Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jude 1:11

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

11. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain ] We ask naturally what was the point of comparison. Probably in the case of those who were in the writer’s thoughts, as in most others, “lust” was “hard by hate,” and the false teachers were murderous and malignant, as well as sensual. The reference to Cain in 1Jn 3:12 indicates that his name was used to point a moral as to the issue of the “evil works” in the spirit of hatred and of murder. Possibly, however, here also the writer may have had in his thoughts some of the Rabbinic legends which represented Cain as the offspring, not of Adam, but of Sammael, the Evil Spirit, and Eve, and as the parent of other evil spirits (Eisenmenger’s Entdeckt. Judenthum, i. 832, ii. 428), and therefore as connected with the idea of foul and unnatural impurity.

ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward ] See notes on 2Pe 2:15. Here, as there, the main thought connected with the name of Balaam is that of the sin of uncleanness into which the Israelites were led by him.

and perished in the gainsaying of Core ] i.e. by a gainsaying which was in its nature identical with that of Korah in Numbers 16. Completing the parallel thus suggested it is obvious that as the false teachers answer to Korah and his company, so the true apostles and prophets of the Church of Christ are thought of as occupying a position like that of Aaron or Moses. The Greek word for “gainsaying” is the LXX. equivalent for the “Meribah” of Num 20:13; Num 20:24. A strange Rabbinic legend, while it placed the souls of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in Gehenna, represented them as not tormented there (Eisenmenger, Entdeckt. Judenthum, ii. 342).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Woe unto them! – See Mat 11:21.

For they have gone in the way of Cain – Gen 4:5-12. That is, they have evinced disobedience and rebellion as he did; they have shown that they are proud, corrupt, and wicked. The apostle does not specify the points in which they had imitated the example of Cain, but it was probably in such things as these – pride, haughtiness, the hatred of religion, restlessness under the restraints of virtue, envy that others were more favored, and a spirit of hatred of the brethren (compare 1Jo 3:15) which would lead to murder.

And ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward – The word rendered ran greedily – ( exechuthesan,) from ekcheo – means to pour out; and then, when spoken of persons, that they are poured out, or that they rush tumultuously on an object, that is, that they give themselves up to anything. The idea here is, that all restraint was relaxed, and that they rushed on tumultuously to any course of life that promised gain. See the notes at 2Pe 2:15.

And perished – They perish, or they will perish. The result is so certain, that the apostle speaks of it as if it were already done. The thought, seems to have lain in his mind in this manner: he thinks of them as having the same character as Korah, and then at once thinks of them as destroyed in the same manner, or as if it were already done. They are identified with him in their character and doom. The word rendered perish ( apollumi) is often used to denote future punishment, Mat 10:28, Mat 10:39; Mat 18:14; Mar 1:24; Luk 13:3, Luk 13:5; Joh 3:15-16; Joh 10:28; 2Th 2:10; 2Pe 3:9.

In the gainsaying of Core – Of Korah, Num. 16:1-30. The word gainsaying here means properly contradiction, or speaking against; then controversy, question, strife; then contumely, reproach, or rebellion. The idea here seems to be, that they were guilty of insubordination; of possessing a restless and dissatisfied spirit; of a desire to rule, etc.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Jud 1:11

They have gone in the way of Cain, Balaam Core.

Responsibility for irreligious speculations and sinful practices

The woe itself was undoubtedly to be proportioned to the extent of their criminality. One decided way of measuring the extent of their criminality was to be found in the evil effects of their speculations and practices. Murderers, in the legal sense of the word, they were not. It is on the consequences of their evil speculations and practices that they were so designated. By the unsoundness of doctrine and by the criminality of their practice, they had diffused around them a fatal taint. Licentiousness of principle and licentiousness of conduct entail a remediless woe both upon the body and the soul. It is true the plea might be offered that the fatal consequences had arisen, as it were, incidentally, without their being formally planned. But, according to the decision of the apostle, this circumstance alters not the case. On the contrary, that men are responsible for the effects of their conduct, even though they are directly pursuing other ends, he shows us, by referring to the remarkable history of Balaam. It might not be alleged that even Balaam, perverse as he was, had set himself out of rooted hatred to the Israelites, to plot their destruction. Still, however, for determining the measure of his guilt, it must be marked that his resolution was to enjoy the gratification of his covetousness at any expense. And thus it was exactly in regard to the persons whom St. Jude reprehends. They might be following some scheme of personal aggrandisement. It might only be in pursuing this scheme that they ceased to inculcate the doctrines of Christian self-denial and purity. Besides, to justify the woe pronounced, the apostle takes away every excuse for their conduct by showing that their resistance, both to the authority of religion and to the well-being of the Church, was parallel with the gainsaying of Core. Core knew perfectly the origin of the lawgivers authority–knew the meaning of the Mosaic ordinance and its sanctions, and the utility of obeying it–and yet he gainsayed the whole. How easily the application of all this might be made to the irreligious and ungodly of our own time! It applies to the bold speculators who, whatever be their general professions of regard for religion, undermine by false reasonings the foundations of Christianity. It applies to the band of the ambitious who, like Core, would destroy the peace of mankind in rendering themselves celebrated. It applies to the hordes of the covetous who, greedy for filthy lucre as Balaam, care not what a curse they inflict on others, if so be they may enrich themselves with the reward of iniquity. Let me request you, for the sake of illustration, to observe that serious responsibility which men of literary eminence have often incurred by directing their writings against the cause of religion and godliness. When genius degrades itself into the auxiliary of scepticism and licentiousness, it entails on the person who has successfully used it, the corresponding measures of criminality. Think on the mischievous effects which may flow even from a single copy of a profane and immoral writing. But shall the well-gifted sceptics whose genius has been employed to promote over the young and inexperienced the ascendancy of evil principle, escape responsibility for that long train of ills, the origin of which is traceable to their daring speculations? There is blood in their hands. They have destroyed souls. Suffer me, however, to warn you, lest we allow the view of their wickedness to absorb every apprehension of our culpability, and thus remain satisfied with expressing our displeasure at the evils which they have perpetrated, instead of examining our own hearts to learn how far we stand in need of the reproof. In our commonest intercourse we exercise an influence over one another which may operate for good or for evil. We may become the means either of promoting spiritual excellence and happiness, or of vitiating and so destroying the very life of the soul, in those with whom we associate. The consequences of our character and conduct in these respects, therefore, enter justly as items into the sum of our responsibility. The blessing or the woe must fall down on us, according as these consequences are beneficial or the reverse. Let me finish the discourse, however, with the pleasing thought, how much good may be done by us in the intercourse of our mutual relationships. Instead of destroying or even weakening the principle of Divine life in our brethren, we may become the effectual means of increasing its power and enlarging the sphere of its exercise. While the influence of irreligion and vice would tend to seal the ruin, the lessons and the example of pious and godly men are advancing the salvation of others. (W. Muir, D. D.)

