translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JUD

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “Judas,” traditionally “Jude” in English versions to distinguish him from the one who betrayed Jesus. The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.


text: 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. The most accurate 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. 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.”


text: Grk “loved in.” The perfect passive participle suggests that the audience’s relationship to God is not recent; the preposition ἐν ( en ) before πατρί ( patri ) could be taken as sphere or instrument (agency is unlikely, however). Another possible translation would be “dear to God.”


text: Or “by.” Datives of agency are quite rare in the NT (and other ancient Greek), almost always found with a perfect verb. Although this text qualifies, in light of the well-worn idiom of τηρέω ( threw ) in eschatological contexts, in which God or Christ keeps the believer safe until the parousia (cf. 1 Thess 5:23 ; 1 Pet 1:4 ; Rev 3:10 ; other terms meaning “to guard,” “to keep” are also found in similar eschatological contexts [cf. 2 Thess 3:3 ; 2 Tim 1:12 ; 1 Pet 1:5 ; Jude 24 ]), it is probably better to understand this verse as having such an eschatological tinge. It is at the same time possible that Jude’s language was intentionally ambiguous, implying both ideas (“kept by Jesus Christ [so that they might be] kept for Jesus Christ”). Elsewhere he displays a certain fondness for wordplays; this may be a hint of things to come.


text: Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”


text: Grk “while being quite diligent to write to you,” or “while making all haste to write to you.” Two issues are at stake: (1) whether σπουδή ( spoudh ) here means diligence , eagerness , or haste ; (2) whether ποιούμενος γράφειν ( poioumeno" grafein ) is to be taken conatively (“I was about to write”) or progressively (“I was writing”). Without knowing more of the background, it is difficult to tell which option is to be preferred.


text: Grk “I had the necessity.” The term ἀνάγκη ( anankh , “necessity”) often connotes urgency or distress. In this context, Jude is indicating that the more comprehensive treatment about the faith shared between himself and his readers was not nearly as urgent as the letter he found it now necessary to write.


text: Grk “encouraging.” Παρακαλῶν ( parakalwn ) is most likely a telic participle. In keeping with other participles of purpose, it is present tense and occurs after the main verb.


text: the verb ἐπαγωνίζομαι ( epagwnizomai ) is an intensive form of ἀγωνίζομαι ( agwnizomai ). As such, the notion of struggling, fighting, contending, etc. is heightened.


text: Τῇ πίστει ( th pistei ) here is taken as a dative of advantage (“on behalf of the faith”). Though rare (see BDAG 820 s.v. 3 ), it is not unexampled and must have this meaning here. sn The term “faith” has a variety of meanings in the NT. Here, the faith refers to the doctrinal content embraced by believers rather than the act of believing. Rather than discuss the points of agreement that Jude would have with these believers, because of the urgency of the present situation he must assume that these believers were well grounded and press on to encourage them to fight for this common belief.


text: Grk “people.” However, if Jude is indeed arguing that Peter’s prophecy about false teachers has come true, these are most likely men in the original historical and cultural setting. See discussion of this point in the note on the phrase “these men” in 2 Pet 2:12 .


text: “Among you” is not in the Greek text, but is obviously implied. sn The infiltration referred to by the phrase slipped in among you was predicted by Peter ( 2 Pet 2:1 ), Paul (e.g., Acts 20:29-30 ), and OT prophets.


text: Or “in the past.” The adverb πάλαι ( palai ) can refer to either, though the meaning “long ago” is more common.


text: Grk “written about.”


text: Grk “for this condemnation.” τοῦτο ( touto ) is almost surely a kataphoric demonstrative pronoun, pointing to what follows in vv. 5-18 . Otherwise, the condemnation is only implied (in v. 3 b) or is merely a statement of their sinfulness (“ungodly” in v. 4 b), not a judgment of it.


text: Grk “debauchery.” This is the same word Peter uses to predict what the false teachers will be like ( 2 Pet 2:2, 7, 18 ). sn Turned the grace of our God into a license for evil. One of the implications that the gospel in the apostolic period was truly a gospel of grace was the fact that the enemies of the gospel could pervert it into license . If it were a gospel of works, no such abuse could be imagined. Along these lines, note Rom 6:1 – “Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?” This question could not have even been asked had the gospel been one of works. But grace is easily misunderstood by those who would abuse it.


