Second Peter 2:1-22

II Peter 2:1-3:

^2:1But lying-prophets also came-to-pass among the people, as also lying-teachers will be among you, the-people-who will lead-in-beside (you) sects of destruction, and denying the Master having bought them, leading quick destruction on themselves; ^.2and many-people will follow-out with their licentiousnesses, because-of whom the way of the truth will be blasphemed; ^.3and they will merchandize you in covetousness with molded words, to whom the judgment from-old is not workless and their destruction is not drowsy.

A "lying prophet" is a false prophet, one who claims to speak God's words being revealed to him/her concerning the past, present and/or future – but a lying prophet does not speak the only true God’s words to the people, instead he/she speaks lies, false statements. This is in contrast to the true prophets and their prophecies referred to in II Peter 1:20 and 21. Continuing from the end of II Peter chapter 1, Peter writes:

But lying-prophets also came-to-pass (became, came to be) among the people (referring to the mass or group of people collectively as one unit),

as also lying-teachers (people who falsely claim to teach/instruct with God's Word which would include what was prophesied by the true prophets – but these will be false teachers, instructors who speak falsities, lying about the true Word of God and teaching false statements)
will be among you (holy-people, Christians),
- these lying teachers will lead-in-beside you (they will bring alongside you, even though what they bring into your company will not truly be part of your group; they will slip-by surreptitiously, stealthily, sneakily, but in fact they are against you) – what will they lead in beside you? –
  - sects of destruction (heresies, choices, opinions or chosen-ways which are different to the traditional way of thinking, used here in the bad sense of choosing what is against God; these sects are described as pertaining to loss, perdition, being utterly lost and ruined away-from God),
and the lying teachers will be denying (disowning, negating, rejecting)
- the Master (this word translated “Master” is despotes, not the Greek word kurios usually translated ‘lord’; “Master” means: the sovereign lord, the absolute-master, the despot, the one who has absolute dominion, supreme authority, and unlimited power; the word emphasizes subjection; here it is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Master; he is over his own slaves whereby his slaves figuratively have their feet bound in complete subjection to him in service during everyday living)
  - having bought them (as a person buys in a market-place – Jesus Christ paid the price which was himself; he shed his own blood for all, even those who refuse to believe what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus refuse the salvation that is available to them),
leading quick (directing, conducting, conveying swift or speedy) destruction on themselves;

…and a lot of people will follow-out (come after, go from everything that has happened)…

with/by their licentiousnesses (the debaucheries of the lying teachers who teach according to the lying prophets)
- on account of whom the way of the truth (the progress, manner of action, method of proceeding pertaining to and consisting of the essential reality, the inherent verity of God and the things of God)
  - will be blasphemed (spoken evilly against, calumniated, treated with lack of Godly reverential respect);
and they will merchandize you (perform a traveling trade, drum up business, they will be in business, they will trade to carry-out deals as in an emporium – the object they import into their business and which they will trade will be you holy-people for their own gain)
- in covetousness (within the cause and sphere of action of a constant wanting to have more than what God provides; it is greed, always grasping and reaching out to get something else more than what is right)
  - with molded words (words formed as from clay, as a potter makes his earthenware vessels, or as plastic molded into different shapes adaptable to their needs, and thus these words have no lasting value),
to whom the judgment from-old (the pronounced decision to/for/regarding people who behave in this manner, the sentence passed, the decision made or arrived-at issuing from the judging process, which occurred during a period of time that has now become old)
- is not workless (idle, inactive – in other words, the judgment is working, it is effective and producing results)
and their destruction (loss, perdition, being utterly lost and ruined away-from God)
- is not drowsy (torpid, dazed – in other words, the time of/for their destruction is alert and ready for the action of its implementation).

[Reference: Jeremiah 23:9-18, 28:9-17; Matthew 7:15, 10:25 and 33, 13:27 and 37, 24:11 and 24; John 3:16; Acts 3:13 and 14, 13:6; Romans 5:6-8, 13:13; I Corinthians 6:20, 7:23; Galatians 2:4, 3:13, 4:3-5, 5:19 and 20; Ephesians 4:11 and 19; Colossians 2:8, 20-23; I Timothy 2:6, 5:8; II Timothy 2:12 and 13, 3:5, 4:3; Hebrews 2:9; James 4:13; I Peter 3:18, 4:3; II Peter 1:16; I John 2:2; Jude 1:4; Revelation 5:9.]