The successors of Cain, Balaam, and Core

I. Like the first murderer, these heretics were fired with malice against the real and faithful followers of Christ. While we are often warned that the world is opposed to the true people of God, it may at the same time be said that no class of men regard them with feelings of such bitter disaffection as those who are false and heretical professors of religion. To the instinctive hostility of nature they add the sullen rancour of religious animosity.

II. To run after the error of Balaam is to teach doctrines calculated to foster the depraved affections of the heart–doctrines pleasing to flesh and blood, for personal and pecuniary ends. Such was the case with the seducers in the text, and such is the case with false teachers in every age. Having neither the knowledge nor the love of the truth in them, their main concern must necessarily be to turn their teaching to account in the way of advancing their temporal interests. With this view they study to accommodate their doctrines to the prejudices and private likings of human nature, being well aware that, without some dilutions and transmutations of the truth, they will not be so successful in their object. But of all the varied forms of error, the most attractive is that which has the twofold effect of soothing the conscience, and at the same time giving some scope and licence to sin.

III. The apostle declares that these seducers were also animated by the spirit, and destined to suffer the doom of that ambitious and mischievous rebel, core. Those who deny the only Lord God as they did, and who make light of the law of heaven, need not be expected to be very submissive to any authority established among men; and hence heretics have in every age been found to be seditious subjects and dangerous members of civil society. The very same qualities of character by which they are led to spurn at the will of the Supreme, will necessarily dispose them to resist and despise all other dominion. (A. E. Gilvray, D. D.)

False teachers

This short Epistle is chiefly directed against false teachers who were endeavouring to introduce pestilent doctrines into the Church, and to lead away its members from truth and godliness. It appears as though the apostle here tracked them through three different stages of guilt–the way of Cain, the error of Balaam, and the gainsaying of Core.

I. The way of cain. The apostle is not to be supposed here as referring to the atrocious act of slaying his brother. Whensoever reason is set up above revelation, whether the one be altogether rejected to make way for the other, or its statements reduced and modified that they may not exceed the other, then is there an imitation of the way of Cain. And if there be what approaches at least very closely to a rejection of Scripture, may it not be contended that men have taken the first step in a course, of which utter destruction is the probable termination? It was not at once that Cain became a murderer; but when he had adopted his deistical creed, he had brought himself into the position of one whom Satan might attack with incalculable advantage, and we marvel not that, when fierce jealousy was excited, he raised his hand against his brother. And thus with those who follow him in setting up reason as a standard, by which all proof should be measured; they have no security, no defence against the setting light by all their better convictions, till they have confounded all moral distinctions and persuaded themselves into the most unlawful practices.

II. The error of balaam. It is evident that covetousness was a ruling passion with these troublers of the Church; the apostle expressly says that it was for reward that they ran greedily after the error of Balaam, so that their imitation of the prophet, who wished to curse Israel but was constrained to bless, must have been in the love of the wages of unrighteousness. Balaam knew what was right; Balaam knew the future consequence of what was wrong; but, swayed by present interest, he determined on doing the wrong, and sought only that, whilst doing it, he might by some equivocation keep his conscience at ease; he was not ignorant, he was not insensible, but he was bent on securing a present advantage, and his whole concern was that in doing this he might not fly openly in the face of an explicit command. And is this a rare or unusual case? What! does not the world swarm with men who are thoroughly conscious that they can gain what they wish only through disobeying God, who are not moved by this consciousness to the resisting the desire, but who look about to subterfuges and palliations, that they may secure what they long for, and yet have some apology to cloak the disobedience? Is it unusual to find an individual who, with his moral eyesight in a great degree opened to the nature and consequence of his conduct, resolves on persisting in that conduct in hope of obtaining a favourite object, but who all the while attempts some process of self-deceit, that he may hide the offence he knows he is committing?

III. The gainsaying of core. This appears to be given as the final stage of depravity, the reaching which is the reaching destruction: they perished in the gainsaying of Core. It was a gainsaying which was directed alike against the throne and the altar. And the two are commonly combined. We say not that an irreligious man must be also a disloyal; but we affirm that a disloyal is almost always an irreligious. We know not how it can be otherwise. We know not how a good Christian can fail to be a good subject, submitting himself to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake. For our own part we will never believe that loyalty is merely an acquired principle, drilled into men by education and fostered by custom. We are persuaded, on the contrary, that we are born with a reverence of authority, that God placed it in us as a part of that moral cordage by which He would have society knit together. Whether or no they admire his personal character, whether or no they approve the acts of his government, most men, we are convinced, tacitly acknowledge the sacredness of a king, and are moved by awe of the office to manifest devotion to him who holds it. We regard the enthusiasm thus simultaneously called forth as expressive of a kind of irrepressible consciousness that a king is, in some sense, the vicegerent of Deity, as proving what we might almost call an innate persuasion that there is a majesty in him who wears a crown, which it is a species of sacrilege to refuse to acknowledge. The unbidding acclamations of a peasantry pass with us as echoes of a voice which is speaking irresistibly in their breasts, proclaiming that it is by God that princes reign, and that whom He delegates the world should honour. And if we may thus contend that loyalty is a natural sentiment, we aggravate most grievously the sin of disobedience to all those precepts of Scripture that set themselves against the gainsaying of authority. And who shall marvel that the gainsaying of Core, inasmuch as it proved an utter contempt of all instituted authority, both in civil and spiritual things, provoked signally the anger of God? It is given as the description of the last stage of enormity. The man who could join this gainsaying must have thrown off all fear of his Maker; for how otherwise could he take part in a league whose professed object it was to strip of power the persons of Divine appointment and to give to the meanest of the people that right of officiating with which one order could prove themselves exclusively entrusted? Thus it was with these seducers in the days of St. Jude. They had gone in the way of Cain, and run after the error of Balaam; but there was a great obstacle to their schemes; the authority of the apostles or of their appointed successors was held in reverence in the Church, and was directly opposed to their proceedings. Sooner or later they would have to undertake the overthrow of this authority, and thus add imitation of Core to that of Cain and of Balaam. But God would at length interpose, and, having suffered them to fill up the measure of their iniquities, would visit them with the weight of His indignation. They should work their own ruin. And thus would it come to pass that they who had to describe their career would have to follow up the announcement that they had gone in the way of Cain, and run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, by an account at once of a crime and its punishment–and they perished in the gainsaying of Core. (H. Melvill, B. D.)

