The Meaning of 2 Timothy 2:17 Explained

2 Timothy 2:17

KJV: And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

YLT: and their word as a gangrene will have pasture, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus,

Darby: and their word will spread as a gangrene; of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

ASV: and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: or whom is Hymenaeus an Philetus;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  their  word  will eat  as  doth a canker:  of whom  is  Hymenaeus  and  Philetus; 

What does 2 Timothy 2:17 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Timothy 2:10-18 - "approved Unto God"
The elect, 2 Timothy 2:10-13 : The Apostle sketches the experiences of the elect soul. It must endure, suffer, and die with Christ, that out of its surrender may come the truest, richest life, John 12:25. There is no path to lasting success save that of the cross and grave of Christ. It has been allotted to the redeemed in the divine program; each must tread it separately and with resolute purpose. But there is no doubt as to the sequel of a true life. The world of men may count it a failure, but God pledges Himself that as the pendulum swings here in the dark, it shall swing equally in yonder world of light. Three things are impossible with God-to die, to lie, and to fail the soul that trusts Him. Even when we cannot muster faith enough, His word of promise cannot be frustrated in the case of those whose faith is weak and trembling as the smoking flax.
The workman, 2 Timothy 2:14-18 : The one anxiety with us all should be to stand approved before God. As the r.v. margin suggests, we must hold a straight course in the word of truth. Our testimony should resemble an undeviating furrow. Let us construct in our life something which will be a permanent addition to the well-being of the world, so that at the last the Master may say that He is satisfied. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Timothy 2

1  Timothy is exhorted again to constancy and perseverance
17  Of Hymenaeus and Philetus
19  The foundation of the Lord is sure
22  He is taught whereof to beware, and what to follow after

Greek Commentary for 2 Timothy 2:17

Will eat [νομην εχει]
“Will have (future active of εχω — echō) pasturage or increase” (νομη — nomē old word from νεμω — nemō to pasture, in N.T. only here and John 10:9). [source]
As doth gangrene [ως γαγγραινα]
Late word (medical writers and Plutarch), only here in N.T. From γραω — graō or γραινω — grainō to gnaw, to eat, an eating, spreading disease. Hymenaeus is probably the one mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20. Nothing is known of Philetus. [source]
Will eat [νομὴν ἕξει]
Lit. will have pasturage, and so grow. Νομὴ πυρός aspreading of fire: a sore is said νομὴν ποιεῖσθαι tospread. Comp. Acts 4:17, διανεμηθῇ spreadof the influence of the miracle of Peter, from the same root, νέμειν todistribute or divide; often of herdsmen, to pasture. Νομὴ only here and John 10:9 [source]
Canker [γάγγραινα]
Transliterated into gangrene. An eating sore; a cancer. N.T.oolxx. Comp. Ovid:“Solet immedicabile cancerSerpere, et illaesas vitiatis addere partes.”Metam. ii. 826 [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 2 Timothy 2:17