Verses 4-10(a):

^.4For if God did not spare angels having sinned but He gave (them) over to bands of thick-darkness having confined (them) being kept into judgment; ^.5and He did not spare the old world but He kept-watch (regarding the) eighth-person (who was) Noah a herald of righteousness, having led a flood on a world of not-reverential-people; ^.6and He condemned (the) cities of Sodom and Gomorrah having made (them) into-ashes, having put² (them as) a pointing-out of the (things) being about-to (come) to not-reverential-people; ^.7and He rescued righteous Lot being worn-down by the behavior of the rejecters in licentiousness, ^.8for the righteous-person dwelling-down among them day from day in observance and hearing used-to-torment (his) righteous soul by (their) lawless works – ^.9(the) Lord knew² to rescue reverential-people from temptation, but to keep unrighteous-people being curtailed into (the) day of judgment, ^.10(a)but especially the (people) journeying behind flesh in (their) intense-yearning of (the) act-of-staining and despising lordship.

In truth, if God (since it is a fact that God)…

did not spare angels having sinned (He did not abstain from doing something to/with the spirit-beings who missed the mark of God’s Word to them, who swerved from the truth of what God said to/for them so that they would behave accordingly)
- but contrary to sparing them, He gave them over to bands of thick-darkness (He handed them along, delivered those angels alongside or beside cords consisting of thick darkness fastening or binding them by/in it; ‘thick-darkness’ refers to a concentrated mass of intense, black or dense darkness; they have been bound and cannot travel outside of it)
  - having confined them (after God banished them from the surface of the earth binding them into a bordered area, location or region of their imprisonment which is described by the phrase ‘bands of darkness’)
- being kept into judgment (those angels who sinned are presently being kept, as an eye being kept on them, they are being watched-over with a view to their receiving the consequences of God’s decision about their sin; the word “judgment” is the action of pronouncing sentence, the process of making a separating decision, the passing of judgment regarding their wrong behavior which will result in their death at the final judgment time; refer to Jude 1:6 and Revelation chapter 20);
and He did not spare the old world (God did not abstain from doing something to/with the beginning or former ordered-arrangement that He created)
- but contrary to sparing it, He kept watch (God was vigilant to watch, keep safe, guard) regarding the eighth (seven other people plus this man) whose name was Noah who was a herald of righteousness (one who proclaims justness, a proclaimer of justice, the state of being and doing what is right/just),
  - having led a flood (directed, conducted, conveyed a cataclysmic deluge, inundation down)
  - on a world of not-reverential-people (those who were without reverential respect for God, who did not have reverence to/for Him);
and He condemned (brought His decision, pronounced sentence, judgment down against) the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
- having made them into ashes (reduced those cities with their inhabitants to ashes, as from cremation [some texts include “with/by a catastrophe/overturning”]),
  - having put them (God placed, set them and this has not changed)
  - as a pointing-out (an indication, display, a presentation shown plainly under someone’s eyes)
  - of the things being about to come (on the point of happening, occurring)
  - to the people who are not reverential;
and He rescued righteous Lot (God delivered, snatched or drew Lot to Himself; Lot was just in the walk category, he was behaving in a justified manner, he was being and doing that which is right/just from God's viewpoint)
- being worn-down (Lot was being worn-out as with painful labor, caused to feel a lot of grief and hard work, becoming exhausted, subdued)
  - by the behavior (by the power of, from under the hand of the mode of living, way of turning-up, manner of moving-about during everyday living)
  - of the rejecters (the people who reject God’s Word, who un-put it, put it from themselves, they displace the truth during their everyday living)
  - in licentiousness (within debauchery, as verse 2 above),
- for the righteous-person dwelling-down (referring to Lot who was permanently dwelling, settling, housing, inhabiting) among them day after day
  - in observance (what he looked at, mentally envisioned or was aware-of as a result of what he saw, contemplated, even though he may not have physically seen everything that was going on around him with his physical eyes)
  - and hearing (what he heard, the thing heard, the heard report)
  - used to torment his righteous soul (this verb is in the imperfect tense indicating that the action of tormenting his just soul was continued or repeated on several occasions during a past period of time, not that it was a quick one-time occurrence – was tormenting, causing his righteous soul, the physical life of his body which was evidenced by breathing, and figuratively referring to his being, including his character and disposition as he was living his life, to be like a touchstone that is being rubbed against by other things testing it and thereby causing marks, forced pains, tortures to his righteous soul)
  - by/with their lawless works (their deeds, actions expending their energy producing effects that do not abide by God’s law, unlawful works, without God's law, works that are in violation-of, non-observance or transgression of the law of God);

