2 Peter 1
Simeon Peter writes to those who have obtained a faith equally precious with ours — the base text carries the Semitic form (the Received Text has ‘Simon’), the form by which James names Peter at Acts 15:14. vv.1 and 11 put two names under one article, and whether that is one or two the text does not say, so it is left open. His divine power has granted us all things unto life and piety — ‘grant’ is the verb by which Pilate granted the corpse, and ‘divine’ stands in the New Testament only here and at Acts 17:29. That you might become partners of the divine nature, having fled away from the corruption in the world. Bringing in besides all diligence, supply in your faith virtue, in virtue knowledge, in knowledge self-control, in self-control endurance, in endurance piety, in piety brotherly love, in brotherly love love — eight words chained, each the place of the next. ‘Supply’ frames vv.5 and 11: the congregation supplies, and God supplies. The one who lacks these is blind, short-sighted — the text sets the two side by side and does not resolve the clash. Make your calling and choosing sure — one root with ‘more sure’ at v.19. As long as I am in this dwelling I will rouse you by a reminder — ‘dwelling’ is the word of Acts 7:46, the body likened to a tent, though the text never says so, and ‘rouse’ is the verb by which they woke Jesus in the storm. The laying aside of my dwelling is swift — ‘laying aside’ returns from 1 Pet 3:21, and ‘departure’ is the word Moses and Elijah spoke on the mountain at Luke 9:31, so it is not turned into ‘death’. We did not follow out cleverly made myths but became beholders of that one’s greatness — ‘beholder’ is the agent of the verb 1 Peter used of watching a congregation’s conduct. Such a voice was borne to him by the Glory befitting greatness — the order differs from Matt 17:5 and there is no ‘listen to him’. We have the prophetic word made more sure; pay attention to it as to a lamp shining in a murky place, until the day dawns through and the light-bearer rises in your hearts — ‘light-bearer’ joins light and bear, so it is not turned into ‘morning star’. No prophecy of scripture comes of its own unfolding — whose unfolding is not said. Prophecy was never borne by the will of man; men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God — ‘borne’ comes three times, at vv.17, 18 and 21.
Why this rendering
2Pet.1.4 Observation
Syntactic observation
⸀Συμεὼν Πέτρος δοῦλος καὶ ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ … ⸀Συμεών is the base text’s reading; the Received Text has ‘Simon’ — it is how James names Peter at Acts 15:14 · ἰσότιμος ‘equally precious’ is once in the New Testament, one root with τίμιος ‘precious’ at Luke 7:2 · vv.1 and 11 put two names under one article — ‘our God and Saviour Jesus Christ’, ‘our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ — the pattern of 2 Thess 1:12 and Titus 2:13, and it is not closed · ἐπίγνωσις ‘knowledge’ comes four times in this chapter (vv.2, 3, 8 and 2:20) · δωρέομαι ‘grant’ comes at vv.3 and 4, the verb of Mark 15:45 · θεῖος ‘divine’ comes at vv.3 and 4 — in the New Testament this adjective stands only here and at Acts 17:29 · μέγιστος ‘greatest’ is also once, the superlative of μέγας · ἐπάγγελμα is a different lemma from ἐπαγγελία ‘promise’, and both its New Testament places are in this letter · all three places of ἀποφεύγω ‘flee away from’ are in this letter.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The Received Text has ‘Simon’; the base text carries the Semitic form, as Acts 15:14 does.
Basis 2 Thess 1:12 and Titus 2:13 were already left open — the text does not say whether one or two.
Basis It is the verb by which Pilate granted the corpse — ‘gave’ would merge it with δίδωμι.
Lost in translation
ἰσότιμος (v.1) — one root with ‘precious’ at Luke 7:2. Both keep it.
Two names under one article (vv.1 · 11) — one or two is not said. Both leave it open.
θεῖος twice (vv.3 · 4) — only here and Acts 17:29. Both keep one word.
ἐπάγγελμα (v.4) — a different lemma from ἐπαγγελία ‘promise’. Both keep them apart.
ἀποφεύγω (v.4) — ‘flee’ at Matt 2:13 with a prefix. Both keep the piece.
Συμεών (v.1) — the base text carries the Semitic form. Both render it.
Why this rendering
2Pet.1.11 Observation
Syntactic observation
σπουδὴν πᾶσαν παρεισενέγκαντες ἐπιχορηγήσατε ἐν τῇ πίστει ὑμῶν τὴν ἀρετήν … vv.5-7 chain eight words — faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, piety, brotherly love, love — each becoming the place of the next, seven steps interlocking · παρεισφέρω ‘bring in besides’ is once in the New Testament · ἐπιχορηγέω ‘supply’ frames vv.5 and 11 — the congregation supplies, and God supplies · ἀρετή ‘virtue’ comes at vv.3 and 5 — God’s virtue becomes the congregation’s · μυωπάζω ‘be short-sighted’ and λήθη ‘forgetfulness’ are also once · τυφλός ‘blind’ and μυωπάζω stand side by side in one verse and the text does not resolve the clash · βεβαίαν … ποιεῖσθαι is middle, and βεβαιότερον at v.19 is the same root · πταίω ‘stumble’ is the verb of Jas 2:10 and 3:2.