The way of Cain

I. The way of cain is the way of sinners in general.

1. A way of ignorance. He murdered his brother because he hated him; he hated him because his sacrifice was accepted of the Lord, whilst his own was rejected; his sacrifice was rejected because he offered the wrong offering upon the altar; he gave the wrong offering because he was ignorant of his own state before God, and ignorant of Gods requirements. He was willing to worship, but it must be a worship dictated by his taste, and not one in obedience to Gods will. Cains religion is now the most respectable and popular religion of the day. It involves no abasement in the dust; no humiliating confession of sinnership; no absolute dependence out of self. It flatters mans pride, exalts his reason, and just suits the carnal heart that wants a religion to make his respectability complete. Cains religion is the curse of the day. It chloroforms men into insensibility and indifference. Had they none there would perhaps be more hope for them, for when sinners were appealed to they would feel they were addressed, but as it is they put themselves down as part of the religious world, and perhaps a better name could hardly be found to describe them, for they have a religious worldliness, or if you prefer the title a worldly religiousness.

2. A way of worldliness. Hardened and despairing he goes out from the presence of the Lord, builds a city, and seeks to drown remorse in pleasure. He and his descendants busy themselves in trying to make this world a pleasant place of residence, and with the sound of the harp and the organ the guilty man tries to drown the voice of his brothers blood. This is the way of Cain. This is just what the vast majority of mankind is doing. It is trying in the business and pleasures of the city to find its all–forget its God–and drown unpleasant thoughts. But remember, your burying yourself in this worlds pleasures does not remove the brand of Cain from off your brow.

3. The way to hell. No scripture sheds one gleam of hope upon the way of Cain. Direct reference is only made twice to him in the New Testament, and in both instances he is held up as a warning, and nothing else. The first you will find in the first Epistle of John, the third chapter and twelfth verse–Not as Cain who was of that wicked one; and the second is found in our text and the verses following. Thus you see no hope is even hinted at. The end of the way of Cain is blackness of darkness for ever.

II. One particular in cains way which is the way of many professors. I mean his indifference about his murdered brother. Where is Abel thy brother? These were the words that arrested Cains attention. May they arrest yours! I am glad to see you here this evening, but where is your brother? Christian young men, where have you left your brethren this evening? Where are those who are related to you by ties of blood? Where are those bound to you by friendship? Where are those who are your brethren in daily labour–those who work with you in the office, shop, warehouse, or docks? Where is he? You are here singing Gods praises and listening to Gods Word, but where did you leave him? Alas, in the way of Cain, I hear some of you reply, I know not. Stop, sir! that answer will never do. Not know! I think I see Cain as he utters the words. A burning blush crimsons his brow, and his downcast eyes and quivering face all give the lie to the assertion. He did know. Christian, such a miserable falsehood as Cains is unworthy of you. You feel it as you try to tell it. You ought to know. Come, be bold, speak out the truth, though it condemns you. Then I will answer for you? Like Cain, you have left your brother in his blood. His soul is dead if his body lives. Indifference about souls is the crying sin of the Church. (A. G. Brown.)

The religion of nature and of culture

Adam begat a son in his own likeness–not Gods–that was gone–but his own–and his own bore the imprint of the evil one, to whose subtle agency he had sinfully succumbed. Thus the first man born into the world was not only the child of Adam, but also, in some sense, the child of the devil, and demonstrably our brother, though it be not either politic or pleasant flatly to affirm it. Cain was not the abnormal monster that he is commonly supposed to be, but a representative man, a religious man, a polite and accomplished man, and in many respects a model man, with the exception of a single rash and unfortunate deed, perpetrated in a fit of passion. And yet, as the way of Cain is so severely deprecated in Gods Word, let us study the way-marks that we may learn to beware of it.

1. It was a religion without an atonement. He regarded himself as Gods creature; he recognised Gods claims upon his gratitude; and accordingly he reared an altar dedicated to the Deity, and laid upon it votive offerings such as were not only aesthetically beautiful, but seemed to be ethically appropriate and sufficient. Hard by Cains altar stands another, a simpler, ruder structure, on which no flowers breathe their fragrance, nor ripened fruits are found. It is only blood-besprinkled, and a slain lamb lies upon it. Strange offering this to a God of love, and stranger still is the attitude of Abel, as he stands beside his altar, with his head bowed as if in profoundest penitence. By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, for his faith humbly grasped the great doctrine of the atonement. It was the lack of any conscious need of an atonement that broadly distinguished the way of Cain, and there be hundreds of thousands that to-day do follow him. Far be it from me to disparage any of the rich and generous fruits of the earth, that spring from germs indigenous in the soil of the human soul. Though fallen, there is much left of beauty and of native nobleness. There are such things as truth and honesty, and generosity, and natural affection, and broad philanthropy. There are such things outside the Church that go to show that human nature is not utterly depraved, nor is a world hopelessly cursed that holds the roots from which spring such fruits. And yet it is of infinite moment for us to remember that the offering to heaven of these alone will not suffice to make sure of heaven. For unfallen man these would be quite enough, but for guilty man there is needed an atonement.

