The Meaning of Jude 1:23 Explained

Jude 1:23

KJV: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

YLT: and some in fear save ye, out of the fire snatching, hating even the coat from the flesh spotted.

Darby: but others save with fear, snatching them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

ASV: and some save, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Discover Jude 1:23

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Jude 1:23?

MEANING: What does Jude 1:23 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Jude 1:23 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Jude 1:23?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  others  save  with  fear,  pulling  [them] out of  the fire;  hating  even  the garment  spotted  by  the flesh. 

What does Jude 1:23 Mean?

Study Notes

flesh
Flesh, Summary: "Flesh," in the ethical sense, is the whole natural or unregenerate man, spirit, soul, and body, as centered upon self, prone to sin, and opposed to God Romans 7:18 . The regenerate man is not "in the sphere of the flesh," but in the sphere of the Spirit Romans 8:9 but the flesh is still in him, and he may, according to his choice, "walk after the flesh" or "in the Spirit"; 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 ; Galatians 5:16 ; Galatians 5:17 . In the first case he is a "carnal," in the second a "spiritual," Christian. Victory over the flesh will be the habitual experience of the believer who walks in the Spirit; Romans 8:2 ; Romans 8:4 ; Galatians 5:16 ; Galatians 5:17 .

Verse Meaning

Sixth, Jude gave instruction concerning those believers who have already fallen under God"s discipline by capitulating to false teachers. We should attempt to extract them from their error before their consequent judgment falls (cf. Amos 4:11; Zechariah 3:2). Fire is symbolic of God"s judgment in Scripture. Here Jude saw God"s judgment coming on believers for yielding to sin or false teaching. [1] And he also saw it coming on unbelievers. [2]
In the case of those whom heresy has completely swept away, we should have pity on them rather than condemning them without compassion. Moreover we should regard them with fear, not fear of being infected by physical contact with them, but fear of falling under God"s displeasure and discipline if we embrace their error. We should avoid any contact with these people because of the corrupting influence they can have on us through their words and actions (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). The "garment" stands for those things affected by contact with fleshly behavior such as personal habits and practices, speech, companions, and the like. Scripture often uses garments as a symbol of what other people see, namely, our conduct.

Context Summary

Jude 1:12-25 - Beware Of The Touch Of The Ungodly
What traps and pitfalls beset us! How many have fallen who had as good or a better chance than we! The angels kept not their first estate; Adam, though created in innocency, fell; Cain was rejected; Balaam, who saw with open eyes, was slain; Korah, who had carried a censer filled with holy fire, was hurled into the abyss! How can we expect to stand! Be of good cheer! He is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless, Judges 1:24.
In the succession of terrible metaphors in Judges 1:12-13, notice that in each case there is promise without fulfillment and appearance without reality. Such is much of the Christian profession of the present day. And from time to time, as Enoch foretold, the day of the Lord comes, with its retribution for all such.
The four exquisite admonitions of Judges 1:20-21 are worth pondering. Keep yourselves in the main current of God's love. Build your character after the likeness of Christ. Pray in the Holy Spirit; keep at the oriel window of hope. Christ is able to keep, and when at last we are presented by Him to the Father, we shall realize how much we owe Him [source]

Chapter Summary: Jude 1

1  He exhorts them to be constant in the profession of the faith
4  false teachers crept in to seduce them, for whose evil doctrine a horrible punishment is prepared;
20  whereas the godly may persevere, grow in grace, and keep the faith

Greek Commentary for Jude 1:23

And some save [ους δε σωζετε]
B omits ους δε — hous de them out of the fire Present active participle of αρπαζω — harpazō old verb, to seize. Quotation from Amos 4:11 and Zechariah 3:3. Cf. Psalm 106:18. Firemen today literally do this rescue work. Do Christians? [source]
And on some have mercy with fear [ους δε ελεατε εν ποβωι]
In fear “of the contagion of sin while we are rescuing them” (Vincent). For this idea see 1 Peter 1:17; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Philemon 2:12.Spotted (εσπιλωμενον — espilōmenon). Perfect passive participle of σπιλοω — spiloō late and common verb (from σπιλος — spilos spot, 2 Peter 2:13), in N.T. only here and James 3:6. [source]
Spotted [εσπιλωμενον]
Perfect passive participle of σπιλοω — spiloō late and common verb (from σπιλος — spilos spot, 2 Peter 2:13), in N.T. only here and James 3:6. [source]
Snatching them out of the fire []
The writer has in mind Zechariah 3:2,a brand plucked from the burning. Compare Amos 4:11. [source]
With fear [ἐν φόβῳ]
Lit., in fear; i.e., of the contagion of sin while we are rescuing them. [source]
Spotted [ἐσπιλωμένον]
Only here and James 3:6. See on 2 Peter 2:13. [source]

What do the individual words in Jude 1:23 mean?

others also save out of [the] fire snatching to others then show mercy with fear hating even the by the flesh having been stained clothing
‹οὓς δὲ› σῴζετε ἐκ πυρὸς ἁρπάζοντες οὓς δὲ ἐλεᾶτε ἐν φόβῳ μισοῦντες καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐσπιλωμένον χιτῶνα

‹οὓς  others 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
δὲ›  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
σῴζετε  save 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἐκσῴζω 
Sense: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
ἐκ  out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
πυρὸς  [the]  fire 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: πῦρ  
Sense: fire.
ἁρπάζοντες  snatching 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἁρπάζω  
Sense: to seize, carry off by force.
οὓς  to  others 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἐλεᾶτε  show  mercy 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἐλεέω 
Sense: to have mercy on.
φόβῳ  fear 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: φόβος  
Sense: fear, dread, terror.
μισοῦντες  hating 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μισέω  
Sense: to hate, pursue with hatred, detest.
καὶ  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
σαρκὸς  flesh 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: σάρξ  
Sense: flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts.
ἐσπιλωμένον  having  been  stained 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: σπιλόω  
Sense: to defile, spot.
χιτῶνα  clothing 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: χιτών  
Sense: a tunic, an undergarment, usually worn next to the skin, a garment, a vestment.

What are the major concepts related to Jude 1:23?

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