SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:20
Ciertamente, si habindose ellos apartado de las contaminaciones del mundo, por el conocimiento del Seor y Salvador Jess, el Cristo, y otra vez envolvindose en ellas son vencidos, sus postrimerías les son hechas peores que los principios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Peter 2:20
Verse 20. The pollutions of the world] Sin in general, and particularly superstition, idolatry, and lasciviousness. These are called miasmata, miasmata, things that infect, pollute, and defile. The word was anciently used, and is in use at the present day, to express those noxious particles of effluvia proceeding from persons infected with contagious and dangerous diseases; or from dead and corrupt bodies, stagnant and putrid waters, marshes &c., by which the sound and healthy may be infected and destroyed. The world is here represented as one large, putrid marsh, or corrupt body, sending off its destructive miasmata everywhere and in every direction, so that none can escape its contagion, and none can be healed of the great epidemic disease of sin, but by the mighty power and skill of God. St. Augustine has improved on this image: "The whole world," says he, "is one great diseased man, lying extended from east to west, and from north to south; and to heal this great sick man, the almighty Physician descended from heaven." Now, it is by the knowledge of the Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, as says St. Peter, that we escape the destructive influence of these contagious miasmata. But if, after having been healed, and escaped the death to which we were exposed, we get again entangled, emplakentev, enfolded, enveloped with them; then the latter end will be worse than the beginning: forasmuch as we shall have sinned against more light, and the soul, by its conversion to God, having had all its powers and faculties greatly improved, is now, being repolluted, more capable of iniquity than before, and can bear more expressively the image of the earthly.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world , etc.] The sins of it, the governing vices of it, which the men of the world are addicted to, and immersed in; for the whole world lies in wickedness, and which are of a defiling nature: the phrase is Rabbinical; it is said f39 , he that studies not in the law in this world, but is defiled aml[ ypwnjb , with the pollutions of the world, what is written of him? and they took him, and cast him without: these, men may escape, abstain from, and outwardly reform, with respect unto, and yet be destitute of the grace of God; so that this can be no instance of the final and total apostasy of real saints; for the house may be swept and garnished with an external reformation; persons may be outwardly righteous before men, have a form of godliness and a name to live, and yet be dead in trespasses and sins; all which they may have through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ . The Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, read, our Lord, and the latter leave out, and Saviour; by which knowledge is meant, not a spiritual experimental knowledge of Christ, for that is eternal life, the beginning, pledge, and earnest of it; but a notional knowledge of Christ, or a profession of knowledge of him, for it may be rendered acknowledgment; or rather the Gospel of Christ, which, being only notionally received, may have such an effect on men, as outwardly to reform their lives, at least in some instances, and for a while, in whose hearts it has no place. Now if, after all this knowledge and reformation, they are again entangled therein ; in the pollutions of the world, in worldly lusts, which are as gins, pits and snares: and overcome ; by them, so as to be laden with them, and led away, and entirely governed and influenced by them: the latter end , or state, is worse with them than the beginning ; (see Matthew 12:45). Their beginning, or first estate, was that in which they were born, a state of darkness, ignorance, and sin, and in which they were brought up, and was either the state of Judaism, or of Gentilism; their next estate was an outward deliverance and escape from the error of the one, or of the other, and an embracing and professing the truth of the Christian religion, joined with a becoming external conversation; and this their last estate was an apostasy from the truth of the Gospel they had professed, a reception of error and heresy, and a relapse into sin and immorality, which made their case worse than it was at first; for, generally, such persons are more extravagant in sinning; are like raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; and are seldom, or ever, recovered; and by their light, knowledge, and profession, their punishment will be more aggravated, and become intolerable.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 17-22 - The word of truth is the water of life, which refreshes the souls tha receive it; but deceivers spread and promote error, and are set fort as empty, because there is no truth in them. As clouds hinder the ligh of the sun, so do these darken counsel by words wherein there is n truth. Seeing that these men increase darkness in this world, it is very just that the mist ofdarkness should be their portion in the next In the midst of their talk of liberty, these men are the vilest slaves their own lusts gain a complete victory over them, and they ar actually in bondage. When men are entangled, they are easily overcome therefore Christians should keep close to the word of God, and watc against all who seek to bewilder them. A state of apostacy is wors than a state of ignorance. To bring an evil report upon the good way of God, and a false charge against the way of truth, must expose to the heaviest condemnation. How dreadful is the state here described! Ye though such a case is deplorable, it is not utterly hopeless; the lepe may be made clean, and even the dead may be raised. Is thy backslidin a grief to thee? Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ει 1487 γαρ 1063 αποφυγοντες 668 5631 τα 3588 μιασματα 3393 του 3588 κοσμου 2889 εν 1722 επιγνωσει 1922 του 3588 κυριου 2962 και 2532 σωτηρος 4990 ιησου 2424 χριστου 5547 τουτοις 5125 δε 1161 παλιν 3825 εμπλακεντες 1707 5651 ηττωνται 2274 5736 γεγονεν 1096 5754 αυτοις 846 τα 3588 εσχατα 2078 χειρονα 5501 των 3588 πρωτων 4413
Vincent's NT Word Studies
20. Pollutions (miasmata). Only here in New Testament. Compare ver. 10. The word is transcribed in miasma.Entangled (emplakentev). Only here and 2 Tim. ii. 4. The same metaphor occurs in Aeschylus ("Prometheus"): "For not on a sudden or in ignorance will ye be entangled (emplecqhsesqe) by your folly in an impervious net of Ate (destruction)."