…then (it is also a fact that): the Lord knew and continues to know (perceives, sees to the end of perceiving and knowing with His mind) …

to rescue (deliver, snatch or draw to Himself)
- reverential-people (those who behave with good/well service being respectfully reverential of/towards God)
  - from temptation (out from trials, from being put to the test in the bad sense of being enticed to do wrong),
but to keep (as to keep an eye on, watch over)
- unrighteous-people (those who are not righteous, unjust people, those who are not being or doing what is right/just from God's viewpoint)
- being curtailed (docked, pruned, as keeping them within limited bounds)
  - into the day of judgment (with a view to, directed to judgment day, the time-period of the action of pronouncing sentence, the process of making a separating decision, the passing of judgment, the decision being made in judgment),
- but especially (most-of-all) the people
  - journeying behind flesh (passing or traveling through their everyday living backwards or after the physical natural body with its soul/breath life, the flesh category)
  - within the cause and sphere of action of intense-yearning (lust, here used in the bad sense, strong desire attached or fixed upon certain objects other-than God and the things of God)
  - of/for the act-of-staining (belonging-to, pertaining-to, consisting-of the action that taints themselves and others, the activity of tingeing or coloring with something else that is not correct)
  - and despising lordship (thinking down-on or against mastership or dominion).

In verse 4 above, the verb translated “confined” is the Greek verb tartaroo which was used by some people to refer to the Greek mythological prison of the Titans or giants, but in fact it refers to the confinement of the angels which caused the corruption of mankind’s genetics prior to the flood. The children (progeny, descendants) of these fallen angels (which manifested themselves in the form of fleshy humans with super-human powers or supermen) and female human-beings were known as the “fallen-ones” in Hebrew (nephilim). Anyone stained by this genetic deformity (genetic engineering) could not be saved to God at any time because they did not have the same genetic make-up as the original man (Adam) that God had created.

Noah and the other 7 with him were the only people just prior to the flood that were not tainted by the fallen angels and therefore they were saved. Noah himself of course was the one among them who was a herald of righteousness. It should be noted that spirit-being angels are forbidden to leave their dwelling-place and the instructions God gave them to live-by as spirit-being angels; they were/are not supposed to interfere with mankind reproducing themselves. The devil (satan) initiated this among the angels that followed him in order to stop the coming of the Christ by his fallen race – but his plan did not succeed because Jesus Christ was born, lived, died, and has been resurrected (refer to I Peter 3:18-20).

Sodom and Gomorrah were cities that were in existence during Abraham's lifetime, but while Abraham was living God caused Sodom and Gomorrah to be burned-up because of the evils (such as homosexuality, lesbianism, different flesh, idolatry, etc) that the people in those cities were doing against God. God first made known to Abraham, via one of His ruling angels, what would happen, and Abraham had time to ask about any righteous people still living in those cities. God, via two of His angels, had Abraham's brother's son, Lot, and his wife and two daughters rescued out from Sodom.

An angel is a spirit-being whose office and character is one of a messenger in official service via words and/or actions. The word "angel" comes from the Greek word aggello which means to tell or deliver a message and therefore an angel could be called a "messenger." Those angels who have continued to take their instructions from the only true God are also now under the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. But those angels who have refused to take their instructions from God and have instead decided to follow the devil are known as devils (devil-spirits, demons, evil, unclean or unholy spirits). The devil (satan, the snake/serpent, etc) was once one of God's angels, but he rebelled against God wanting to take God's place and he continues attempting to do so. We should also note that the Bible shows us that no human-being was or is or will-be a spirit-being angel! Refer to Hebrews chapter 1 for further information regarding angels.

[Reference: Genesis chapters 6-8, 13:13, chapters 18 and 19; Matthew 6:13, 10:15, 11:23 and 24, 12:36, 24:38 and 39, 25:41 and 46; Luke 17:26-29; Acts 4:21, 10:2 and 7; Romans 1:26-32; I Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 1:16; Titus 1:15; Hebrews 11:7, 12:15 and 18, 13:2; James 1:12-15; I Peter 1:6, 3:18-20, 4:2, 3 and 12; II Peter 1:4, 3:6 and 7; Jude 1:6-8.]

