Matthew Henry Commentary Jude 1:8-16

"Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities. But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed. Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved forever. And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their lusts (and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words]), showing respect of persons for the sake of advantage." — Jude 1:8-16 (ASV)

False teachers are dreamers; they greatly defile and grievously wound the soul. These teachers have a disturbed mind and a seditious spirit, forgetting that the powers that be, are ordained of God (Romans 13:1). Regarding the contest about the body of Moses, it appears that Satan wished to make the place of his burial known to the Israelites to tempt them to worship him. However, he was prevented and vented his rage in desperate blasphemy. This should remind all who dispute never to bring railing charges.

Also, learn from this that we ought to defend those whom God acknowledges. It is hard, if not impossible, to find any enemies of the Christian religion who did not, and do not, live in open or secret contradiction to the principles of natural religion. Such people are here compared to brute beasts, though they often boast of themselves as the wisest of mankind. They corrupt themselves in the things most open and plain.

The fault lies not in their understanding but in their depraved wills and their disordered appetites and affections. It is a great reproach to religion, though unjust, when those who profess it are opposed to it in heart and life. The Lord will remedy this in His time and way, not in humanity's blind way of plucking up the wheat with the tares. It is sad when people begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh.

They are twice dead; they had been once dead in their natural, fallen state, but now they are dead again by the evident proofs of their hypocrisy. Dead trees, why do they encumber the ground? Away with them to the fire! Raging waves are a terror to sailing passengers, but when they get into port, the noise and terror are ended.

False teachers are to expect the worst punishments in this world and in the world to come. They glare like meteors, or falling stars, and then sink into the blackness of darkness forever. We have no mention of the prophecy of Enoch in any other part or place of Scripture; yet one plain text of Scripture proves any point we are to believe. We find from this that Christ's coming to judge was prophesied of as early as the times before the Flood.

The Lord cometh: what a glorious time that will be! Notice how often the word “ungodly” is repeated. Many now do not refer to the terms godly or ungodly at all, unless it is to mock even the words; but it is not so in the language taught to us by the Holy Spirit. Hard speeches against one another, especially if ill-founded, will certainly be brought into account at the day of judgment. These evil men and seducers are angry at everything that happens and are never pleased with their own state and condition.

Their will and their whim are their only rule and law. Those who please their sinful appetites are most prone to yield to ungovernable passions. The men of God, from the beginning of the world, have declared the doom pronounced on them. Let us avoid such people. We are to follow others only as they follow Christ (Jude 1:17–23).