ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

2 Peter 1.20-21

Book: 2 Peter · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

18. and this voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19. And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:

20. knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. 21. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:18-21, ASV)

WEB

18. We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19. We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the morning star arises in your hearts:

20. knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. 21. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:18-21, WEB)

KJV

18. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. in old time: or, at any time (2 Peter 1:18-21, KJV)

YLT

18. and this voice we, we did hear, out of heaven borne, being with him in the holy mount. 19. And we have more firm the prophetic word, to which we do well giving heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, till day may dawn, and a morning star may arise, in your hearts;

20. this first knowing, that no prophecy of the Writing doth come of private exposition, 21. for not by will of man did ever prophecy come, but by the Holy Spirit borne on holy men of God spake. (2 Peter 1:18-21, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: Simon Peter, writing as an apostle and eyewitness (1:1, 1:16), aware that his death is near (1:14)
  • Audience: Believers addressed as having received a faith of the same kind as the apostles' (1:1); 3:1 calls this the second letter to them, pointing to the same congregations as 1 Peter in Asia Minor
  • Location: Traditionally Rome, in the period of Peter's final imprisonment
  • Time period: c. AD 64-68 on the traditional attribution; the letter is written against teachers who had entered the churches denying the Lord's return and using freedom as cover for licence (2:1-3, 3:3-4)

Theological reading

The two verses form one argument about origin. The prophetic word is not a matter of private origination, because it did not arise from the prophet's own impulse. The positive statement in verse 21 supplies the mechanism: men spoke from God while being carried along by the Holy Spirit. Both halves are preserved, since men spoke and the Spirit carried, which is why the resulting text bears the marks of its human authors while being attributed to God. This is the letter's foundation for the authority it then exercises against the false teachers, and it stands behind the doctrine of inspiration.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

People:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.