Verses 10(b)-16:

^.10(b)Self-delighted daring-people – they do not tremble-at blaspheming glories; ^.11where angels being with greater strength and ability do not carry blasphemous judgment against them. ^.12But these-people, as natural wordless living-beings having been born² into capture and corruption, blaspheming in which-things they do not-know, also will be corrupted in their corruption, ^.13treating-themselves-unrighteously with (the) compensation of unrighteousness, leading (their minds to regard) the luxurious-living delight in a day.

Spots and blemishes – (they are) living-luxuriously in their deceits feasting-together with you, ^.14having eyes full of an adulteress and restless of sin, enticing souls not-set-fast, having a heart having been exercised² of covetousness.

Children of a curse – ^.15leaving-down (the) straight way they were caused-to-wander, having followed-out with the way of Balaam of Bosor who loved¹ (the) compensation of unrighteousness, ^.16but he had a refutation of (his) own aside-from-law, a soundless donkey having precisely-spoken in (the) sound of a man hindered the aside-from-thought of the prophet.

Peter continues by providing more information about the unrighteous-people being curtailed into the day of judgment, but especially the people journeying behind flesh in their intense-yearning of the act-of-staining and despising lordship. He also uses many comparisons, figures of speech, such as a metaphor (a declaration that one thing is or represents another thing), to emphasize and illustrate by demonstration exactly what he means.

Self-delighted (sweet on themselves, having the feeling of relish of taste towards their own interests, etc, focusing on their own pleasure, as opposed to delighting in God and the things of God)
daring-people (people who venture to do whatever they want to do) –
- they do not tremble (quiver) at
  - blaspheming glories (while they are presently and actively treating glories with lack of Godly reverential respect, speaking evilly against, calumniating the beings which are glorious, which have importance, splendor, renown, such as the true angels, the Lord Jesus Christ, and God Himself);

…where angels, which are presently and actively being (existing) with comparatively more-great (larger in quantity and quality, etc) inherent strength and able-power (capability) than these people…

do not bring (bear)
- blasphemous judgment (the action of pronouncing sentence, the process of making a separating decision, the passing of judgment, making a decision in judgment that would be blasphemous)
- against the people who blaspheme glories
  - [some Greek texts include the phase “from (the) Lord” or “before (the) Lord”].

But these-people…

as (in comparison to)
natural wordless living-beings (physical living beings such as animals or birds which utter sounds that are without any meaningful account, no descriptive words, unreasonable because they do not communicate with words)
- having been born and continuing born into (given birth to, brought forth with a view to, directed to, for, resulting in)
  - capture (being caught or taken captive)
  - and corruption (decay, the state of being corrupt),
continue presently and actively blaspheming
- in which things they do not-know (they are personally unaware or ignorant of),
also will in the future be corrupted (they will be caused to decay, made into a worse state)
- within the cause and sphere of action of their corruption,
treating themselves unrighteously (they are acting unjustly towards themselves, doing wrong to/with each another)
- with/by the compensation of unrighteousness (the wage or hire due or given to them as payment for their performance of unjustness, injustice),
leading their minds to regard (taking the initiative, causing it to be in their minds to view)
- the luxurious-living (the condition of delight and plenty, but in this context they do it in the bad sense of misusing what they have available, and so their minds and behavior become soft, delicate, because of not working as God wants people to work on the earth)
  - delight in a day (to be the feeling of relish of taste, pleasurable sensation, sweetness as though it were their right to have during any day).

Continuing to describe these people:

Spots (stains, marks)
and blemishes (faults to be found because of some defects, flaws in them, damaged-goods) –
- they are living-luxuriously in their deceits (living with delight and plenty becoming soft within the cause and sphere of action of their delusions, beguilements or allurements, especially by false statements)
  - feasting together with you (while they are having a ‘good’ time with you, eating well, having much to feed on in conjunction with you),
having eyes full of an adulteress (their eyes are satiated, as a person is full to satisfaction with food, of/with a female adulterous person, referring to their looking and being satisfied with seeing the voluntary action of debasing oneself with/by someone or something else that is contaminating or defiling from God's viewpoint; and this includes the figurative sense regarding the behavior of leaving the only true God and being with some other so-called god)
and restless of sin (having no resting time and place from sin, without any downtime from committing that-which is against God, unceasing performance of sin),
- enticing souls not-set-fast (deceiving, baiting, catching, like a fish is caught by the one fishing, alluring physical human-beings who are not fixed, souls not established on the truth of God’s Word),
having a heart (figuratively referring to the center or core of their being, the seat of their whole personal self and life – here referred to as one group or body of people having one heart)
- that has been exercised and it is still exercised (trained as a gymnast without any hindrance)
- of/with covetousness (a constant wanting to have more than what God provides; it is greed, always grasping and reaching out to get something else more than what is right).

