Cannot cease from sin] Which cease not from sin; they might cease from sin, but they do not; they love and practice it. Instead of akatapaustouv, which cannot cease, several MSS. and versions have akatapaustou, and this requires the place to be read, Having eyes full of adultery and incessant sin. The images of sinful acts were continually floating before their disordered and impure fancy. This figure of speech is very common in the Greek writers; and Kypke gives many instances of it, which indeed carry the image too far to be here translated.

Beguiling unstable souls] The metaphor is taken from adulterers seducing unwary, inexperienced, and light, trifling women; so do those false teachers seduce those who are not established in righteousness.

Exercised with covetous practices] The metaphor is taken from the agonistae in the Grecian games, who exercised themselves in those feats, such as wrestling, boxing, running, &c., in which they proposed to contend in the public games. These persons had their hearts schooled in nefarious practices; they had exercised themselves till they were perfectly expert in all the arts of seduction, overreaching, and every kind of fraud.

Cursed children] Such not only live under God's curse here, but they are heirs to it hereafter.

John Gill's Bible Commentary

Hence we read of wyny[b Pawn , �one that commits adultery with his eyes�; (see Gill on � Matthew 5:28�); compare ( Job 31:1 Ezekiel 6:9). Some read the words, �having eyes full of the adulteress�: that is, having a lewd and infamous woman always in mind and sight, continually looking at her and lusting after her: and that cannot cease from sin : which may be understood either of these wicked men, who are like the troubled sea, that cannot rest, but are continually casting up the mire and dirt of sin out of their polluted heart; who live and walk in sin, and are always committing it, their conversation being nothing else but one continued series of sinning; nor can they do otherwise, since they are slaves to their lusts, and are carried away with the force and power of them: or of their eyes, which were always rolling after unlawful objects; their eyes and their hearts were only, and always, for their lust, as the prophet says of others, that they were but for their covetousness, ( Jeremiah 22:17); a sin also which reigned in these men: beguiling unstable souls : such as were unsteady in their principles, and unstable in their ways; were like children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, not being rooted in Christ, nor established in the faith; these, as the serpent beguiled Eye, they corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ; imposed false doctrines on them, and deceived them by false glosses and outward appearances; and by fair words and good speeches, and by their wanton looks and carnal lusts, they allured them into the sin of adultery; or ensnared them, drew them into the net and snare of Satan, and so they were taken and led captive. An heart they have exercised with covetous practices ; an immoderate love of money, a covetous desire after it, is the root of all evil, the bane of religion, and source of heresy, and is a vice which has always prevailed among false teachers; and the character here given well agrees with Simon Magus, the father of heresies, and his followers: hence care is always taken to insert, among, the characters and qualifications of Gospel ministers, that they be not greedy of filthy lucre, ( 1 Timothy 3:3,8); this iniquity, when it is a reigning one, and is become an habit, as it was in the persons here described, for it had its seat in their heart, they were habituated to it, and continually exercised it in a multitude of instances and wicked practices, is insatiable and damnable: cursed children ; or �children of the curse�; which may be understood either actively, children that do curse, as children of disobedience are such as commit acts of disobedience; so these were cursing children, who, though their mouths might not be full of cursing and bitterness, as openly profane sinners be, yet they inwardly, and from their hearts, cursed the true followers of Christ, and their principles; or passively, cursed children who were under the curse of the law, and from which there was no redemption for them, but at the last day will have the awful sentence pronounced on them, Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Greek Textus Receptus

Adultery (moicalidov). Lit., an adulteress, but used as an adjective Matt. xii. 39; xvi. 4.

That cannot cease (akataoaustouv). Only here, in New Testament. Compare hath ceased (1 Pet. iv. 1).

Beguiling (deleazontev). Only here, ver. 18, and Jas. i. 14. From delear, a bait. An appropriate word from Peter the fisherman. Rev., enticing.

Unstable (asthriktouv). A compound of the word at 1 Pet. v. 10, stablish. See note there, and on 2 Pet. i. 12.

An heart they have exercised (kardian gegumnasmenhn econtev). The A.V. is awkward. Better, Rev., having a heart exercised. Exercised is the word used for gymnastic training, from which gymnastic is derived. With covetous practices. The A.V. follows the old reading, pleonexiaiv. The best texts read pleonexiav, covetousness. Rev., therefore, rightly, in covetousness.