2. The way of Cain was a heart without love. Religion does indeed address itself to our intelligence, and challenges the severest scrutiny of its character and claims, and yet it constantly recognises the sadly significant fact that the radical difficulty in the way of mans salvation is not so much in his head as his heart. Cains offering was costly and beautiful, but there was no heart in it, and no love back of it, and therefore it was that God sternly rejected both him and it. If love had been the animating motive, then the moment he discovered its defective character, he would with eager haste have sought to remedy the defect. Instead of that his brow was clouded, his countenance fallen, and his bosom wroth. The slumbering demon within him was roused. The carnal enmity of his depraved nature flamed out, and like an exasperated serpent he was ready to strike with a mortal blow. We stand aghast in the presence of this first dread tragedy–that strikes us most just because it was the first. Cain is only the leader of a long and infamous historic line. And wherefore slew he him? the Scripture asks, and then it answers the question of its own propounding. Because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous. And every age has borne witness to the prevalence of the very same spirit, and for the very same reason. True, the age of bodily butchery is now happily past, and the followers of Christ are no longer thrown to lions, immured in dungeons, or stretched upon the rack. The world has grown too decent for that, and the devil too shrewdly politic. And yet it is just as true to-day as ever that they who will live godly–meaning thereby uncompromising and fearless Christians–shall suffer persecution. There is still the old antipathy and enmity to the worshippers at the blood-besprinkled altar.

3. Another distinguishing feature of this still much trodden way is the substitution of culture for cleansing–culture of the mind for cleansing by the blood of Christ. God has abandoned me, thought the proto-murderer, but hope has not. The earth has indeed been cursed, but it shall yet be made a tolerable place to dwell in. I will fertilise it by toilsome tillage, and embellish it with choicest art. I will drown its wail of woe by concourse of melody and notes of linked sweetness long drawn out. By the power of cultivation I will redeem the world from the power of the curse. Accordingly Cain built a city that was doubtless a marvel of architectural beauty, while in his immediate family were to be found artificers in brass and iron, and the fast-flying fingers of cunning performers on the harp and the organ. Had he lived in our day he would doubtless have been a patron of the arts, a school director, a member of the city government, a founder or fosterer of great enterprises having for their object the instruction of the ignorant and the mitigation of human misery. Having no hope of heaven to lure him on, he was determined to make the most of earth. Now, far be it from me to despise or even to disparage such things. We hail them as the outcome of that enlightened enterprise or broad philanthropy which distinguishes all Christian lands. We rejoice in them not only for the sake of man, whose elevation and comfort they are adapted to promote, but for Gods sake, to whose glory they are destined to be so largely tributary. And yet all these mere human agencies are powerless to effect redemption. All this magnificent engineering of modern civilisation is, when taken by itself, as impotent to rescue man from sin and guilt as the rudest barbarism that ever degraded humanity. Knowledge is power indeed, but whether the power shall be beneficent or baneful will depend entirely on the principle that controls it. A rifle is a thing of power, but a dreadful thing in the hands of a bloodthirsty Modoc. So knowledge is power, and yet mere knowledge without religious principle doth only make men clever devils. Nay, verily, what the world wants is not so much culture as cleansing. Then culture comes indeed, but in its purest, noblest forms. Then there are gathered the richest fruits of the highest Christian civilisation–fruits indeed that are fruits of the ground, and yet not fruits of the ground alone, but the outcome of the blood, for the ground has been enriched by the blood of the Cross. (P. S. Henson, D. D.)

The way of Cain

The way of Cain is that course of life which Cain took up to himself in following the lusts of his own heart against the will of God. It is described in Gen 4:1-26, of which way there be seven steps or degrees, but every one out of the right way.

1. The first step was hypocrisy: he worshipped God by offering sacrifice as Abel did, but his heart was not a believing heart as Abels was; his worship was outward and ceremonious, but not in spirit and truth, for his heart was an evil heart of unbelief.

2. The second his hatred of his own and natural brother, prosecuting him with his wrath and indignation.

3. The third his murder, whereby he slew his righteous brother.

4. The fourth his lying unto God, saying he knew not where his brother was.

5. The fifth his desperation, after that God had convicted him and pronounced sentence against him.

6. The sixth his security and carelessness; he regardeth not his sin nor the conscience of it, but busieth himself in building a city and calleth it after the name of his child, that, seeing his name was not written in heaven, he might yet preserve his name and memory in the earth.

7. The seventh and last, which was the highest step of his way, was his profaneness; for from thenceforth he cast off and contemned all the care and practice of Gods worship, which appeareth (Gen 4:26). (W.Perkins.)

Covetousness

Covetousness is the root of all evil, the spawn of all sins, a common factor for most villainies of the world: the east wind that blasteth all the trees of virtue. And verily, if men would but consider three things: first, how uncertain; secondly, how unprofitable; thirdly, how hurtful these earthly things are which we so covet, our desire after them will soon be quenched. (S. Otes.)

The sin and punishment of rebellion

I. As relating to the fact of korah and his company.

1. The nature of the faction which was raised by them.

(1) The design that was laid for that, and all other circumstances of the story, we must have resort to the account that is given of it (Num 16:1-50.), where we shall find that the bottom of the design was the sharing of the government among themselves. They intend to lay aside Moses, but this they knew to be a very difficult task, considering what wonders God had wrought by him in their deliverance out of Egypt, what wisdom he had hitherto showed in the conduct of them, what care for their preservation, what integrity in the management of his power, what reverence the people did bear towards him, and what solemn vows and promises they had made of obedience to him. But ambitious and factious men are never discouraged by such an appearance of difficulties. Groundless suspicions and unreasonable fears and jealousies will pass for arguments and demonstrations. Then they who can invent the most popular lies against the government are accounted the men of integrity, and they who most diligently spread the most infamous reports are the men of honesty, because they are farthest from being flatterers of the court.

