory of the Only Begotten (Matt. 17:1), and the voice that they heard from the Father brought down from heaven concerning the Lord. Moreover, since we have known through the things themselves and experience what was proclaimed by the prophets, he says, we judge their prophecy to be more sure through these things: for the things themselves have followed the sayings and oracles.
Dictionary and topics
Fable — Applied in the New Testament to the traditions and speculations, “cunningly devised fables”, of the Jews on religious questions (1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16). In such…
Peter, Second Epistle of — The question of the authenticity of this epistle has been much discussed, but the weight of evidence is wholly in favour of its claim to be the production of the apostle whose name it bears. It…
Apostles · .See COMMISSION OF, above, and — .See COMMISSION OF, above, and
Excellency And Glory Of Christ, The · In his transfiguration — In his transfiguration
Fable · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Peter · .At the transfiguration — .At the transfiguration
Power · .Ministers should make known — .Ministers should make known
Power Of Christ, The · Ministers should make known — Ministers should make known
Testimony · 3:4-14; — 3:4-14;
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables,.... Such as Jewish fables, cautioned against Titus 1:14 which their traditionary and oral law, their Talmud, and other writings, mention; as concerning the temporal kingdom of the Messiah, the sumptuous feast, and carnal pleasures and entertainments, of that state, with many other things; some of which indeed are not very cunningly put together, but weak enough: or Gentile fables concerning the theogony and exploits of their deities; and which may be meant by fables and endless genealogies in 1 Timothy 1:4, and especially reference may be had to the metamorphoses of their gods, and their fables relating to them, devised by Ovid, and others,…
2 Peter 1:16-18
16. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
16. Neque enim fabulas subtiliter excogitatas (vel, arte compositas) sequuti, notam vobis fecimus Domini nostri Jesu Christi potentiam et adventum; sed spectatores facti ejus magnificentiae.
17. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
17. Accepit enim ? Deo Patre honor?m et gloriam, allata illi ? magnifica gloria hujusmodi voce, Hie Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complacui.
18.…
Peter’s denunciation of the false teachers (ch 2) is framed by this teaching about the certainty of Jesus’ return (see also 3:1-13). The false teachers were probably denying the reality of Christ’s return and judgment. Peter’s eyewitness experience (1:16-18) and the intrinsic reliability of scriptural prophecy (1:19-21) make Christ’s return a certainty.
1:16-18 clever stories (literally cleverly invented myths): The false teachers were probably charging that the message of Christ’s return was just an edifying fable with no factual truth. • We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes: At Jesus’ transfiguration (Matt 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36), which prefigured Christ’s return by re…