What Does Jude 1:9 Mean in the King James?
Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
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 Greek makes “contending” and “judgment” echo one root, while Michael leaves the rebuke to the Lord.
THE MEANING
This verse holds a real conflict over Moses’s body in view: Michael contends with the Slanderer, yet does not bring a slanderous judgment against him. He leaves the rebuke with the Lord. The conflict remains, but Michael does not take the final verdict into his own mouth.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that being right in a dispute gives you permission to condemn the other person: even Michael leaves rebuke to the Lord.
THE ROOT
διακρινόμενος
diakrinomenos
GROWS FROM
κρίνω
To separate or distinguish; by extension, to decide or judge.
Jude uses διακρινόμενος (diakrinomenos, contending) and then κρίσιν (krisin, judgment), words from the same κρίνω (krinō) family. Their echo links the dispute to the judgment Michael refuses to pronounce, even as he names the Lord as the one who rebukes.
ALSO GROWS
krisin: Judgment; the form used in Jude 1:9.
κρίσιν
Its root echoes in διακρινόμενος, joining the words for contending and judgment within the verse itself.
anakrinō: To examine, question, or investigate.
ἀνακρίνω
This branch shows that the same root can describe examination and discernment as well as judgment.
synkrinō: To compare or interpret.
συγκρίνω
This branch carries the sense of weighing things in relation to one another, widening the root’s range beyond a verbal dispute.
THE PATTERN
When conflict calls forth retaliation, scripture places vengeance with the LORD and refuses to make accusation the instrument of judgment.
The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.THE THREAD
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:Peter’s “judgeth” is κρίνοντι (krinonti, judging), from the same κρίνω (krinō) family echoed by Jude’s διακρινόμενος (diakrinomenos, contending) and κρίσιν (krisin, judgment). Both verses hold the conflict in view while placing judgment with God.
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