(2) The persons who were engaged in it. At first they were only some discontented Levites who murmured against Moses and Aaron, because they were not preferred to the priesthood, and of these Korah was the chief. Korah, being active and busy in his discontents, had the opportunity of drawing in some of the sons of Reuben, for they pitched their tents near each other, both on the south side of the tabernacle of the congregation; and these were discontented on the account of their tribe having lost the privilege of primogeniture. Thus whatever the pretences are, how fair and popular soever in the opposition men make to authority, ambition and private discontents are the true beginners of them; but these must be covered over with the deepest dissimulation, nothing must be talked of but a mighty zeal for religion and the public interest.

(3) The colours and pretences under which these persons sought to justify the proceedings of the faction.

(a) The asserting the rights and liberties of the people in opposition to the government of Moses. There were, then, two great principles among them by which they thought to defend them selves.
(i) That liberty and a right to power is so inherent in the people that it can not be taken from them. What means, then, this outery for liberty? Is it that they would have no government at all among them, but that every one might have done what he pleased himself? If any man can imagine himself in such a state of confusion, which some improperly call a state of nature, let him consider whether the contentment he could take in his own liberty and power to defend himself would balance the fears he would have of the injury which others in the same state might be able to do him. It follows, then, that what liberty is inconsistent with all government must never be pleaded against one sort of it. But is there, then, so great a degree of liberty in one mode of government more than another that it should be thought reasonable to disturb government merely to alter the form of it? Would it have been so much better for the people of Israel to have been governed by the two hundred and fifty men here mentioned than by Moses? Would not they have required the same subjection and obedience to themselves, though their commands had been much more unreasonable than his? What security can there be that every one of these shall not be worse in all respects than him whom they were so willing to lay aside? So that the folly of these popular pretences is as great as the sin in being persuaded by them.
(ii) Another principle which tends to the subverting government under a pretence of liberty is that, in case of usurpation upon the rights of the people, they may resume the exercise of power and punish the supreme magistrate himself if he be guilty of it. Than which there can be no principle imagined more destructive to civil societies and repugnant to the very nature of government. For it destroys all the obligations of oaths and compacts.

(b) Another pretence of this rebellion of Korah was the freeing themselves from the encroachments upon their spiritual privileges which were made by the usarpations of Aaron and the priesthood. This served for a very popular pretence, for they knew no reason that one tribe should engross so much of the wealth of the nation to themselves, and have nothing to do but to attend the service of God for it. This hath always been the quarrel at religion by those who seldom pretend to it but with a design to destroy it.

II. The judgment which was inflicted upon them for it. They had provoked heaven by their sin, and disturbed the earth by their faction; and the earth, as if it were moved with indignation against them, trembled and shook, and then with a horrid noise it rends asunder and opens its mouth to swallow those in its bowels who were unfit to live upon the face of it. They had been dividing the people, and the earth, to their amazement and ruin, divides itself under their feet. By which we see God interprets striving against the authority appointed by Him to be a striving against Himself. This was the first formed sedition that we read of against Moses. The people had been murmuring before, but they wanted heads to manage them. Now all things concur to a most dangerous rebellion upon the most popular pretences of religion and liberty, and now God takes the first opportunity of declaring His hatred of such actions, that others might hear and fear and do no more so presumptuously. (Abp. Stillingfleet.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 11. They have gone in the way of Cain] They are haters of their brethren, and they that are such are murderers; and by their false doctrine they corrupt and destroy the souls of the people.

The error of Balaam] For the sake of gain they corrupt the word of God and refine away its meaning, and let it down so as to suit the passions of the profligate. This was literally true of the Nicolaitans, who taught most impure doctrines, and followed the most lascivious practices.

Gainsaying of Core.] See the account of the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their company, in Num. 22. It appears that these persons opposed the authority of the apostles of our Lord, as Korah and his associates did that of Moses and Aaron; and St. Jude predicts them a similar punishment. In this verse he accuses them of murder, covetousness, and rebellion against the authority of God.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Woe unto them! This is either a lamenting the misery that was to come upon them, or a foretelling it come, not a wishing that it might: see Mat 11:21; 1Co 9:16.

For they have gone in the way of Cain; followed his manners, and fallen under his punishment. Their likeness to Cain, both as to their actions and the event of them, seems to be implied in this and the following clause, as well as it is plainly in the last. Cain hated his brother, and slew him; they hate their brethren, and by their pernicious doctrines and deceits, murder their souls, and probably stir up persecution against their persons.

And ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward; covetousness, to which being excessively addicted, or, as the Greek implies, poured out, they did for the sake of filthy lucre corrupt the doctrine of Christ: see 2Pe 2:15.

And perished in the gainsaying of Core: Korah, (whom he here names alone, as being the ringleader of the rebellion, in which others joined with him, Num 16:1), affecting the priesthood, rose up seditiously against Moses and Aaron, and perished in the attempt. These imitate him in their rebellion against Christ himself, the state and order of whose church they seditiously disturb, as well as that of the civil state, in despising dominion, and speaking evil of dignities, and that to their own destruction.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Woe See on 2Pe2:14,cursedchildren.

Cain the murderer: the root of whose sin was hatred and envy of thegodly, as it is the sin of these seducers.

rangreedily literally, have been poured forth like a torrent that hasburst its banks. Reckless of what it costs, the loss of Gods favorand heaven, on they rush after gain like Balaam.

perishedin the gainsaying of Core (compare Note,see on Jud1:12).When we read of Korah perishing by gainsaying, we read virtually alsoof these perishing in like manner through the same: for the same seedbears the same harvest.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Woe unto them,…. This may be considered as a commiseration of their case, or as a denunciation of deserved punishment, or as a prediction of what would befall them. The Arabic version prefaces these words with an address to the saints, “O my beloved”: that what was about to be said might be attended to, as a caution and instruction to them.

