But these, as natural brute beasts,— But these, as animals, by nature void of reason, born for capture and destruction, railing against things in which they are ignorant, shall be utterly corrupted [or perish] in their own corruption. Benson. Dr. Whitby would render it, But these are as animals void of reason, &c. Indeed it is evident, that it must be explained as a general assertion relating to some violence of temper; as no sin of the tongue (which is immediately afterwards spoken of) could be the resemblance of a brute. It may refer to their running headlong into extremedanger,towhich their licentious manner of speech, especially when attacking the characters of governors, might very naturally expose them. See Jude, 2 Peter 2:10. The word φθοραν, corruption, is twice used in this verse: in the first place, for a natural corruption, or destruction: in the last for moral corruption, or vice. Their moral corruption, if persisted in, would bring on their natural corruption; or, in other words, vice would lead them to misery and ruin, They were like brute animals in being governed by sense and appetite; and, like them, they would fall into a snare. They were like brutes, and were, in respect to the present life, to perish like brutes.
Related Commentaries of 2 Peter 2:12
2 Peter 2:12
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;