What Does 2 Peter 2:9 Mean in the King James?
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Lord’s knowing is active: it includes a way to deliver from trial and a keeping that holds injustice answerable.
THE MEANING
In the testing you face now, the Lord knows how to deliver the godly from it. Injustice remains within his keeping until judgment; waiting does not place it beyond his reach.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that delayed judgment means injustice has escaped notice.
THE ROOT
ῥύεσθαι
rhyesthai
GROWS FROM
ῥυ-
rhy-
Rescue or deliver from danger.
The Greek verb ῥύομαι (rhyomai, rescue or deliver) names intervention against danger. Here, the Lord’s knowing is expressed as the capacity to rescue.
ALSO GROWS
rhyomai: Rescue, deliver.
ῥύομαι
This is the dictionary form of the verb in the verse: deliverance is an action taken against danger.
rhyomenos: One who rescues; a deliverer.
ῥυόμενος
The same verb family can name the one doing the rescuing, bringing the Lord’s active role into view.
τηρεῖν
tērein
GROWS FROM
τηρ-
tēr-
Keep, watch over, guard.
The Greek verb τηρέω (tēreō, keep or guard) gives “reserve” the sense of active keeping. The unjust remain within the Lord’s keeping while judgment awaits; delay does not mean they are forgotten.
ALSO GROWS
tēreō: Keep, guard, watch over.
τηρέω
This is the dictionary form behind the verse’s “reserve,” showing that judgment’s delay does not mean the unjust have slipped away.
tērēsis: Keeping, guarding.
τήρησις
This related noun makes the idea of continued keeping explicit.
ἀδίκους
adikous
GROWS FROM
δικ-
dik-
Right, justice, what is aligned.
The Greek word ἄδικος (adikos, unjust) is formed with a privative opening on the family of justice: it names what is out of alignment. The verse holds this condition within the scope of judgment.
ALSO GROWS
dikaios: Just, aligned.
δίκαιος
This related word names the condition set against “unjust” in the verse.
dikaiosynē: Justice, alignment.
δικαιοσύνη
This word from the same family brings the underlying measure of the contrast into view.
THE PATTERN
The Lord’s knowledge of testing includes a practical path of deliverance from it.
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.THE THREAD
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.The Greek verb ῥύομαι (rhyomai, rescue or deliver) appears in both verses. Here it opens “deliver” as active rescue from what threatens, while 2 Peter also shows the other side: injustice remains kept for judgment.
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