For they have gone in the way of Cain; which was a way of envy, for Cain envied the acceptance of his brother’s gift, and that notice which the Lord took of him; so these men envied the gifts bestowed on Christ’s faithful ministers, and the success that attended their labours, and the honour that was put upon them by Christ, and that was given them by the churches; which shows, that they were destitute of grace, and particularly of the grace of charity, or love, which envies not, and that they were in an unregenerate estate, and upon the brink of ruin and destruction. Moreover, the way of Cain was a way of hatred, and murder of his brother, which his envy led him to; so these men hated the brethren, persecuted them unto death, as well as were guilty of the murder of the souls of men, by their false doctrine: to which may be added, as another of Cain’s ways, in consequence of the former, absence from the presence of God, or the place of his worship; so these men separated themselves, and went out from the churches, forsook the assembling together with them, and so might expect Cain’s punishment, to be driven from the face of God; yea, to be bid go as cursed into everlasting burnings:

and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward; Balaam’s error, which he himself was guilty of, was covetousness, or an immoderate love of money, 2Pe 2:15; which, as it is the root of all evil, is the bane of religion, and the source of heresy, and what the false teachers were greatly addicted to; and where it prevails, it is insatiable, and not to be checked and stopped, as in these men; and is a damnable sin, and excludes from the kingdom of heaven, as well as is dishonourable to religion; hence such particular notice is taken of it, lest it be found in a minister of the word: this character exactly agrees with the followers of Simon Magus. The error which Balaam led others into, was both idolatry and adultery, Re 2:14, which these false teachers were both guilty of themselves, and taught others, and indulged them therein; and which both teachers and people ran greedily after. Balaam is one of the four private persons, who, according to the Jews, shall have no part or portion in the world to come w.

And perished in the gainsaying of Core: the same with Korah,

Nu 16:1. The Septuagint there call him Core, and so does Philo the Jew x, as the apostle does here, and by Josephus he is called y “Cores”: now the gainsaying or contradiction of these men was like Korah’s; as his was against Moses, the ruler of the people, so theirs was against magistracy, Jude 1:8; which was gainsaying God’s own ordinance, and a contradiction of that which is for the good of men; the ground of which contradiction was love of liberty, and their own lusts; and, generally speaking, men perish in their factions and rebellions against good and lawful magistrates: also, as Korah gainsayed Aaron, the priest of the Lord, so these men contradicted and opposed the ministers of Christ, whom they would have thrust out in order to put in themselves, and whose persons they reviled, and contradicted their doctrines, which to do is of dangerous consequence; and they might be said to perish in his gainsaying, as a type and example of their destruction, which would be swift and sudden, as his was; and to denote the certainty of it. So the Jews z say of Korah and his company, that they shall never ascend, or rise up and stand in judgment, and that they shall have no part or portion in the world to come a.

w Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 11. sect. 2. x De Profugis, p. 471. y Antiqu. l. 4. c. 2. sect. 2. z Misn. Sanhedrin, ib. sect. 2. Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 89. 3. Sanhed. ib. sect. 3. a T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 29. 3.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Woe to them ( ). Interjection with the dative as is common in the Gospels (Mt 11:21).

Went (). First aorist passive (deponent) indicative of .

In the way of Cain ( ). Locative case . Cain is Jude’s fourth example. Not in II Peter, but in Heb 11:4; 1John 3:11. From Ge 4:7.

Ran riotously (). First aorist passive indicative of , to pour out, “they were poured out,” vigorous metaphor for excessive indulgence. But it is used also of God’s love for us (Ro 5:5).

In the error of Balaam ( ). The fifth example in Jude. In II Peter also (2Pe 2:15). Either locative case (in) or instrumental (by). (in Peter also) is the common word for such wandering (Mt 24:4ff., etc.).

Perished (). Second aorist middle (intransitive) of .

In the gainsaying of Korah ( ). Again either locative or instrumental. The word is originally answering back (Heb 6:16), but it may be by act also (Ro 10:21) as here. This is the sixth example in Jude, not in II Peter.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Woe [] . Often used by our Lord, but never elsewhere except here and in Revelation. The expression in 1Co 9:16 is different. There the word is not used as an imprecation, but almost as a noun : “Woe is unto me” So Hos 9:12 (Sept.).

Ran greedily [] . Lit., were poured out. Rev., ran riotously. A strong expression, indicating a reckless, abandoned devotion of the energies, like the Latin effundi. So Tacitus says of Maecenas, “he was given up to love for Bathyllus;” lit., poured out into love.

After. Better, as Rev., in; as, “in the way of Cain.” The error was their sphere of action. Similarly, In the gainsaying [ ] . In the practice of gainsaying like Korah’s. ‘Antilogia is from ajnti, against, and legw, to speak. Hence, literally, contradiction. Gainsay is a literal translation, being compounded of the Anglo – Saxon gegn, which reappears in the German gegen, against, and say.

Korah. Who spake against Moses (Num 16:3). The water which Moses brought from the rock at Kadesh was called the water of Meribah (Strife), or, in Septuagint, Greek, the water of contradiction.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “Woe unto them” (Greek onai) interjection of denunciation, indicating coming of calamity or judgment on sinister apostates.

2) “For they have gone in the way of Cain”. (Greek hoti – because) they had gone, of their own natural covetous, presumptuous will in the ways of Cain. Cain believed in God, but he ignored God’s will and pay of a blood sacrifice testimony. Of his own rebellious will he substituted an offering of the fruit of the Ground, Gen 4:1-5. Jude asserts that the trouble-makers among the brethren were demanding substitutes in worship for what God had ordained Such continues today. Some would substitute:

a) Water instead of blood for remission of sins.

b) Church membership instead of repentance and regeneration.

c) Sprinkling and pouring instead of immersion.

d) These are examples of “The way of Cain”.

3) “And ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward” – they in error of judgment pursued, chased after the reward, recompense, or kind of pay Balaam had coveted, the praise, applause, and popularity of the masses. Back-slapping popularity seekers are of Balaam’s descent. True believers should mark such behaviour and avoid it.

Three evil, wicked characteristics of Balaam’s heritage to be avoided are:

a) His error of covetousness for praise of men-like Pharisees who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Jud 1:11; Joh 12:43.

b) His way – loved the wages or pay of unrighteousness, Num 22:5-7. He was an hireling prophet who loved money, would sell out for it. He did not love his flock, would not protect them against the wolves Joh 10:12-13 1Ti 6:10.

c) His doctrine – his teaching or doctrine was wrong because his heart was wrong, loving the praise of men preeminently and working as an hireling, shepherd or prophet who cared only for his own carcass. Balaam’s example of self will versus God’s command, Num 22:12; Num 22:20, led to Israel’s cohabiting with the Moabites. Balaam led this social and religious integration movement which brought God’s judgment, Num 25:1-18. He taught them to offer sacrifices to idols and commit fornication with the Moabites, Num 31:15-16.

