to drive forward (as if by beating) · verb — future active indicative, 3rd person plural
unto
ἐπὶepi
G1909
properly · preposition
more
πλεῖονpleion
G4119
more in quantity · adjective — accusative singular neuter, comparative
ungodliness
ἀσεβείας,asebeias
G763
impiety · noun — genitive singular feminine
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
Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
2 Timothy 2:14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting…
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
Titus 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Hosea 12:1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the As…
Ezra 10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
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 Timothy 2:14-18
Having thus encouraged Timothy to suffer, he comes in the next place to direct him in his work.
I. He must make it his business to edify those who were under his charge, to put them in remembrance of those things which they did already know; for this is the work of ministers; not to tell people that which they never knew before, but to put them in mind of that which they do know, charging them that they strive not about words. Observe, Those that are disposed to strive commonly strive about matters of very small moment. Strifes of words are very destructive to the things of God. That they strive not about words to no profit. If people did but consider of what little use most of the controver…
shun--literally, "stand above," separate from, and superior to.
vain--opposed to "the truth" (Ti2 2:15).
babblings--with loud voice: opposed to the temperate "word" (Tit 3:9).
increase--Greek, advance"; literally, "strike forward": an image from pioneers cutting away all obstacles before an advancing army. They pretend progress; the only kind of progress they make is to a greater pitch of impiety.
more ungodliness--Greek, "a greater degree of impiety."
Adam Clarke on 2 Timothy 2:16
Shun profane and vain babblings - This is the character he gives of the preaching of the false teachers. Whatever was not agreeable to the doctrine of truth was, in the sight of God, empty and profane babbling; engendering nothing but ungodliness, and daily increasing in that.
John Gill on 2 Timothy 2:16
But shun profane and vain babblings,.... The ministry of false teachers is mere babbling; a voice, and nothing else, as the man said of his nightingale; a sound of words, but no solid matter in them; great swelling words of vanity, like large bubbles of water, look big, and make a great noise, but have nothing in them; contain nothing but vain, empty, idle, and trifling stuff; what is unprofitable and unedifying, yea, what is profane, contrary to the nature and perfections of God, and not agreeable to the doctrine which is according to godliness; and being palmed upon the Holy Scriptures, is a profanation of them. And all such wicked and empty prate, and babbling, is to be shunned, avoided,…
The Church Fathers
Avoid profane and empty chatter. If anything new in the preaching has been introduced from more recent empty chatter, it is altogether wicked and profane. As for that, either remove it or stand firmly to stop and prevent it altogether. for they will increase in ungodliness. For if anything spurious is introduced, Paul says, it always leads to absurdity. And he receives a greater offering every day.
"And shun profane novelties of speech." For they will not stop there. For when anything new has been introduced, it is ever producing innovations, and the error of him who has once left the safe harbor is infinite, and never stops. "For they will increase unto more ungodliness," he says, "And their word will eat as doth a canker." It is an evil not to be restrained, not curable by any medicine, it destroys the whole frame. He shows that novelty of doctrine is a disease, and worse than a disease. And here he implies that they are incorrigible, and that they erred not weakly but willfully.
That all sins may be forgiven him who has turned to God with his whole heart... Also in the second to Timothy: "But shun profane novelties of words, for they are of much advantage to impiety. And their word creeps as a cancer: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened, and have subverted the faith of certain ones. But the foundation of God standeth firm, having this seal, God knoweth them that are His. And, Every one who nameth the name of the Lord shall depart from all iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of clay; and some indeed for honour, and some for contempt. Therefore if any one shall amend himself from these things, he shall be a vessel sanctified for honour, and useful for the Lord, prepared for every good work. Moreover, flee youthful lusts: but follow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call upon the Lord from a pure heart. But avoid questions that are foolish and without learning, knowing that they beget strifes. And the servant of the Lord ought not to strive; but to be gentle, docile to all men, patient with modesty, correcting those who resist, lest at any time God may give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth, and recover themselves from the snares of the devil, by whom they are held captive at his will."
Vanity · Foolish questions are — Foolish questions are
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).
14. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
14. Haec admone, contestans coram Domino, ne verbis disceptent, ad nullam utilitatem, ad subversionem audientium
15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
15. Stude to ipsum probatum exhibere Deo, operarioum non erubescentem, recte secanem sermonem vertitatis.
16. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
16. Caeterum profanas clamorum inanitates omitte; ad majorem enim proficiunt impietatem.
17. And their wo…
who correctly explains (literally who guides along a straight path): The NLT relates this verse to right interpretation of the word of truth. Another possibility is that Timothy should keep to his purpose in teaching the word (see 1 Tim 1:4) and not turn aside by engaging in the false teachers’ controversies (2 Tim 2:16).
