2 Peter 2:10 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

But chiefly them that walk after the flesh— The Lord knoweth how to keep all the wicked unto the day of judgment, to be then punished: but (though none oftheunrighteousshallescapeunpunished,)he will more especially punish those who are debauched, &c. In 2 Peter 2:1 the prophesy is mentioned concerning the rise of false teachers in the Christian church: that prophesyhad been delivered some time before by our Lord and his apostles. See chap. 2 Peter 3:2-3.Matthew 24:24. Now from this and the following verses it appears, that some of these false teachers began to rise up and fulfil the prophesy;for here is a description of persons who now existed. What is here called flesh, is by St. Jude, 2 Peter 2:7 called other, or strange flesh: by which may be meant all the foul and unnatural crimes of uncleanness. It appears abundantly from Josephus and other writers, that the Jews despised dominion, and spoke evil of all the dignities or magistrates, but those of their own nation; — notions which the Judaizing teachers were very apt to infuse. From which it seems most probable, that the word κυριοτητος, both here, and in Jude 1:8 is used in its proper sense for dominion or government; and that the word Δοξας, which follows, is by a metonymy put for the persons, as it is in other places. So that the meaning seems to be, "They despised dominion or government, as thinking themselves in all, respects sui juris, or not subject thereto, but at liberty to indulge their vicious appetites: as a consequence of which, they speak evil of magistrates, who restrain them by laws, which threaten to punish such immoralities as break in upon civil order. Whereas the good angels pay a regard to the divine order and regulation appointed among themselves, and use no indecent expressions towards the evil angels; not even when they see reason to oppose them." So that what is here said of the angels, is spoken by way of comparison, and brought in only for illustration.