15 Το execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed; and of all their hard sheeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 16 These are murmur 15 Ποιησαι κρισιν κατα παντων, και εξελεγξαι παντας τους ασεβεις αυτών, περι παντων των εργων ασέβειας αυτων ών ησέβησαν, και πεὧν ρι παντων των σκληρών, ελαλησαν κατ' αυτου αμαρτωλοι ασεβεις. 16 Οὗτοι εισι γογγυσαι, ers, complainers, walking μεμψιμοιροι, κατα τας επι after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admi. ration because of advantage. θυμιας αύτων πορευομένοι και το ςομα αυτων λαλει ὑπερογκα θαυμαζοντες προσωπα, ωφέλειας χαριν 3. For whom the blackness of darkness for ever, is reserved. As the ancients knew that the planets are naturally dark bodies, and derive all their light from the sun, it is supposed, that Jude compared the false teachers, not to meteors, or ignes fatui, which have no existence after they are extinguished, but to planets properly so called. Ver. 14.-1. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied. See Pref. Sect. 2. No. 2. paragr. 2.-Though Moses hath said nothing concerning Enoch's prophesying, yet by telling us that he was a person of such piety, as to be translated to heaven in the body without dying, he hath warranted us to believe Jude's account of him ; namely, that God employed him, as he did Noah, in reforming the wicked of the age in which he lived, and that he inspired him to deliver the prophecy of which Jude speaks.-That Enoch was endowed with the spirit of prophecy, Benson saith, is apparent from the name which he gave to his Son, to wit Methuselah: which signifies be dieth, and the flood cometh.-Enoch is called the seventh from Adam, to distinguish him from Enoch the son of Cain, Gen. iv. 17. who was only the third from Adam. 2. Prophesied even concerning these men. So I translate προεφήτευσε καὶ τέτοις, by supplying εν before τετοις: Or without the preposition, thus, prophesied also to these men, as well as to the antediluvians.—Though Enoch prophesied immediately to the wicked men of his own age, what he said concerning, or to them, was intended for the wicked in every age. 3. Saying, Behold the Lord cometh with his holy myriads of angels. So εν μυριάσιν ἁγίαις αυτο must be translated, because ἁγιαῖς being in the feminine gender, agrees with μυριάσιν as an adjective, consequently the word to be supplied is αγγελων, not αγγελοις.—Μυρίας ten thousand, is a definite number. 15 To pass sentence on all, and to make all the impious and prophane among mankind sensible of all the impious actions, which they have impiously committed, and of all the impious atheistical scoffing speeches, which prophane sinners have impiously uttered against Christ, as if he were an impostor, who was justly punished with an ignominious death. 16 These ungodly teachers are murmurers against God, and complainers that their lot is not what they deserve, who gratify their own lusts to the utmost; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, in praise of themselves, as the only teachers who free men from the shackles of superstition. They admire and praise persons, not for their good qualities, but for their riches, that they may get money from them for their flattery. But it is put here in the plural, μugao, ten thousands, indefinitely, to signify an innumerable multitude.-Habe 2 Aor. is come. But in the prophetic style the present is often put for the future, to shew the absolute certainty of the event foretold: The Lord is come; or as it is in our Bible, the Lord cometh, being the genuine prophetic style, it is no proof, as Benson fancies, that Jude took this prophecy out of some book. If it was preserved by tradition, this is the language in which it must have been preserved. Ver. 15.-1. To pass sentence on all. Пomσai piov nara wavrov, might have been literally translated to execute punishment on all, if the apostle had not added, xα sğırıyğaı, and to convict; for punishment cannot justly be inflicted, till the offender is convicted. Wherefore the translation in our Bible, where judgment is used in the sense of punishment, is wrong; namely, to execute judgment upon all. The proper, and I may add, the literal translation of womaι xpiow, is, to pass judgment, or sentence on all. For all shall be judged, but all shall not be condemned.-Enoch's prophecy seems to have been generally known among the Jews. For the first words of it, which in the Hebrew are, Maran-atha, were used by them with great propriety, in that form of excommunication or cursing, which they pronounced upon irreclaimable offenders, (See 1 Cor. xvi. 22. note.) as they 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts, 17 Υμείς δε, αγαπητοι, μνησθητε των ρημάτων των προειρημένων Υπο των απο ςόλων του Κυρίου ἡμων Ιησου Χριςου 18 Ότι ελεγον ύμιν, ότι εν εσχατῷ χρόνῳ εσονται εμπαι κται, κατα τας ἑαυτων επιθυ μιας πορευομενοι των ασεβείων. put all who were present in mind of God's coming at the last day, to punish the obstinately impenitent. This same curse the apostle Paul solemnly pronounced on all wicked Christians, 1 Cor. xvi. 22. 2. All the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against bim. As Christ is to judge the world, he is the person against whom the ungodly are here said to have spoken hard things: consequently these hard things consisted, in their denying Jesus to be the Son of God; in their calling him a magician, a sorcerer, and an impostor; and in their affirming that he was justly punished with death. Ver. 16.-1. These are joygusai murmurers, and μμμogos complainers. They murmured against God on account of the dispensations of his providence, and complained of their condition, fancying that they deserved a better lot: for eufogó, literally are persons who complain of their lot or portion. In this, the ungodly teachers resembled the ancient Israelites, who murmured against God, on account of the hardships they were exposed to in the wilderness. 2. Who walk according to their own lusts. From this circumstance it is probable, that the corrupt teachers complained not only of their lot, but of the restraints which were laid on them by the laws of the countries where they lived. To this conjecture what followeth agrees: Their mouth speaketh great swelling words. 