4) “And perished in the gainsaying of Core And these sneaky false prophets who had crept in among the sanctified, to whom Jude wrote, had not -only acted like Cain and Balaam at their worst but also like Core in his rebellion against God’s divinely appointed leadership of Moses and Aaron. Numbers 16; Num 26:9; Num 27:3; 1Co 10:8.

The term “perished” (Greek – apolonto) means to be brought to great loss or suffering.

The term “gainsaying” (Greek antilogia) means to oppose or resist the Word or order or procedure of God. This is what Korah led a mass of people to do. It brought a calamity of Divine chastisement and judgment upon them. Jude certifies these apostate infiltrators among the sanctified will come under the vengeful judgment of God for their dissension raising among the sanctified.

RETRIBUTION

Retribution is one of the grand principles in the divine administration of human affairs; a requital is imperceptible only to the wilfully unobservant. There is everywhere the working of the everlasting law of requital: man always gets as he gives.

– J. Foster

God is a sure paymaster. He may not pay at the end of every week, or month, or year, but remember He pays in the end.

– Anne of Austria.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

11. Woe unto them. It is a wonder that he inveighs against them so severely, when he had just said that it was not permitted to an angel to bring a railing accusation against Satan. But it was not his purpose to lay down a general rule. He only shewed briefly, by the example of Michael, how intolerable was their madness when they insolently reproached what God honored. It was certainly lawful for Michael to fulminate against Satan his final curse; and we see how vehemently the prophets threatened the ungodly; but when Michael forbore extreme severity (otherwise lawful), what madness was it to observe no moderation towards those excelling in glory? But when he pronounced woe on them, he did not so much imprecate evil on them, but rather reminded them what sort of end awaited them; and he did so, lest they should carry others with them to perdition.

He says that they were the imitators of Cain, who being ungrateful to God and perverting his worship through an ungodly and wicked heart, forfeited his birthright. He says that they were deceived like Balaam by a reward, because they adulterated the doctrine of true religion for the sake of filthy lucre. But the metaphor he uses, expresses something more; for he says that they overflowed, even because their excess was like overflowing water. He says in the third place, that they imitated the contradiction of Core, because they disturbed the order and quietness of the church.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

A TRILOGY OF WOE

Jud. 1:11

Text

11.

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.

Queries

55.

Three examples of punishment are given in this verse. What are they?

56.

What was Cains sin? (see Genesis 4; 1Jn. 3:15).

57.

What was Balaams sin? (Num. 22:7 ff).

58.

What was Korahs sin? (Num. 16:1-3; Numbers 31-35).

59.

Motivations for the sin of Balaam and Korah are given. What are they?

60.

Write the three verbs describing the action of the apostates. Note the progress of action from one to another.

Paraphrases

A. 11.

How horrible is their impending doom! They have traveled the same way that Cain traveled. They have run helter skelter, hither and thither, like Balaam, chasing a sensual indulgence. They have been consumed by the same bold, haughty ambition of Korah.

B.*11.

Woe unto them! For they follow the example of Cain who killed his brother; and, like Balaam, they will do anything for money; and, like Korah, they have disobeyed God in the hope of gain and will die under His curse.

Summary

What a tragedy! They have thrown themselves to destruction like Cain, Balaam, and Korah.

Comment

Woe upon them! The exclamation expresses grief and/or denunciation. Jude neither gives the woe nor wishes it; but he sees it clearly in the three examples from the Old Testament. His heart is filled with grief over their plight. With saddened eyes he sees them sinning the sins condemned so long ago. Their wickedness has been proclaimed, and now he predicts their misery.

Cains way was one of envy, hatted, and murder. These apostates disdain the welfare of the saints and use them to their own selfish purposes. Like Cain, they do not believe that God means what He says. They are walking the same road as this archtype of all bad men. Hateful and envious of their brethren, they are guilty of Cains type of murder. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. (1Jn. 3:15)

One wonders how many Christians within the church today are beginning the same walk as Cain. Not willing to repent, they begin to dislike and even rebel at the example of godliness in their brethren. Soon their dislike will turn to complete disregard and hatred, and they will find the Christian examples about them unbearable. This is the road of hatred and murder. This is the road of Cain.

Balaam was looking for a reward from the king, and sold his life in a futile chase for money. He was drowned in destruction and perdition in attempting to curse the people of God. For money he would do what Cain did for hate. So it is that money figures largely in the motivation for these apostates. Doctrine is a matter of pay, not a matter of truth, and in reaching for the pay they depart from the truth. They ignore the warning of 1Ti. 6:9-10 : But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Korah rebelled against Gods authority. He was envious and jealous of the authority God gave to Moses and Aaron; so he presumed to share in that authority. This was contrary to Gods expressed instruction. With a terrifying finality and suddenness, punishment followed. The earth opened up and swallowed the wicked men and their followers. Fire from God consumed all the goods that pertained to these men. In a moment Israel learned a lesson that caused them to flee in terror.
How serious is rebellion against divine authority! How certain will be the result! With what fear and respect we should follow after the authority of God. These apostates did not do so. They ignored the authority of Jehovah, and worked out their own rules by which they conducted their lives. The doctrine in Gods revelation they ignored, and were ignorantly content to create teachings that satisfied their own ears and pleased their own lusts.
Can it be that people today, even within the church of the living God, also ignore divine instruction? Will people today follow after the ways of Korah and invent offices, positions, and authority for themselves; contrary to the revelation of God? Korah was not the first, but his destruction should have been a lesson for all mankind. These apostates are not the last, for this seems to be one way for an evil heart. May God help us to find His authority sufficient, and like Michael submit ourselves to His will.
There also seems to be a progress in the action expressed in these three examples. The apostates went in the way of Cain, ran in the error of Balaam, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. Such is a way of sin, First one walks, then one runs; and finally one is consumed. The lusts of the flesh have the same process. First there is a sinful play with the fire. Then there comes a frantic chase after the sin; and finally one is completely consumed in his lusts. Sin is a snare that draws tighter with indulgence. Sin is not a single trap, but a series of traps, each one stronger and more vicious than the last. It begins with playful rebellion and ends with total destruction. Woe unto them!