Rendering options · 3
Basis Each term becomes the place of the next — smoothing it to ‘add to’ would lose the interlocking.
Basis The text sets ‘blind’ and ‘short-sighted’ side by side — dropping either would lose the clash it makes.
Basis vv.5 and 11 use one verb, active and passive.
Lost in translation
A chain of eight (vv.5-7) — each the place of the next. Both render the interlocking.
ἐπιχορηγέω (vv.5 · 11) — one verb framing. Both keep it.
ἀρετή (vv.3 · 5) — God’s virtue becomes the congregation’s. Both keep one word.
τυφλός / μυωπάζω (v.9) — side by side and clashing. Both leave it.
βέβαιος (vv.10 · 19) — one root twice. Both keep ‘sure’.
πταίω (v.10) — the verb of Jas 2:10. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
2Pet.1.15 Observation
Syntactic observation
Διὸ ⸀μελλήσω ἀεὶ ὑμᾶς ὑπομιμνῄσκειν περὶ τούτων … σκήνωμα ‘dwelling’ comes at vv.13 and 14, the word of Acts 7:46 — the body likened to a tent, though the text never says so · ἀπόθεσις ‘laying aside’ returns from 1 Pet 3:21 — there the dirt of the flesh, here his own dwelling · ταχινός ‘swift’ stands only at 1:14 and 2:1 · ἔξοδος ‘departure’ is the word of Luke 9:31, where it too names what he was to fulfil at Jerusalem — not turned into ‘death’ · σπουδάζω ‘be diligent’ comes at vv.10 and 15, one root with σπουδή ‘diligence’ at v.5 · ἑκάστοτε ‘at every time’ and μνήμη ‘memory’ are also once · διεγείρω ‘rouse’ is the verb by which they woke Jesus at Mark 4:39 · ⸀μελλήσω is future.
Rendering options · 3
Basis ‘Tent’ belongs to σκηνή, and the text never names the body.
Basis It is the word Moses and Elijah spoke of on the mountain — ‘death’ would cut that link.
Basis It is the verb by which they woke Jesus in the storm.
Lost in translation
σκήνωμα twice (vv.13 · 14) — the body likened to a tent, unsaid. Both leave it unfilled.
ἀπόθεσις (v.14) — the word of 1 Pet 3:21. Both stand alike.
ἔξοδος (v.15) — the word of Luke 9:31. Both stand alike.
σπουδή / σπουδάζω (vv.5 · 10 · 15) — one root three times. Both keep it.
ὑπόμνησις / ὑπομιμνῄσκω (vv.12 · 13) — one root in two verses. Both keep it.
διεγείρω (v.13) — the verb of Mark 4:39. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
2Pet.1.21 Observation
Syntactic observation
Οὐ γὰρ σεσοφισμένοις μύθοις ἐξακολουθήσαντες ἐγνωρίσαμεν … ἐπόπτης ‘beholder’ is once in the New Testament, the agent of ἐποπτεύω ‘look on’ at 1 Pet 2:12 and 3:2 — the word that letter used of watching a congregation’s conduct is used here of the glory on the mountain · v.17 takes up Matt 17:5 with different wording — the base text has ⸂Ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός μου οὗτός ἐστιν⸃, the order reversed, and there is no ‘listen to him’ · μεγαλοπρεπής ‘befitting greatness’ is also once, joining μέγας ‘great’ and πρέπω ‘be fitting’ · φέρω comes at vv.17, 18 and 21 — a voice is borne, prophecy is borne, men are carried along · προφητικός, αὐχμηρός, διαυγάζω, φωσφόρος and ἐπίλυσις are all once · φωσφόρος ‘light-bearer’ joins φῶς ‘light’ and φέρω ‘bear’, sharing a piece with the φέρω of v.21 · whose unfolding the genitive of v.20 names the text does not say.
Rendering options · 3
Basis ‘Look on’ at 1 Pet 2:12 and 3:2 is this word’s verb — ‘eyewitness’ would merge it with αὐτόπτης at Luke 1:2.
Basis It joins ‘great’ and ‘be fitting’ — ‘the Majestic Glory’ would lose both pieces.
Basis ‘Morning star’ would bring in a star the text does not name and lose the piece it shares with v.21.
Lost in translation
ἐπόπτης (v.16) — from the verb of 1 Pet 2:12. Both keep the link.
μεγαλοπρεπής (v.17) — two pieces joined. Both keep them.
φέρω three times (vv.17 · 18 · 21) — voice, prophecy and men all borne. Both keep one word.
φωσφόρος (v.19) — sharing a piece with ‘borne’ at v.21. Neither locale carries the sharing.
The words of v.17 — the order differs from Matt 17:5 and there is no ‘listen’. Both follow the base text.
ἰδίας ἐπιλύσεως (v.20) — whose unfolding is not said. Both leave it unfilled.