Continuing to describe these people, Peter uses the phrase “children of a curse.” When the Bible refers to someone or something as being "sons" or "children" of such-and-such which is intangible, for example "children of a curse" we must recognize that this is a figure of speech. The word "curse" denotes the quality of these "children" and the phrase indicates their essence, making a distinction regarding them from those who are not children of a curse.

A ‘curse’ refers to what is spoken against another that would be harmful to the recipient if/when it would come to pass. It can be a judgment pronounced by God down against a person, thing, or situation who/which would violate what He says – or for men, an imprecation made against another, prayer or supplication for something to come to pass against some person, thing, or situation, invoking something against another that would be harmful to the recipient if/when it would happen.

The essence of the children of a curse is that they speak curses and they are also the recipients of curses coming to pass.

Children of a curse –
- leaving-down the straight way/road (leaving it remain behind them; figuratively referring their leaving the right-on-course purpose, the right progress, the manner of action or method of proceeding that would be level in the correct direction for them to walk-on)
  - they were caused-to-wander (they have already been caused to err, not-staying in their rightful place, being led astray from the truth of God's Word, like a planet is constantly moving around when viewed from the earth unlike the stars which retain their position relative-to each other),
- having followed-out (they came-after or went-from everything that happened)
- with/by the way/road of Balaam of Bosor (figuratively referring to Balaam’s purpose, progress, the manner of action or method of proceeding that he walked-on)
  - who loved¹ the compensation of unrighteousness (the word "loved¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love - however, he extended this love towards the wrong object, instead of God and the things of God which would have been the correct usage or way for him to manifest it – Balaam directed this love towards the wage or hire due as payment for performing injustice, for doing what is unjust),
- but he had a refutation (a proving to be wrong, a convicting and convincing of error, which included the content of the refutation itself and the action of refuting him)
- pertaining to his own aside-from-law (his performance of a breach of law, illegal action, going against what God said, against the law),
  - the refutation was…
  - a soundless donkey (a donkey/ass does not normally speak with a human voice so as to communicate with people)
  - having precisely-spoken in the sound of a man (it emitted a sound speaking clearly, uttering words in a human voice)
  - hindered the aside-from-thought of the prophet (blocked, prevented the implementation of the thinking that Balaam had which was against what God said; Balaam was supposed to speak forth God’s words being revealed to him concerning the past, present and/or future to, before, in front of the people at that time – but he was thinking of speaking something else instead of God’s words; refer to Numbers chapters 22-24; from this time onwards Balaam had no excuse as he was fully aware of God’s displeasure at that kind of wrong behavior).

[Reference: Exodus 20:6; Numbers chapters 22-24, 31:8 and 16; Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, 23:4 and 5; Joshua 13:22, 24:9; Nehemiah 13:2; Micah 6:5; Matthew 5:27and 28, 6:24, 22:37-39; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 13:4-7; II Corinthians 11:3; Galatians 6:7 and 8: Ephesians 4:22, 5:27; II Thessalonians 1:7, 2:10; Titus 1:7; Hebrews 9:14, 13:11; James 1:14 and 27, 4:4, 5:5; I Peter 1:11 and 12; II Peter 1:16, 3:16; Jude 1:8-12; Revelation 2:14.]

Verses 17-22:

^.17These-people are waterless springs and fogs being driven by a storm, for whom the thick-darkness of the darkness was kept²; ^.18for precisely-speaking super-projections of futility they entice with licentiousnesses in intense-yearnings of flesh the (people) fleeing a little from the (people) behaving in wandering, ^.19promising freedom to them, themselves being-from-the-beginning slaves of corruption – for to whom someone was caused-to-be-inferior², to this-person he was enslaved² – ^.20for if having fled-from the stains of the world in full-knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but having been weaved-in again to these, they were caused-to-be-inferior²; the last-things became² worse-than the first-things to them, ^.21for it used-to-be a stronger-thing for them not to have fully-known² the way of the righteousness than having fully-known (it) to return out-from the holy commandment having been given-over to them. ^.22The-thing of the true proverb came-together² to them, “A dog having turned onto (his) own vomit” and “A sow having washed into a rolling of muck.”

