John Calvin Commentary


John Calvin Commentary
"suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; [men] that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their deceivings while they feast with you;" — 2 Peter 2:13 (ASV)
Count it pleasure: as if he had said, “They place their happiness in their present enjoyments.” We know that humans excel brute animals in this: that they extend their thoughts much further. It is, then, a base thing for humans to be occupied only with present things. Here he reminds us that our minds ought to be freed from the gratifications of the flesh, unless we wish to be reduced to the state of beasts.
The meaning of what follows is this: “These are filthy spots to you and your assembly; for while they feast with you, they at the same time luxuriate in their errors, and show by their eyes and gestures their lascivious lusts and detestable incontinence.” Erasmus has rendered the words thus: “Feasting in their errors, they deride you.” But this is too forced. It may also be aptly explained this way: “Feasting with you, they insolently deride you by their errors.” I, however, have given the version that seems most probable: “luxuriating in their errors, feasting with you.” He calls the libidinous those who had eyes full of adultery, and who were incessantly led to sin without restraint, as it appears from what is said later.