text: The terms “Master and Lord” both refer to the same person. 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. For more discussion see ExSyn 270-78. See also Titus 2:13 and 2 Pet 1:1


text: Grk “knowing all things.” The subject of the participle “knowing” ( εἰδότας , eidota" ) is an implied ὑμᾶς ( Jumas ), though several ancient witnesses actually add it. The πάντα ( panta ) takes on an adverbial force in this context (“fully”), intensifying how acquainted the readers are with the following points. sn That Jude comments on his audience’s prior knowledge of what he is about to tell them ( you have been fully informed of these facts ) may imply that they were familiar with 2 Peter. In 2 Pet 2:4 ff., the same illustrations from the OT are drawn. See the note on the following phrase once for all .


text: Or perhaps “a,” though this is less likely.


text: Grk “the second time.”


text: Grk “and.” Verse 6 is a continuation of the same sentence begun in v. 5 . Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “who did not keep their own domain.” sn The idea is that certain angels acted improperly, going outside the bounds prescribed by God ( their proper domain ).


text: The word ζόφος ( zofos , “utter, deepest darkness”) is used only five times in the NT: two in 2 Peter, two in Jude, and one in Hebrews. Jude 6 parallels 2 Pet 2:4 ; Jude 13 parallels 2 Pet 2:17 .


text: The words “locked up” are not in Greek, but is expressed in English as a resumptive point after the double prepositional phrase (“in eternal chains in utter darkness”).


text: Grk “as.”


text: Grk “the towns [or cities] surrounding them.”


text: Grk “strange flesh.” This phrase has been variously interpreted. It could refer to flesh of another species (such as angels lusting after human flesh). This would aptly describe the sin of the angels, but not easily explain the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. It could refer to the homosexual practices of the Sodomites, but a difficulty arises from the use of ἕτερος ( {etero" ; “strange,” “other”). When this is to be distinguished from ἄλλος ( allos , “another”) it suggests “another of a different kind.” If so, would that properly describe homo sexual behavior? In response, the language could easily be compact: “pursued flesh other than what was normally pursued.” However, would this find an analogy in the lust of angels (such would imply that angels normally had sexual relations of some sort, but cf. Matt 22:30 )? Another alternative is that the focus of the parallel is on the activity of the surrounding cities and the activity of the angels. This is especially plausible since the participles ἐκπορνεύσασαι ( ekporneusasai , “having indulged in sexual immorality”) and ἀπελθοῦσαι ( apelqousai , “having pursued”) have concord with “cities” ( πόλεις , poleis ), a feminine plural noun, rather than with Sodom and Gomorrah (both masculine nouns). If so, then their sin would not necessarily have to be homosexuality. However, most likely the feminine participles are used because of constructio ad sensum (construction according to sense). That is, since both Sodom and Gomorrah are cities, the feminine is used to imply that all the cities are involved. The connection with angels thus seems to be somewhat loose: Both angels and Sodom and Gomorrah indulged in heinous sexual immorality. Thus, whether the false teachers indulge in homosexual activity is not the point; mere sexual immorality is enough to condemn them.


text: Or “in the same way as.”


text: “Angels” is not in the Greek text; but the masculine demonstrative pronoun most likely refers back to the angels of v. 6 .


text: The reference is now to the false teachers.


text: Grk “dreaming.” The participle ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι ( enupniazomenoi , “dreaming”) is adverbial to the pronoun οὗτοι ( |outoi , “these”), though the particular relationship is not clear. It could mean, “while dreaming,” “by dreaming,” or “because of dreaming.” This translation has adopted the last option as Jude’s meaning, partially for syntactical reasons (the causal participle usually precedes the main verb) and partially for contextual reasons (these false teachers must derive their authority from some source, and the dreams provide the most obvious base). The participle ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι was sometimes used of apocalyptic visions, both of true and false prophets. This seems to be the meaning here.


text: Most likely, the authority of the Lord is in view. This verse, then, echoes the indictment of v. 4 : “they deny our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”


text: The construction with the three verbs (“defile, “reject,” and “insult”) involves the particles μέν , δέ , δέ ( men , de , de ). A more literal (and pedantic) translation would be: “on the one hand, they defile the flesh, on the other hand, they reject authority, and on another hand, they insult the glorious ones.”


