Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Peter 2:12

"But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed," — 2 Peter 2:12 (ASV)

But these, as natural brute beasts.—The commentator advises omitting "natural." This verse appears to strongly indicate that our Epistle was written first. The literary form of Jude 1:10 is so much superior—the antithesis (entirely lacking here) between abusing what they cannot know and misusing what they cannot help knowing is so effective and would be so easily remembered—that it is improbable that a writer, willing to adopt so much, would not have also adopted this aspect. Moreover, whichever writer is second, it is evident that he was willing to adopt his predecessor’s material almost to any extent.

On the other hand, it is not improbable that a writer who knew this verse improved upon it by writing Jude 1:10. The verses, similar as they are in much of their wording, are very different in their overall thrust. Jude 1:10 is simply an epigrammatic description of these ungodly men; this verse is a denunciation of final ruin against them.

Made to be taken and destroyed.—Literally, born naturally for capture and destruction. "Natural" fits better here as a kind of adverb than as an additional adjective for beasts. Its meaning is that these animals cannot help themselves—it is their nature to rush toward what will prove their ruin; but the false teachers voluntarily seek their own destruction, contrary to nature. This verse contains one of the repetitions noted above (see commentary on 2 Peter 2:7) as characteristic of this Epistle.

The Greek word for "destruction" and "corruption" is the same; the destruction is literal in the first instance and moral in the second. Moreover, the word for "perish" is from the same root. "Like brutes born for capture and destruction, these men shall be destroyed in their destruction." But such a translation would be misleading in English.

Shall utterly perish.—A more authoritative manuscript reading gives us, shall even perish.

In their own corruption.—The commentator suggests "Own" may be omitted. Their present evil life anticipates and contains within itself the elements of their final destruction. Thus they bring it upon themselves (2 Peter 2:1). The correct sentence division here cannot be determined with certainty; the Apostle, in the full flood of his denunciation, hurries on without paying close attention to the precise form of his language. On the whole, it seems best to place only a comma at the end of 2 Peter 2:12, with a full stop or colon at unrighteousness, and to make what follows part of the long sentence, of which the main verb is are gone astray in 2 Peter 2:15.