John 10:9 The door [η τυρα]
Repeated from John 10:7. By me if any man enter in Condition of third class with εαν — ean and second aorist active subjunctive of εισερχομαι — eiserchomai Note proleptic and emphatic position of δι εμου — di' emou One can call this narrow intolerance, if he will, but it is the narrowness of truth. If Jesus is the Son of God sent to earth for our salvation, he is the only way. He had already said it in John 5:23. He will say it again more sharply in John 14:6. It is unpalatable to the religious dogmatists before him as it is to the liberal dogmatists today. Jesus offers the open door to “any one” He shall be saved Future passive of σωζω — sōzō the great word for salvation, from σως — sōs safe and sound. The sheep that comes into the fold through Jesus as the door will be safe from thieves and robbers for one thing. He will have entrance Future (linear future) indicative of ευρισκω — heuriskō old word from νεμω — nemō to pasture. In N.T. only here and 2 Timothy 2:17 (in sense of growth). This same phrase occurs in 1 Chronicles 4:40. The shepherd leads the sheep to pasture, but this phrase pictures the joy of the sheep in the pasture provided by the shepherd. [source]
Acts 4:17 It spread [διανεμηθῇ]
Only here in New Testament. Lit., be distributed. In 2 Timothy 2:17, “their word will eat as a canker,” is, literally, will have distribution or spreading ( νομὴν ἕξει ). Bengel, however, goes too far when he represents the members of the council as speaking in the figure of a canker. “They regard the whole as a canker.” [source]
1 Timothy 1:20 Hymenaeus and Alexander []
Comp. 2 Timothy 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:14. [source]
1 Timothy 1:20 Hymenaeus [υμεναιος]
The same heretic reappears in 2 Timothy 2:17. He and Alexander are the chief “wreckers” of faith in Ephesus. [source]
2 Timothy 2:21 From these [ἀπὸ τούτων]
From such persons as are described as “vessels unto dishonor.” Some attempt to relieve the awkwardness of this figure by referring these to persons mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:16, 2 Timothy 2:17. [source]
2 Peter 3:16 Speaking in them of these things [λαλων εν αυταις περι τουτων]
Present active participle of λαλεω — laleō That is to say, Paul also wrote about the second coming of Christ, as is obviously true.Hard to be understood (δυσνοητα — dusnoēta). Late verbal from δυς — dus and νοεω — noeō (in Aristotle, Lucian, Diog. Laert.), here only in N.T. We know that the Thessalonians persisted in misrepresenting Paul on this very subject of the second coming as Hymenaeus and Philetus did about the resurrection (2 Timothy 2:17) and Spitta holds that Paul‘s teaching about grace was twisted to mean moral laxity like Galatians 3:10; Romans 3:20, Romans 3:28; Romans 5:20 (with which cf. Romans 6:1 as a case in point), etc. Peter does not say that he himself did not understand Paul on the subject of faith and freedom.Unlearned Old word (alpha privative and μαντανω — manthanō to learn), ignorant, here only in N.T.Unsteadfast (αστηρικτοι — astēriktoi). See note on 2 Peter 2:14.Wrest Present active indicative of στρεβλοω — strebloō old verb (from στρεβλος — streblos twisted, στρεπω — strephō to turn), here only in N.T.The other scriptures (τας λοιπας γραπας — tas loipas graphas). There is no doubt that the apostles claimed to speak by the help of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:27; Colossians 4:16) just as the prophets of old did (2 Peter 1:20.). Note λοιπας — loipas (rest) here rather than αλλας — allas (other). Peter thus puts Paul‘s Epistles on the same plane with the O.T., which was also misused (Matt 5:21-44; Matthew 15:3-6; Matthew 19:3-10). [source]
2 Peter 3:16 Hard to be understood [δυσνοητα]
Late verbal from δυς — dus and νοεω — noeō (in Aristotle, Lucian, Diog. Laert.), here only in N.T. We know that the Thessalonians persisted in misrepresenting Paul on this very subject of the second coming as Hymenaeus and Philetus did about the resurrection (2 Timothy 2:17) and Spitta holds that Paul‘s teaching about grace was twisted to mean moral laxity like Galatians 3:10; Romans 3:20, Romans 3:28; Romans 5:20 (with which cf. Romans 6:1 as a case in point), etc. Peter does not say that he himself did not understand Paul on the subject of faith and freedom. [source]

What do the individual words in 2 Timothy 2:17 mean?

and the talk of them like gangrene pasture to grow will have among whom are Hymenaeus Philetus
καὶ λόγος αὐτῶν ὡς γάγγραινα νομὴν ἕξει ὧν ἐστιν Ὑμέναιος Φιλητός

λόγος  talk 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὡς  like 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὡς 
Sense: as, like, even as, etc.
γάγγραινα  gangrene 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: γάγγραινα  
Sense: a gangrene, a disease by which any part of the body suffering from inflammation becomes so corrupted that, unless a remedy be seasonably applied, the evil continually spreads, attacks other parts, and at last eats away the bones.
νομὴν  pasture  to  grow 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: νομή  
Sense: pasturage, fodder, food.
ἕξει  will  have 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔχω  
Sense: to have, i.e. to hold.
ὧν  among  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
Ὑμέναιος  Hymenaeus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ὑμέναιος  
Sense: a heretic, one of the opponents of the apostle Paul.
Φιλητός  Philetus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Φίλητος  
Sense: a heretic and a disciple of Hymenaeus,.

What are the major concepts related to 2 Timothy 2:17?

Loading Information...