Jude, verse-by-verse

Jude 11-13 | Woes Pronounced on the Certain Men

• Verse 11 --

  • Having warned about certain men crept in unawares (v. 3) and about the judgment that would come upon them (vv. 5-7), and some of their behaviors (vv. 8-10), Jude now pronounces woe unto them!

  • In verse 11 he briefly presents three charges against them.

    
    First, they have gone in the way of Cain. This is to have envy leading to anger concerning the righteous deeds of others. See 1 John 3:12.

  • Second, they also ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward“prophet to the highest bidder." See 2 Peter 2:15

    
    Finally, they perished in the gainsaying of Core. The word gainsaying means "to speak against." The gainsaying of Core The destruction of those who went with Korah is given in Numbers 16:31-35.
    

• Verse 12 --

  • Verse 12 speaks of the unmitigated gall of these certain men. They are spots, literally "rocks washed by the sea." The imagery seems to be that of hidden stones within the food at the feasts of charity. These men are dangerous yet gather feeding themselves without fear at the "agape feasts," which were times of celebration in conjunction with the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:17-21). They were without fear because they knew where these spots were.

  • The verb feeding themselves is actually shepherding themselves, possibly a further reference to their despising of dominion in v. 8, or perhaps a derogatory statement of their habits, "pasturing themselves" (Compare Ezekiel 34:2).

    
    Like clouds without water or trees without fruit, they show potential but are just a facade.

  • The phrase trees whose fruit withereth is literally, "autumnal trees." The fruit has already withered, and now the leaves are dry and falling, thus twice dead. The certain men were twice dead in that they were not only still dead in their sin, but also were dead in their profession of faith.

    
    Verse 13 -

  • Jude continues in his colorful description of the men, calling them raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. Clearly, he is using a word-picture to describe their boisterous and dangerous demeanor.

  • Hey are also wandering starsπλανήτης [plantes] is used only here, from which we get "planets." Since stars do not "wander," this is precise scientifically. In Jude's day, at least five of the planets were known, being visible to the naked eye. The speaks of the darkness of space in which the stars must live their existence. It is also, no doubt, a reference to the eternal destination of these certain men. The certain men seem similar to those Paul described in Phil. 3:18-19.

    
    

    Jude 14-15 | Enoch's Prophecies

    
    

• Verse 14 --

  • Yet again, in this verse Jude tells us something that is nowhere else revealed.

  • We know from Genesis 5:1-18 that Enoch was the seventh from Adam“Hebrew style" and should be considered as follows: “Enoch is the seventh, from Adam to Enoch." The seven are Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, and Enoch.

  • This is the only place in the Scripture we learn of Enoch's prophecies. Here, under the guidance of the Spirit, Jude quotes from the book of Enoch, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints. Such quotation does not testify to the inspiration of the Book of Enoch, only to the truth of this particular statement. Some take objection to the fact that Jude quotes the Book of Enoch, saying (or building a case) that this makes either the book of Enoch as inspired, or it makes the book of Jude uninspired. Such conclusions are not necessary. In other places (Titus 1:12) extra-Biblical sources are mentioned. Furthermore, the quotation of a truth does not say anything about the veracity of other words from that author.

    
    Enoch mentions the Lords return with ten thousands of his saints. This is literally, "of his holy ones." This could be angels or the Jewish faithful. Compare Deuteronomy 33:2, Psalm 68:17, and Revelation 5:11, among others.
    

• Verse 15 --

  • The descriptions of the return given in verse 15 make it clear that Jude is referring to the Second Coming, not the rapture. His Second Coming is one of executing judgment.

    
    The Lord will come to convince the ungodly. The meaning of convince“to persuade," but “to conquer." The Oxford English Dictionary gives the first definition as “To overcome, conquer, vanquish."
    

    Jude 16 | Woes, Continued

    
    

• With verses 14-15 being parenthetical, Jude returns to his Woe unto them, began in verse 11.

• He calls them murmurers. The root, γογγύζω [*úzō*] is the word used that refers to the indistinguishable sound of pigeons cooing. They are also complainers. The is the only time the word "complain" appears in the New Testament. The Greek means "to assign a portion of the blame." It is no surprise that they are walking after their own lusts and speak great swelling words. Since these words can apply to the last days, the pompous mouth reminds us of their leader, the antichrist.

• Finally, they have men's persons in admiration because of advantage. This is literally, "giving admiration to the face for profit."