These people are (represented by, they are in comparison to)…

waterless springs (wells or fountains which should be the source or issue of water but these are without water; how disappointing for people not to find any water after traveling to these springs!)
and fogs being driven by a storm (mists, foggy or dense cloud-like areas which are being moved, propelled by the power of a very strong and sudden gust of wind like a tornado; these would certainly cause everyone in the area to become damaged, hurt, and thrown into complete disarray)
- for whom the thick-darkness (for these people the concentrated mass of intense, black or dense darkness)
- of the darkness (the area without light)
- was kept and continues kept (watched-over; these people are about to receive it);
for during the time that they are precisely-speaking (emitting sounds speaking clearly, uttering words, which are)
super-projections of futility (super bulging masses thrusting themselves out and forcing their bulk into prominent positions before people – but these super projections are empty as to results, meaninglessness, uselessness, which would affect people’s behavior adversely if left in their over-swelled position in front of people blocking their progress)
- they entice (deceive, bait, catch, like a fish is caught by the one fishing, they allure)
  - with licentiousnesses in intense-yearnings of flesh (by their debaucheries within the sphere of action of lusts, here used in the bad sense, strong desires attached or fixed upon certain objects other-than God and the things of God, which belong-to, pertain-to, issue or proceed from physical flesh)
  - the people who are presently fleeing a little (barely escaping)
  - away from the people who are behaving in wandering (having their mode of living, way of turning-up, manner of moving-about during their everyday living within the sphere of action of error, leading astray, not staying in their rightful place, as verse 15 above),
- promising freedom to them (proclaiming or declaring the message of their intentions concerning liberty to/for those who are fleeing a little bit away from them),
  - themselves being from the beginning slaves of corruption (the people who are promising freedom to others originated and continue being slaves of corruption; this is not referring to the beginning of time or of the world, but it refers to their start of life and continued existence of being servants who are bound, bond-servants, slaves at the service-of or in service-to decay, the state of being corrupt) –

…in truth, to whom (or to which) someone was caused-to-be-inferior and is still inferior (in a lower position and state than what he was in previously), to this person (or thing) he was enslaved (made a slave of) and he is still enslaved…

for if after they (referring to the people fleeing)
- have fled (escaped) away from the stains (taints, tinges, coloring that is not correct) pertaining to the world
  - in full, clear and exact personal knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
but a second time they were weaved-in (plaited or braided within, entangled, intertwined) into/with these stains,
- then they were caused-to-be-inferior and continue inferior;
the last-things (latest state, quality of living, condition, situation, etc)
- came to pass to be
  - worse than the first-things to/for them (comparatively more bad, worse than their former state, quality of living, condition, situation, etc),
for it used-to-be a stronger-thing (during a past period of time it was continuing to be, or was repeated on several occasions – it was previously taking comparatively more force with exerted-power)
- for/to them not to have had full, clear and exact personal knowledge and still not fully-know the way/road of the righteousness (figuratively referring to the manner of action, method of proceeding pertaining-to the justification, showing them how to access it and to be and do what is just/right)
  - than, after they have fully-known the way of the righteousness, to turn back out from
  - the holy commandment (that-which is enjoined or commanded and is set-apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean – the sanctified commandment) which was given-over (handed along, delivered) to/for them.

The-thing of the true proverb (something spoken by the way, aside from ordinary speech, the true figure of speech) came-together and is still come-together to them (moved in conjunction with them, happened to them)…

“A dog that has turned back upon his own vomit” and
“A sow that has washed (bathed) returned into a rolling of muck (wallowing in a mire, slime, filthy mud).”

[Reference: Proverbs 26:11; Jeremiah 45:6; Matthew 7:6, 22:37-39; John 8:32-36, 13:34, 15:12; Romans 6:16, 8:2 and 21, 13:8-10 and 14; I Corinthians 7:19 and 22, 14:37; II Corinthians 3:17 and 18; Galatians 2:4, 5:1 and 13-16; Ephesians 2:3; Philippians 3:2; I Timothy 6:14 and 15; Hebrews 6:4-8, 7:18-22, 10:26-31 and 39; James 1:14 and 25; I Peter 1:1-5, 2:16, 4:1-6; II Peter 1:1-4, 3:2, 15 and 16; I John 3:23, 4:21. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

II Peter Chapter 3