2 Peter 1:14 kjv

Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

2 Peter 1:14 nkjv

knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

2 Peter 1:14 niv

because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

2 Peter 1:14 esv

since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

2 Peter 1:14 nlt

For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life,

2 Peter 1 verses

2 Peter 1 14 Meaning

2 Peter 1:14 expresses the Apostle Peter's profound and certain knowledge that his death is imminent. He understands that his physical body, which he likens to a temporary tent or dwelling, will soon be shed. This understanding is not based on speculation but on a direct, personal revelation from Jesus Christ Himself, underscoring the divine certainty of his impending departure from earthly life. Peter acknowledges his approaching demise with conviction, linking it to the Lord's prophetic word to him.

2 Peter 1 14 Context

This verse is situated within Peter's urgent exhortation to believers, urging them to grow in godly virtues and remember the truth of the Gospel. Having established the foundation of divine power and promises in earlier verses, Peter uses his awareness of his impending death (verse 14) as a crucial motivating factor for his present teaching and his earnest desire to leave them a lasting legacy of remembrance (verse 15). He intends to ensure their steadfastness and memory of Christ's truth even after his "decease." Historically, this passage reflects the reality of persecution faced by early Christians and the mortality of the apostles, making the urgency of passing on the faith a paramount concern. Peter is affirming the prophetic nature of Christ's words to him (John 21:18-19) regarding his own martyrdom, validating both his message and the foreknowledge of the Son of God. The phrase "this my tabernacle" implicitly counters any philosophical views (like certain early Gnostic tendencies) that might devalue the physical body to the extent of separating truth from material reality. Peter acknowledges the body's temporary nature, not its worthlessness, in anticipation of its future transformation.

2 Peter 1 14 Word analysis

• knowing (Greek: eidōs - εἰδώς): Derived from eido, to know with certainty, perception, and full understanding. It signifies not merely intellectual apprehension but an experiential, intuitive, and sure knowledge, a deep inner conviction. This contrasts with a speculative or uncertain future; Peter possesses a divine certainty.
• that (Greek: hoti - ὅτι): A conjunction introducing a declarative clause, specifying what is known.
• shortly (Greek: tachos - τάχος): Adverbial use, meaning speedily, quickly, soon, or without delay. It emphasizes the immediacy and nearness of the event. It highlights Peter's sense of urgency in delivering his final written instructions.
• I must (Greek: ophellō - ὀφείλω - often conveying obligation or necessity, implied in context): While not explicitly present as "must" in the Greek (the verb apothesis (to put off) implicitly carries a sense of an expected event or fate), the KJV accurately captures the sense of divine necessity and predestination for this event, as it was foretold by Christ. It is an appointed time.
• put off (Greek: apothesis - ἀπόθεσις): A "laying aside," "taking off," or "stripping off." It implies a voluntary or appointed removal, similar to taking off clothes. It avoids the harshness of "dying," presenting death as a deliberate removal of a temporary dwelling.
• this my tabernacle (Greek: skēnōma mou - σκήνωμα μου):
  • skēnōma: Refers to a tent, a temporary dwelling or habitation. In the Septuagint, it is used for the wilderness Tabernacle (the tent of meeting).
  • mou: "my."This phrase is a powerful metaphor for Peter's physical body. It underscores the body's temporary, transient nature in contrast to an eternal state, just as a tent is not a permanent structure. It evokes the nomadic existence in the wilderness, contrasting with a settled, permanent home.
• even as (Greek: kathōs - καθώς): A comparative conjunction meaning "just as," "exactly as," or "in the same manner that." It points to a direct correlation with what follows.
• our Lord (Greek: ho Kurios hēmōn - ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν): A standard title for Jesus Christ, affirming His divine sovereignty and their communal relationship with Him.
• Jesus Christ (Greek: Iēsous Christos - Ἰησοῦς Χριστός): The proper name and title of the Savior.
• hath shewed me (Greek: edēlōsen moi - ἐδήλωσέν μοι): From dēloō, meaning to make manifest, reveal, show plainly. This is a direct reference to a clear, explicit revelation or prophecy, specifically identified as recorded in John 21:18-19.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "knowing that shortly I must put off": Emphasizes the certainty (knowing), immediacy (shortly), and divine decree (must put off) of his death. Peter is not fearing death but recognizing a foreseen, inevitable, and perhaps divinely ordained, departure.
• "this my tabernacle": A poignant, deeply theological metaphor for his physical body, portraying it as a temporary dwelling for his spirit, echoing similar biblical descriptions (e.g., 2 Cor 5:1). It highlights the provisional nature of earthly life in contrast to the permanent heavenly home.
• "even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me": This phrase anchors Peter's personal foreknowledge in the prophetic words of Christ Himself. It's not a private premonition but a divinely revealed certainty, elevating the gravity and authority of Peter's preceding words in the letter and those that follow regarding his impending decease. This specific prophecy (John 21:18-19) concerning Peter's martyrdom is directly alluded to, giving Peter's words immense weight and authenticity.

2 Peter 1 14 Bonus section

The phrase "this my tabernacle" evokes the Old Testament concept of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, which was a movable tent, temporary and subject to being taken down and reassembled. This powerfully contrasts with the later permanent Temple structure in Jerusalem. This parallel emphasizes the temporary nature of human physical bodies as vessels for the spirit on a journey (pilgrimage) through life, awaiting a more permanent, glorified state in eternity. Peter’s understanding of his impending death, and its manner (as alluded to by Christ in Jn 21:18-19), reinforces the reality of martyrdom that many early Christians faced, grounding the hope of eternal life in the suffering and departure of Christ's followers. His calm and matter-of-fact tone in stating this underscores a true peace found in Christ, knowing his life's path, including its end, was under divine orchestration.

2 Peter 1 14 Commentary

2 Peter 1:14 distills profound theological truths into a concise declaration. It showcases Peter's spiritual maturity and unwavering faith in the face of death, viewing his bodily end not as a fearful termination, but as an appointed transition, a shedding of a temporary dwelling. This perspective is founded entirely on the revealed word of Christ, underscoring the New Testament's emphasis on fulfilled prophecy and the sovereign control of God over human life and death. The "tabernacle" metaphor powerfully conveys the transient nature of earthly existence and the body, preparing the believer's mind for an eternal reality beyond. Peter's certainty empowers his final exhortations (2 Pet 1:12-13, 15), as he is writing with the weight of an approaching "decease," making his message about remembering spiritual truth paramount. His impending departure is a testament to the veracity of Christ's words and the faithfulness required of a disciple, even unto death.