2 Peter 2:20

Here, again, γὰρ loosely introduces the subject of the victims allured by the false teachers away from their former faith. τὰ μιάσματα τοῦ κόσμου. (Leviticus 7:8, Jer. 39:34), occurs only here in N.T. In LXX the word seems to have a technical religious sense, the profanation of flesh by ordinary use which is set apart for sacrifice. This sense lingers here. The body is sacred to God, and to give licentious rein to the passions is μίασμα. Cf. μιασμός, 2 Peter 2:10, and μιαίνω, Jude 1:8. τοῦ κόσμου is the world in the sense of the heathen society and its practises. ἐπιγνώσει. See note on 2 Peter 1:2. τούτοις is governed by ἐμπλακέντες = “entangled by these”. Cf. 2 Timothy 2:4, γέγονεν αὐτοῖς, κ. τ. λ. Cf. Matthew 12:45; Luke 11:26, and Hebrews 6:4-8; Hebrews 10:26.