2 Peter 2:12

2 Peter 2:12 But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed,

Expanded Translation

But these deceivers are like (irrational or) brute beasts (creatures) who are born and exist in accordance with mere natural instincts unto (for) the capture (taking, catching) and slaughter, (in that in both cases their doom is certain). Railing and speaking reproachfully in matters of which they are ignorant and do not understand, they shall because of[68] their (spiritually and morally) corrupting influence certainly be destroyed themselves (i.e., perish eternally).

[68] Literally, in their corrupting. But Dana and Mantey (in A Manual-Grammar of the Greek New Testament) show that en (in) may have the resultant meaning because of, as in Romans 1:24, Colossians 1:21.

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But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed

The second comma in this phrase could be ommitted. The false teacher was as (hos, like as, similar to) the brute beast in that his doom was certain and unavoidable, Compare the similar picture drawn in James 5:5. As brute beasts are born and raised for the inevitable day of slaughter, so the everlasting misery of these men awaited them, and would just as certainly befall them. The word destroyed (phthora) here means killing, slaughter (Bagster).

railing in matters whereof they are ignorant

Railing (blasphemeo) also appears in 2 Peter 2:10. They use their slanderous and profane speech in regard to areas of knowledge of which they are ignorantwhere they do not know the facts of the case, Paul speaks of a similar group in 1 Timothy 1:6-7.

shall in their destroying surely be destroyed

The words in this verse translated destroyed. destroying. destroyed all come from the same basic Greek verb (phtheiro), In the first case it appeared as a noun (phthora) in regard to the animals that were killed. Its root idea is corruption, decay, destruction, or ruin. So the body which is subject to decay (corruption) shall not inherit incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:50). But Peter uses the word more often of moral and spiritual corruption, the depravity and decay of the soul (see 2 Peter 1:4, 2 Peter 2:19 corruption). In the phrase before us he is showing how the condemnation and eternal misery of these men was as certain as the capture and slaughter of beasts. They shall in their destroying (phthora, the noun) also be destroyed (phtheiro, the verb). Who were they destroying, corrupting, or bringing into a worse condition? Their followers! Their disciples were becoming inferior, lower, and rotten spiritually and morally BECAUSE OF THE FALSE TEACHERS-' CORRUPTING INFLUENCE! And what would be the reward-' for their services? THEY THEMSELVES would be brought into a worse conditiona much worse condition! They will be consigned to the black pits of Tartarus and reserved for the fires of hell!