text: The word “even” is not in Greek; it is implied by the height of the contrast.


text: The sentence structure is a bit different in Greek. Literally it reads: “But Michael the archangel, when arguing with the devil and disputing.”


text: Or “they should naturally comprehend.” The present tense in this context may have a conative force. sn They instinctively comprehend. Like irrational animals, these false teachers do grasp one thing – the instinctive behavior of animals in heat. R. Bauckham ( Jude, 2 Peter [WBC], 63) notes that “Though they claim to be guided by special spiritual insight gained in heavenly revelations, they are in fact following the sexual instincts which they share with the animals.” Jude’s focus is somewhat different from Peter’s: Peter argued that, like irrational animals who are born to be caught and killed, these men will be destroyed when destroying others ( 2 Pet 2:12 ). Jude, however, does not mention the destruction of animals, just that these false teachers will be destroyed for mimicking them.


text: Or “they have gone the way of Cain.”


text: Grk “for wages.”


text: The verb ἐκχέω ( ekcew ) normally means “pour out.” Here, in the passive, it occasionally has a reflexive idea, as BDAG 312 s.v. 3 . suggests (with extra-biblical examples).


text: Or “in.”


text: Grk “and.” See note on “perish” later in this verse.


text: The three verbs in this verse are all aorist indicative (“have gone down,” “have abandoned,” “have perished”). Although the first and second could be considered constative or ingressive, the last is almost surely proleptic (referring to the certainty of their future judgment). Although it may seem odd that a proleptic aorist is so casually connected to other aorists with a different syntactical force, it is not unparalleled (cf. Rom 8:30 ).


text: Grk “these are the men who are.”


text: Though σπιλάδες ( spilades ) is frequently translated “blemishes” or “stains,” such is actually a translation of the Greek word σπίλοι ( spiloi ). The two words are quite similar, especially in their root or lexical forms ( σπιλάς [ spila" ] and σπίλος [ spilos ] respectively). Some scholars have suggested that σπιλάδες in this context means the same thing as σπίλοι . But such could be the case only by a stretch of the imagination (see BDAG 938 s.v. σπιλάς for discussion). Others suggest that Jude’s spelling was in error (which also is doubtful). One reason for the tension is that in the parallel passage, 2 Pet 2:13 , the term used is indeed σπίλος . And if either Jude used 2 Peter or 2 Peter used Jude, one would expect to see the same word. Jude, however, may have changed the wording for the sake of a subtle wordplay. The word σπιλάς was often used of a mere rock, though it normally was associated with a rock along the shore or one jutting out in the water. Thus, the false teachers would appear as “rocks” – as pillars in the community (cf. Matt 16:18 ; Gal 2:9 ), when in reality if a believer got too close to them his faith would get shipwrecked. Some suggest that σπιλάδες here means “hidden rocks.” Though this meaning is attested for the word, it is inappropriate in this context, since these false teachers are anything but hidden. They are dangerous because undiscerning folks get close to them, thinking they are rocks and pillars, when they are really dangerous reefs.


text: Or “fearlessly.” The term in this context, however, is decidedly negative. The implication is that these false teachers ate the Lord’s Supper without regarding the sanctity of the meal. Cf. 1 Cor 11:17-22 .


text: Grk “shepherding themselves.” The verb ποιμαίνω ( poimainw ) means “shepherd, nurture [the flock].” But these men, rather than tending to the flock of God, nurture only themselves. They thus fall under the condemnation Paul uttered when writing to the Corinthians: “For when it comes time to eat [the Lord’s Supper,] each one goes ahead with his own meal” ( 1 Cor 11:21 ). Above all, the love-feast was intended to be a shared meal in which all ate and all felt welcome.


text: “They are” is not in Greek, but resumes the thought begun at the front of v. 12 . There is no period before “They are.” English usage requires breaking this into more than one sentence.


text: Cf. 2 Pet 2:17 . Jude’s emphasis is slightly different (instead of waterless springs, they are waterless clouds).


text: Grk “having died twice.” sn Twice dead probably has no relevance to the tree metaphor, but has great applicability to these false teachers. As in Rev 20:6 , those who die twice are those who die physically and spiritually. The aphorism is true: “born once, die twice; born twice, die once” (cf. Rev 20:5 ; John 3, 11 ).


text: Grk “wild waves of the sea.”


