2 Peter 1:19

βεβαιότερον -g0-. Originally a legal term. See note 2 Peter 1:10; cf. Philippians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 1:21. τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον, i.e. all in the O.T. scriptures that points to the Coming of the Messiah. The prophecy is now supported by its partial fulfilment in the Transfiguration. ᾧ καλῶς ποιεῖτε προσέχοντες. “to which ye do well to take heed”. “ καλ. ποιήσεις c. a or. part. is the normal way of saying ‘please' in the papyri, and is classical” (Moulton Proleg. p. 228). ὡς λύχνῳ … καρδ. ὑμῶν. Spitta would eliminate the words ἕως οὑ … ἀνατείλῃ as a gloss founded on Psalms 119:105; Psalms 119:4; Ezra 12:42. αὐχμηρῷ τόπῳ, properly =“dry” or “parched”: then “squalid” or “rough”. Here it means “murky”. In Aristot. de Color. 3 τὸ αὐχμηρόν is opposed to τὸ λαμπρόν. φωσφόρος. “Morning-star.” Not found elsewhere in Biblical Greek. The LXX word is ἑωσφόρος. In the poets, the word is always applied to Venus (Cicero, Nat. Deorum, 2, 20).

This verse has been much discussed. It may be well to mention three grammatical points that emerge. (1) The reference of ᾧ. It is simplest to understand it as referring to the content of the preceding clause, and not to τὸν προφ · λόγον alone, viz. the fact that the προφ · λογ. is now βεβ. on account of the Transfiguration. (2) ἕως οὗ κ. τ. λ. is to be taken with φαίνοντι, not with προσέχοντες. (3) ἐν τ. κ. ὑμῶν is connected with ἀνατείλῃ alone, and not with διαυγάσῃ. With these presuppositions we may briefly consider the two leading interpretations.

1. Mayor may be taken as representative of the view that the verse is wholly an exhortation to “search the Scriptures”. There are three stages: the prophetic lamp (τὸν προφ … τόπῳ); the Gospel dawn (ἡμέρα διαυγ.); the inner light of the spirit (φωσφόρος … ὑμῶν.). “The lower degree of faith in the written word will be followed by divine insight”. He compares Euth. Zig. ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος τοὺς ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ φωταγωγεῖ ἕως καθαρὸν ὑμῖν τὸ φῶς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου διαφανῇ καὶ ὁ νοητὸς ἑωσφόρος, τουτέστι Χριστός, ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν ἀνατείλῃ. (cf. Huther. Alford). The objection to this view is that it seems to ignore the place given to the Transfiguration as a religious fact for writer and readers alike (ἔχομεν).

2. Another and more probable view naturally takes ἕως οὗ … ὑμῶν as referring to the Second Advent. This preserves the usual meaning of ἡμέρα in the Epistle, and it also gives point to the striking sequence of metaphors. The λύχνῳ φαίνοντι is the confirmation of the prophetic word by the Transfiguration which the writer has given them (cf. 2 Peter 1:16); and this is made all the more probable if we take the reference suggested for ᾧ in (1) above. The αὐχμ. τόπῳ would be the world in which they live (cf. Psalms 119:105). This lamp is meant to serve until the glorious appearing. One objection to the eschatological interpretation of ἕως οὗ κ. τ. λ. is the phrase ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν which implies an inward Coming. This is largely repelled if we accept its grammatical connection with ἀνατείλῃ alone ((3) above). “The Morning-Star arises in their hearts, when the σημεῖα of the approaching Day are manifest to Christians. The fulfilment of their hope is at the door: the Lord is at hand” (von Soden). See note on 2 Peter 1:9.