Jude 1:16-17

1:16 These people are grumblers and ¹  fault-finders who go ²  wherever their desires lead them, ³  and they give bombastic speeches, ⁴  enchanting folks ⁵  for their own gain. ⁶ 

Exhortation to the Faithful

1:17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions ⁷  foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ 

¹ tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.

² tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.

³ tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”

⁴ tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”

⁵ sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.

⁶ tn Or “to their own advantage.”

⁷ tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.

⁸ sn This verse parallels 2 Pet 3:2 both conceptually and in much of the verbiage. There is one important difference, however: In 2 Pet 3:2 the prophets and apostles speak; here, just the apostles speak. This makes good sense if Jude is using 2 Peter as his main source and is urging his readers to go back to the authoritative writings, both OT and now especially NT.