2 Peter 2:22 kjv

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

2 Peter 2:22 nkjv

But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."

2 Peter 2:22 niv

Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud."

2 Peter 2:22 esv

What the true proverb says has happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire."

2 Peter 2:22 nlt

They prove the truth of this proverb: "A dog returns to its vomit." And another says, "A washed pig returns to the mud."

2 Peter 2 verses

2 Peter 2 22 Meaning

Second Peter 2:22 starkly illustrates the nature of apostasy, likening those who, having gained knowledge of Christ, return to a life of sin to animals reverting to their intrinsic defilement. It highlights that an outward cleansing or temporary change in behavior without true inner transformation is ultimately futile. Such individuals were never genuinely changed by God's Spirit, but merely made an external show, proving their true, corrupt nature in their return to previous abominations.

2 Peter 2 22 Context

Second Peter chapter 2 serves as a stark warning against false teachers who infiltrate the Christian community, deceiving and leading many astray. Peter describes their character: greedy, deceptive, morally corrupt, arrogant, and disrespectful of authority. He asserts that their judgment, though delayed, is certain, just as God judged fallen angels, the ancient world in the flood, and Sodom and Gomorrah.

Verse 22 comes at the climax of Peter's description of those who fall away. Verses 20-21 explain that these individuals had escaped the world's defilements through knowledge of Jesus Christ, yet became entangled again and overcome. Their "last state" becomes "worse than the first." Verse 22 functions as a concluding proverb, vividly illustrating why this happens: because their inherent nature remained unchanged, despite a temporary outward transformation. It underlines the severity of rejecting known truth, equating it with an animal reverting to its unclean nature because it was never truly transformed. The proverbs powerfully underscore the theme of intrinsic corruption resurfacing in those who superficially embrace truth without a change of heart.

2 Peter 2 22 Word Analysis

• But (ἀλλά - alla): A strong adversative conjunction, indicating a sharp contrast or contradiction to what was expected. It sets up the following statement as the grim reality for those previously described.
• it has happened (συμβέβηκεν - symbebēken): From symbainō, meaning "to happen," "occur," "come to pass." The perfect tense emphasizes a completed action with enduring results; this is their definite and observed reality.
• to them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Referring back to the apostates described in 2 Pet 2:20-21—those who "escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" but then became "entangled again therein and overcome."
• according to (κατά - kata): Denotes conformity or correspondence, indicating that their outcome is consistent with or measured by the proverb.
• the true (ἀληθῆ - alēthē): "Truthful," "genuine," "valid." The proverb is not a mere saying, but an accurate depiction of reality concerning human nature and behavior.
• proverb (παροιμίαν - paroimian): A "byword," "maxim," "proverb," or "dark saying." Here it refers to a well-known, universally applicable adage.
• A dog (κύων - kyōn): In ancient Near Eastern and Jewish contexts, dogs were often scavenging, wild, and despised animals, associated with impurity (cf. Php 3:2; Rev 22:15). They symbolize a base, unregenerate nature.
• returns (ἐπιστρέψας - epistrepsas): From epistrephō, "to turn back," "return." This signifies a deliberate reversal, a going back to what was supposedly left behind. The active voice highlights their agency in this regression.
• to its own (ἴδιον - idion): Emphasizes that the vomit belongs uniquely to the dog; it's an outcome of its own actions, something intrinsic.
• vomit (ἔμεμα - emema): An extremely repulsive image, connoting something cast out due to its offensiveness or toxicity, yet revisited by the animal’s unchanged nature.
• and a sow (καὶ ὗς - kai hys): "Pig," "swine." Like the dog, the pig was considered unclean by Jewish law (Lev 11:7). It further represents the animalistic, unrefined, and naturally defiled aspect.
• that was washed (λουσαμένη - lousamenē): From louō, "to wash," "bathe." This implies an external act of cleansing. It represents an outward reform, perhaps a profession of faith, participation in Christian rituals (like baptism), or temporary moral improvement, without a corresponding inner transformation of nature.
• to her wallowing (εἰς κυλισμὸν - eis kylismon): From kylismō, "to roll," "wallowing." This highlights the inherent desire of the animal to immerse itself in its preferred state of filth. It’s not accidental; it’s instinctual.
• in the mire (βορβόρου - borborou): "Mud," "filth," "mire." Represents spiritual impurity and sin.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "A dog returns to its own vomit": This phrase directly quotes Prov 26:11. It paints a picture of extreme degradation, where what was once rejected (vomit represents sin abandoned) is re-embraced. It illustrates the inability of superficial reform to overcome a corrupted nature. The dog's physical action symbolizes spiritual backsliding into vile habits.
• "and a sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire": This second proverb, possibly also a common saying, reinforces the first. The "washing" (an external act like religious instruction or outward conformity) fails to change the pig's natural inclination to revel in mud. It beautifully illustrates the distinction between external religious observance/moral reform and internal regeneration. These individuals may have looked clean or Christian for a time, but their underlying nature pulled them back to the spiritual "mud." Their superficiality of "cleanliness" exposes the lack of a new nature.

