2 Peter 2:13 kjv

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

2 Peter 2:13 nkjv

and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,

2 Peter 2:13 niv

They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

2 Peter 2:13 esv

suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you.

2 Peter 2:13 nlt

Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.

2 Peter 2 verses

2 Peter 2 13 Meaning

The verse describes the just recompense that false teachers will receive for their destructive and morally corrupt actions. It highlights their perverse pleasure in deceiving others through their debauchery, especially when participating in communal meals (likely love feasts). Their lives are characterized as morally defiling "stains" and "blemishes" within the Christian community, thriving on deceitful luxury. They revel in their wickedness openly and shamelessly.

2 Peter 2 13 Context

2 Peter chapter 2 provides a stark warning against false teachers who infiltrate the Christian community, bringing destructive heresies. Peter emphasizes that these teachers, driven by greed and sensual desires, will face swift judgment, just as God judged the angels who sinned, the ancient world through the flood, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Verse 13 directly describes the characteristics and coming recompense of these individuals, elaborating on their moral depravity and how their pleasure lies in their deceit and indulgence. They pervert the concept of Christian freedom into a license for sensuality and exploitation, all while appearing to participate in communal Christian gatherings. This verse specifically condemns their luxurious lifestyle and their defiling presence within the church body, particularly in contexts like the Christian love feasts (agapae), where they should be manifesting genuine love and purity.

2 Peter 2 13 Word analysis

• suffering wrong as the wages of wrongdoing. (κομιούμενοι ἀδικούμενοι μισθὸν ἀδικίας):

  • κομιούμενοι (komioumenoi): A future participle, implying "receiving" or "carrying off," often used in the New Testament for receiving one's due recompense, whether good or bad (e.g., Eph 6:8; Col 3:25). Here it underscores the certainty of divine judgment and consequence.
  • ἀδικούμενοι (adikoumenoi): Present passive participle of adikeō. This could mean "suffering wrong" or "being wronged." However, in this context, coupled with misthos adikias ("wages of unrighteousness"), it's best understood in a "lex talionis" sense where they are wronged by receiving what they justly deserve for their wrongdoing. They are the ones who do wrong, and now they receive the suffering for it.
  • μισθὸν ἀδικίας (misthon adikias): "Wages of wrongdoing/unrighteousness." This is a strong and direct statement that their payment for their unrighteous deeds will be suffering. It emphasizes that their future state is a direct consequence of their present actions, linking their character and conduct to their destiny. This echoes OT themes of recompense for injustice (Ps 94:23; Jer 22:13).

• They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. (ἡδονὴν ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τρυφήν):

  • ἡδονὴν (hēdonēn): "Pleasure," "sensual delight," "luxury." The root for "hedonism." It emphasizes that their motivation is base and driven by physical gratification, not spiritual truth.
  • ἡγούμενοι (hēgoumenoi): "Considering," "regarding," "thinking." They consider it a joy. This highlights their twisted moral compass – they find pleasure in that which is shameful and inappropriate, specifically revelry.
  • ἐν ἡμέρᾳ (en hēmerā): "In the daytime." This is a stark contrast to typical behavior. Revelry and debauchery were usually associated with nighttime. Doing it "in the daytime" signifies their utter shamelessness, boldness, and open defiance of social and moral conventions. They are not hiding their actions but parading their vice, which is often done to lure others into their depravity. This reflects their spiritual blindness.
  • τρυφήν (tryphēn): "Delicacy," "luxury," "indulgence," "wantonness." It denotes a soft, dissolute, extravagant lifestyle, specifically a lifestyle given to pleasure-seeking and self-gratification without restraint. This points to their material excess as a manifestation of their moral decay.

• stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you. (σπίλοι καὶ μῶμοι ἐντρυφῶντες ἐν ταῖς ἀπάταις αὐτῶν συνευωχούμενοι ὑμῖν):

  • σπίλοι (spiloi): "Stains," "spots," "defilements." Used to describe a moral blemish or spiritual stain. They are literally defiling elements within the Christian community.
  • καὶ μῶμοι (kai mōmoi): "And blemishes," "faults," "disgraces." This term, often used with spilos, further emphasizes their character as imperfections or defects, marring the purity of the body of Christ. Both terms are also found in Jude 1:12 to describe these same false teachers.
  • ἐντρυφῶντες (entruphōntes): "Indulging luxuriantly," "reveling." An intensification of tryphē. It means to indulge excessively, to revel in pleasure, implying taking delight in something with excess. This again points to their unrestrained indulgence, but here, in the context of their "deceptions."
  • ἐν ταῖς ἀπάταις αὐτῶν (en tais apatas autōn): "In their deceptions," "in their impostures," "in their deceit." They derive pleasure from their deceit or through their deceitful practices. This suggests a direct link between their pleasure and the lies they propagate, implying that their luxury is gained by deceiving others. Their "revelry" is inherently intertwined with their falsehoods.
  • συνευωχούμενοι (syneuōchoumenoi): "Feasting with," "carousing together," "sharing a lavish meal with." The prefix syn- indicates "with." This explicitly points to their presence and participation in communal gatherings, most likely the Christian love feasts (agapae meals). This makes their actions all the more egregious and insidious – they are corrupting holy fellowship from within. They share meals, yet they do so to pursue their own wicked pleasures and perpetuate their deceptions.
  • ὑμῖν (hymin): "With you." This pronoun underscores the personal impact and close proximity of these false teachers to the faithful. They are among the genuine believers, making their destructive influence a direct threat to the community Peter is addressing.

2 Peter 2 13 Bonus section

The concept of "stains and blemishes" (σπίλοι καὶ μῶμοι) carries strong Old Testament echoes related to ritual purity and sacrifice, where any defect or blemish would render an offering unacceptable to God. Applying these terms to people implies a spiritual defilement that makes them an abhorrence in the eyes of God and a marring element within His pure body, the church. This highlights the severe impact their presence has on the integrity and witness of the believing community. The explicit mention of their "reveling in deceptions" while "feasting with you" suggests a calculated, deceptive strategy. These are not merely misguided individuals but actively malicious agents who weaponize fellowship and spiritual trust to propagate their hedonistic agenda. The passage in Jude 1:12 parallels this imagery, describing false teachers as "spots (spilades - a similar root) in your love feasts." This strong intertextual link underscores the consistent danger posed by those who exploit Christian community for self-serving, immoral purposes, confirming the early church's struggle with such internal threats.

2 Peter 2 13 Commentary

2 Peter 2:13 is a forceful denunciation of false teachers, illustrating both their character and their inevitable destiny. Their ultimate reward will be a fitting punishment that corresponds directly to their "wrongdoing," emphasizing the divine principle of reaping what one sows. These individuals perversely find delight in open revelry, choosing to flaunt their indulgence even in daylight, a symbol of their utter lack of shame and their deep-seated corruption. They are moral "stains and blemishes" on the Christian community, defiling its purity and marring its witness. Crucially, they are described as "reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you." This highlights the insidious nature of their threat: they infiltrate sacred communal meals, likely the "love feasts" (agapae), which were meant to be expressions of Christian fellowship and spiritual unity. Instead, these gatherings become platforms for their deceptive doctrines and sensuous excess. Their "reveling in deceptions" indicates that their pleasure is intimately tied to the falsehoods they propagate and the sinful acts they encourage, often for personal gain. This verse serves as a sober warning to believers to discern those who outwardly participate in fellowship but inwardly embody corruption and prey on others with their destructive lies.

• Example 1: Like a parasite that thrives within a host, these teachers feed off the Christian community, using its resources and trust for their own unholy pleasures.
• Example 2: Imagine a celebratory family dinner ruined by guests who steal and mock openly, transforming a joyful occasion into one of defilement. These teachers act similarly within the church.