Jude 1:9-25

1:9 But even ¹  when Michael the archangel ²  was arguing with the devil and debating with him ³  concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!” 1:10 But these men do not understand the things they slander, and they are being destroyed by the very things that, like irrational animals, they instinctively comprehend. ⁴  1:11 Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path, ⁵  and because of greed ⁶  have abandoned themselves ⁷  to ⁸  Balaam’s error; hence, ⁹  they will certainly perish ¹⁰  in Korah’s rebellion. 1:12 These men are ¹¹  dangerous reefs ¹²  at your love feasts, ¹³  feasting without reverence, ¹⁴  feeding only themselves. ¹⁵  They are ¹⁶  waterless ¹⁷  clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit ¹⁸  – twice dead, ¹⁹  uprooted; 1:13 wild sea waves, ²⁰  spewing out the foam of ²¹  their shame; ²²  wayward stars ²³  for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness ²⁴  have been reserved.

1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh in descent beginning with Adam, ²⁵  even prophesied of them, ²⁶  saying, “Look! The Lord is coming ²⁷  with thousands and thousands ²⁸  of his holy ones, 1:15 to execute judgment on ²⁹  all, and to convict every person ³⁰  of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds ³¹  that they have committed, ³²  and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ³³  1:16 These people are grumblers and ³⁴  fault-finders who go ³⁵  wherever their desires lead them, ³⁶  and they give bombastic speeches, ³⁷  enchanting folks ³⁸  for their own gain. ³⁹ 

Exhortation to the Faithful

1:17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions ⁴⁰  foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴¹  1:18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come ⁴²  scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.” ⁴³  1:19 These people are divisive, ⁴⁴  worldly, ⁴⁵  devoid of the Spirit. ⁴⁶  1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, ⁴⁷  1:21 maintain ⁴⁸  yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating ⁴⁹  the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. ⁵⁰  1:22 And have mercy on those who waver; 1:23 save ⁵¹  others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy ⁵²  on others, coupled with a fear of God, ⁵³  hating even the clothes stained ⁵⁴  by the flesh. ⁵⁵ 

Final Blessing

1:24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, ⁵⁶  and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, ⁵⁷  without blemish ⁵⁸  before his glorious presence, ⁵⁹  1:25 to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.

[1:9]  ¹ tn The word “even” is not in Greek; it is implied by the height of the contrast.

[1:9]  ² sn According to Jewish intertestamental literature (such as 1 En. 20), Michael was one of seven archangels.

[1:9]  ³ tn The sentence structure is a bit different in Greek. Literally it reads: “But Michael the archangel, when arguing with the devil and disputing.”

[1:10]  ⁴ tn Or “they should naturally comprehend.” The present tense in this context may have a conative force.

[1:11]  ⁵ tn Or “they have gone the way of Cain.”

[1:11]  ⁶ tn Grk “for wages.”

[1:11]  ⁷ tn 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).

[1:11]  ⁸ tn Or “in.”

[1:11]  ⁹ tn Grk “and.” See note on “perish” later in this verse.

[1:11]  ¹⁰ tn 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).

[1:12]  ¹¹ tn Grk “these are the men who are.”

[1:12]  ¹² tn 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.

[1:12]  ¹³ tc Several witnesses (A C^vid 1243 1846 al), influenced by the parallel in 2 Pet 2:13, read ἀπάταις (apatai", “deceptions”) for ἀγάπαις (agapai", “love-feasts”) in v. 12. However, ἀγάπαις has much stronger and earlier support and should therefore be considered original.

[1:12]  ¹⁴ tn 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.

[1:12]  ¹⁵ tn 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.

[1:12]  ¹⁶ tn “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.

[1:12]  ¹⁷ tn Cf. 2 Pet 2:17. Jude’s emphasis is slightly different (instead of waterless springs, they are waterless clouds).

[1:12]  ¹⁸ sn The imagery portraying the false teachers as autumn trees without fruit has to do with their lack of productivity. Recall the statement to the same effect by Jesus in Matt 7:16-20, in which false prophets will be known by their fruits. Like waterless clouds full of false hope, these trees do not yield any harvest even though it is expected.

[1:12]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “having died twice.”

[1:13]  ²⁰ tn Grk “wild waves of the sea.”

[1:13]  ²¹ tn 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.”

[1:13]  ²² tn 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.

[1:13]  ²³ sn The imagery of a star seems to fit the nautical theme that Jude is developing. Stars were of course the guides to sailors at night, just as teachers are responsible to lead the flock through a benighted world. But false teachers, as wayward stars, are not fixed and hence offer unreliable, even disastrous guidance. They are thus both the dangerous reefs on which the ships could be destroyed and the false guides, leading them into these rocks. There is a special irony that these lights will be snuffed out, reserved for the darkest depths of eternal darkness.

[1:13]  ²⁴ tn Grk “utter darkness of darkness for eternity.” See note on the word “utter” in v. 6.

[1:14]  ²⁵ tn Grk “the seventh from Adam.”

[1:14]  ²⁶ tn Grk “against them.” The dative τούτοις (toutois) is a dativus incommodi (dative of disadvantage).

[1:14]  ²⁷ tn Grk “has come,” a proleptic aorist.

[1:14]  ²⁸ tn 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.

[1:15]  ²⁹ tn 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).

[1:15]  ³⁰ tn Or “soul.”

[1:15]  ³¹ tn 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.

[1:15]  ³² tn 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.

[1:15]  ³³ sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.

[1:16]  ³⁴ tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.

[1:16]  ³⁵ tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.

[1:16]  ³⁶ tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”

[1:16]  ³⁷ tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”

[1:16]  ³⁸ sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.

[1:16]  ³⁹ tn Or “to their own advantage.”

[1:17]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.

[1:17]  ⁴¹ 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.

[1:18]  ⁴² tn Grk “be.”

[1:18]  ⁴³ tn Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.”

[1:19]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”

[1:19]  ⁴⁵ tn 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).

[1:19]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “not having [the] Spirit.”

[1:20]  ⁴⁷ tn 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.

[1:21]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “keep.”

[1:21]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “waiting for.”

[1:21]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “unto eternal life.”

[1:23]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “and save.”

[1:23]  ⁵² tn Grk “and have mercy.”

[1:23]  ⁵³ tn 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.

[1:23]  ⁵⁴ sn The imagery here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning.

[1:23]  ⁵⁵ tn 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.

[1:24]  ⁵⁶ tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “free from falling” is the adjectival complement.

[1:24]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “with rejoicing.” The prepositional clause is placed after “his glorious presence” in Greek, but most likely goes with “cause you to stand.”

[1:24]  ⁵⁸ tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “without blemish” is the adjectival complement.

[1:24]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “in the presence of his glory,” “before his glory.”