2 Peter 2 22 Bonus Section

The "true proverb" cited by Peter in verse 22 for the dog returning to its vomit is a direct quotation of Prov 26:11 from the Old Testament, illustrating the consistency of divine wisdom across the Testaments regarding human folly and wickedness. The proverb about the sow is a powerful companion illustration, universally recognized as capturing the essence of an unchanged nature. Both "dog" and "sow" were considered "unclean" animals under Mosaic Law (Lev 11:7). Peter's choice of these specific animals heightens the imagery of defilement and spiritual impurity, indicating that those described still operated under an unholy nature, irrespective of any outward "cleansing" or temporary moral reform they might have experienced. This verse highlights the profound difference between a merely moral or intellectual assent to Christ's teachings and the radical, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that produces a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Those described by Peter did not experience this fundamental change of nature; thus, their temporary outward appearance of cleanliness was merely a veneer, and they inevitably reverted to their true character.

2 Peter 2 22 Commentary

Second Peter 2:22 delivers a sobering and graphic assessment of apostasy, the definitive turning away from what one previously claimed to believe. The two proverbs employed are not just illustrative but serve as deep critiques of the false teachers Peter is confronting throughout the chapter. These individuals, despite having been exposed to Christian truth—"having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (v. 20)—ultimately reverted to their former patterns of sin and depravity.

The analogy of the "dog returning to its vomit" sourced from Prov 26:11 is intensely repulsive, portraying a voluntary return to something discarded as abominable. It underscores a fundamental lack of revulsion for sin that genuine conversion imparts. The "sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire" provides another powerful layer of meaning. The "washing" signifies an external cleansing or a superficial adoption of Christian morality or practices, possibly even partaking in baptism or church fellowship. However, like a pig's nature remains unchanged by a mere bath, these individuals lacked an inner, spiritual transformation. Their underlying sinful nature persisted, drawing them back to their preferred state of moral and spiritual filth.

This verse therefore implies that these apostates were never genuinely regenerated or truly saved in the first place. While they had an intellectual "knowledge of the truth" and even exhibited external "escape from the pollutions of the world," their core being—their "nature"—remained unchanged. They merely cleaned up their act without having their hearts made new. The end result for them is worse than their original state because they deliberately reject knowledge of Christ, making their guilt profound. Peter uses these analogies not to describe believers losing salvation, but to expose the true, unregenerate character of those who merely had a passing association with Christian truth.

Practical applications:

• Discerning genuine faith: True conversion involves a transformation of desires and nature, not just an outward behavioral modification.
• Warnings against complacency: One cannot rely on past religious experiences or superficial conformity; a continuous walk of genuine faith is essential.
• Understanding apostasy: Those who fall away often reveal that they were never truly Christ's sheep, but had only the outward appearance of discipleship.