3. Great swelling words.. If the interpretation of this clause given in the commentary is not admitted, we may supposthe false teachers spake in an insolent manner against the Roman magistrates for punishing them, and against the laws for prohibiting the vices in which they delighted. For they are said, ver. 8. to despise government, and to revile dignities. Perhaps they thus opposed the heathen magistrates and laws, on pretence of maintaining the cause of the people of God against the tyranny and oppression of the Romans and spake in a pompous boasting manner of their Christian liberty, which they affirmed consisted in a freedom to gratify their inclinations without controul, 2 Pet. ii. 19.—Of these teachers, and of the tumid speeches, by which they defended their vices, John hath given insinuations, 1 Epist. iii. 4.-11. 4. They admire persons for the sake of gain. The false teachers of that age greatly admired the rich on account of their riches, thereby feeding 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were before spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;1 18 That they said to you, That in the last time there would be scoffers, walking according to their own ungodly lusts.1 17 But beloved, to prevent you from giving heed to the vain speeches of these deceivers, continually recollect the words which were spoken prophetically by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 That they foretold to you, that in the last time, namely after the de. struction of the Jewish commonwealth, there would be scoffers in the church, who, ridiculing the strictness of the precepts of the gospel, would walk according to the impulses of their own impure lusts. their vanity. They flattered them likewise with the hope of salvation, and by so doing hardened them in their sins. In short, they never opposed the will of their rich disciples in any thing: And this servility they shewed towards the rich, merely to draw money from them. Ver. 17.-1. Remember ye the words which were before spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. In ver. 18. Jude cites the words spoken by Peter in particular, concerning the coming of scoffers in the last time. Yet Jude's exhortation being general, it comprehends the words spoken by the other apostles concerning the coming of false teachers: Such as Paul's words, 1 Tim. iv. 1.—5. 2 Tim. iii, and iv. chapters: Nay it comprehends the words spoken by Jude himself, in the preceding part of this epistle. For we have shewed, Pref. Sect. 2. That Jude was an apostle, and that he asserted his title to that office, by calling himself the brother of James,-Dr. Symonds, in his observations upon the expediency of revising the present English version, &c. thinks this clause should be translated, remember ye the words which were formerly spoken by the apostles. Ver. 18.-1. That they said to you, that in the last time there would be scoffers, walking according to their own ungodly lusts. Though it be allowed that Jude in this verse transcribed 2 Pet. iii. 3, it will not follow from his using Peter's words, that the two apostles wrote of the same persons. Peter, in the passage quoted by Jude, evidently speaks of scoffers who were to arise in the age in which Christ was to come to judge mankind, and put an end to this mundane system. For he represents them as ridiculing the promise of Christ's coming, as a thing not likely to happen after having been so long delayed. Whereas Jude speaks of his scoffers, as already come, ver. 4. And the account which he gives of them is, That they per verted the grace of God to lasciviousness; denied God and Christ; despised government; réviled dignities; led most immoral lives; imitated Cain and Balaam in their wickedness; and were to share in the punishment of Korah: But saith nothing of their scoffing at the promise of Christ's coming; or indeed of their scoffing at any of the doctrines or promises of the gospel 19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 19 Οὗτοι εισιν οἱ αποδιοριζοντες, ψυχικοι, πνευμα μη έχοντες. 20 Ὑμεις δε, αγαπητοί, τῇ ἁγιωτατῃ ὑμων πιςει εποικοδομουντες ἑαυτους, εν πνευματι ἁγιῳ προσευχόμενοι, He calls them scoffers on accourt of their reviling dignities, and perhaps of their ridiculing these precepts of the gospel which prohibited lasciviousness.—If, however, the reader is of opinion that Jude, like Peter, speaks of the scoffers who are to arise about the end of the world, his exhortation to remember the words which Peter spake concerning them was highly proper, because the recollection of Peter's phrophecy, would put the faithful in every age on their guard against such false teachers as might arise in any future period. Ver. 19.—1. These be they who separate themselves from others. Namely, on account of their pretended greater illumination.—In the common text it is, amodiogloves, who separate from. But many MSS. add the word fautes; a reading which our translators have followed, and which is warranted by the Vulgate, where we find, Qui segregant semetipsos. I likewise have followed that reading, and have supplied the word others, because the preposition in awodlogovtes, requires it.-From Rom. xvi. 17. it appears, that the heretical teachers very early began to set up separate assemblies for worship. See Rom. xvi. 17. note 2. Perhaps they founded their practice on Isa. lii. 11. 2. Animal men. Some are of opinion that by fuxixos, animal men, the apostle means those who are governed by the lusts which properly belong to the animal part of the human nature, and who place their whole happiness in sensual enjoyments.-Others, by animal men, understand those who in religion admit of nothing as true, but what is consonant to their own preconceived opinions, and can be explained upon what they call the principles of reason. In this sense the word uxos argos is used 1 Cor. ii. 14. See note 1. there.-I think the apostle calls the false teachers animal men, because they were neither inspired by the Spirit of God, nor guided by right reason. 3. Not having the Spirit. The ungodly teachers boasted of having an illumination from the Spirit, superior to that of the apostles, and that of the disciples of the apostles. And on this pretence, they separated themselves and their disciples from the others. But their boasting was without foundation; these men were truly what they called others, mere animal men, not having the spirit, either of God, or of right reason. Ver. 20.-1. Building one another on your most holy faith. Here faith is put for the objects of faith, namely the doctrines, precepts, and promises of the gospel. This faith the apostle terms most holy, because its design and |