text: Grk “foaming, causing to foam.” The verb form is intensive and causative. BDAG 360 s.v. ἐπαφρίζω suggests the meaning “to cause to splash up like froth, cause to foam ,” or, in this context, “ waves casting up their own shameless deeds like (dirty) foam .”


text: Grk “shames, shameful things.” It is uncertain whether shameful deeds or shameful words are in view. Either way, the picture has taken a decided turn: Though waterless clouds and fruitless trees may promise good things, but deliver nothing, wild sea-waves are portents of filth spewed forth from the belly of the sea.


text: Grk “utter darkness of darkness for eternity.” See note on the word “utter” in v. 6 .


text: Grk “the seventh from Adam.” sn The genealogical count is inclusive, counting Adam as the first, for Enoch is really the sixth in descent from Adam (Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch). In this way, the picture of perfection/completion was retained (for the number seven is often used for perfection or completion in the Bible) starting with Adam and concluding with Enoch.


text: Grk “against them.” The dative τούτοις ( toutois ) is a dativus incommodi (dative of disadvantage).


text: Grk “has come,” a proleptic aorist.


text: Grk “ten thousands.” The word μυριάς ( muria" ), from which the English myriad is derived, means “ten thousand.” In the plural it means “ten thousands.” This would mean, minimally, 20,000 (a multiple of ten thousand). At the same time, the term was often used in apocalyptic literature to represent simply a rather large number, without any attempt to be specific.


text: Grk “against” ( κατά [ kata ] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him ( κατά + genitive).


text: Or “soul.”


text: Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.


text: The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω ( asebew ) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια ( asebeia , “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.


text: “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.


text: Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.


text: Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”


text: Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.” sn They give bombastic speeches. The idiom of opening one’s mouth in the NT often implied a public oration from a teacher or one in authority. Cf. Matt 5:2 ; Luke 4:22 ; Acts 1:16; 3:18; 10:34 ; Eph 6:19 ; Rev 13:5-6 .


text: Or “to their own advantage.”


text: Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον ( proeipon ), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.


text: Grk “be.”


text: Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.” sn Jude cites 2 Pet 3:3 , changing a few of the words among other things, cleaning up the syntax, conforming it to Hellenistic style.


text: Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”


text: Or “natural,” that is, living on the level of instincts, not on a spiritual level (the same word occurs in 1 Cor 2:14 as a description of nonbelievers).


text: Grk “not having [the] Spirit.” sn The phrase devoid of the Spirit may well indicate Jude’s and Peter’s assessment of the spiritual status of the false teachers. Those who do not have the Spirit are clearly not saved.


text: The participles in v. 20 have been variously interpreted. Some treat them imperativally or as attendant circumstance to the imperative in v. 21 (“maintain”): “build yourselves up…pray.” But they do not follow the normal contours of either the imperatival or attendant circumstance participles, rendering this unlikely. A better option is to treat them as the means by which the readers are to maintain themselves in the love of God. This both makes eminently good sense and fits the structural patterns of instrumental participles elsewhere.


text: Or “keep.”


text: Or “waiting for.”


text: Grk “unto eternal life.”


text: Grk “and save.”


text: Grk “and have mercy.”


text: Grk “with fear.” But as this contrasts with ἀφόβως ( afobw" ) in v. 12 ( without reverence ), the posture of the false teachers, it most likely refers to reverence for God. sn Joining a fear of God to mercy is an important balance when involved in disciplinary action. On the one hand, being merciful without fear can turn to unwarranted sympathy for the individual, absolving him of personal responsibility; but fearing God without showing mercy can turn into personal judgment and condemnation.


text: Grk “hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh.” The “flesh” in this instance could refer to the body or to the sin nature. It makes little difference in one sense: Jude is thinking primarily of sexual sins, which are borne of the sin nature and manifest themselves in inappropriate deeds done with the body. At the same time, he is not saying that the body is intrinsically bad, a view held by the opponents of Christianity. Hence, it is best to see “flesh” as referring to the sin nature here and the language as metaphorical.


text: The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “free from falling” is the adjectival complement.


text: Grk “with rejoicing.” The prepositional clause is placed after “his glorious presence” in Greek, but most likely goes with “cause you to stand.”


text: The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “without blemish” is the adjectival complement.


text: Or “in the presence of his glory,” “before his glory.”