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(11) Three examples of similar wickedness: Cain, Balaam, Korah.

Woe unto them!An echo of Christs denunciations in the first three Gospels, whereby the description of these evil-doers takes for the moment a denunciatory form. The past tenses immediately following are owing to the writers placing himself in thought at the moment when these men reap the consequences of their sins: their punishment is so certain, that he regards it as having come.

In the way of Cain.The first great criminal; the first to outrage the laws of nature. Explanations to the effect that these libertines followed Cain by murdering mens souls by their corrupt doctrine, or by persecuting believers, and other suggestions still more curious, are needlessly far-fetched. Joh. 8:44, and 1Jn. 3:15, are not strictly apposite: these ungodly men may have hated and persecuted the righteous, but St. Jude does not tell us so. Sensuality is always selfish, but by no means always ill-natured or malignant.

Ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.The Greek for ran greedily literally means they were poured out in streams; the Greek for error may also mean deception. Hence three renderings are possible: (1) as the Authorised version; (2) they ran greedily after the deception of Balaams reward; (3) they were undone by the deception of Balaams reward. The first is best. Reward in the Greek is the genitive of price. Comp. the rewards of divination (Num. 22:7); they hired against thee Balaam (Deu. 23:4; Neh. 13:2). Here, again, far-fetched explanations may be avoided. The allusion lies on the surfacerunning counter to Gods will from interested motives. Possibly, there may also be some allusion to Balaams causing the Israelites to be seduced into licentiousness (Rev. 2:14).

Perished in the gainsaying of Corei.e., through gainsaying like that of Korah; referring to his speaking against Moses in the revolutionary opposition which he headed. These libertines, like Korah; treated sacred ordinances with contempt.

The triplet in this verse, like that in Jud. 1:8, is parallel to the three examples of Gods vengeance, Jud. 1:5-7. Cain, like the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, outraged the laws of nature; Balaam, like the impure angels, despised the sovereignty of God; Korah, like those who disbelieved the report of the spies, spoke evil of dignities.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

11. The three types united in these men are Cain, Balaam, and Korah. The character, career, and final destiny of the three may be thus presented:

Cain godlessness, fraternal murder, life under divine curse;

Balaam licentiousness, bribetaking, slaughter in battle;

Korah ambition, schismatic sedition, sudden consignment to lower hades.

Woe unto them The menace of their final destiny is, like Cain, to be God-cursed; like Balaam, fated to slaughter; like Korah, bound for hades. The three verbs are in climax. Ran greedily, is, literally, they were poured out in that direction, like a stream or torrent. The climax then is, they went, they were poured, they perished. They imitated Cain in taking a mad career; like Balaam, they rushed headlong into licentious infamy for gain; like Korah, they rebelled against all holy authority and went down to the depths of death.

The comparison to Cain here, as in 1Jn 3:12-15, does not affirm that these men were addicted to assassination, but indicates that murderous hatred of the brethren which John typifies in these same characters by the character of Cain. In regard to Balaam, consult our note on Rev 2:14. The contradiction of Korah, expressed in Jud 1:8 by despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities, expresses the churchly turbulence and sedition of these men. Fraternal hate, mercenary licentiousness, and rebellion against the Christian body and government, are mainly the crimes charged.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

But Their Pathway Leads To Woe ( Jud 1:11 ).

Jude now calls God’s ‘woe’ (compare Luk 6:24-26; Mat 23:13-36; Isa 5:8-24) down on the ungodly persons and introduces three illustrations which he applies directly to them, describing the way that they were taking. This is in the form of a progression. First ‘the (wrong) way’. Then ‘the (more permanent) error’. Then the (final) ‘rebellion.’ The level of their sin and their opposition to God gradually grows. There is also a progression in their action. First they ‘go’ (in what they see as the way of freedom), then they ‘run riotously’ (enjoying, as they think, riotous freedom), and then they ‘perish’ (their freedom is gone). Their seeming increase in freedom thus leads to disaster. Let all then take heed.

Note how he uses the past tense indicating that their doom has already been determined in their association with their namesakes.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

‘Woe to 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.’

Jude pronounces a woe on them, because their way leads to disaster, as is demonstrated by what happened to their anti-types:

‘They went in the way of Cain.’ Cain’s was the way of disobedience and flouting God, and they will share in his punishment (Genesis 4).

‘They ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire.’ Balaam’s error was to think that he could manipulate God in return for reward, an error in which he but made a fool of himself (Numbers 22-24). All knew what the end of Balaam was (Num 31:8; Jos 13:22).

‘They perished in the gainsaying (rebellion) of Korah.’ Korah’s crime was to speak blasphemously because he thought that thereby he could exalt himself beyond his station spiritually, with the result that he perished dramatically (Num 16:1-35).

It will be noted how perfectly the anti-types fit those godless persons. Like Cain they have rebelled against God’s ways and are already marked as under God’s judgment. Like Balaam they have thought that they could manipulate God, they were greedy for money, and they are now learning their folly. Like Korah they think that they can rise above their station, but it will only result in their perishing. These are all sins that men commit today. And their end will be the same.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jud 1:11. And ran greedily after the error And have been poured out in the error; : which seems to have much the same sense as the Latin word palari, to ramble, or keep no certain path; as liquor when poured out of a vessel, spreads itself, and keeps no direct course. And the proper sense of , error, is a wandering out of the right way. St. Jude speaks of their havingalready perished, which affords us a genuine trait of the prophetic spirit, speaking of things certainly future, as if they were past. There is a manifest gradation in the three members of this verse: first, the crime, and then the punishment. See Psa 22:14. Instead of gainsaying, Doddridge reads contradiction; and others opposition.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Jud 1:11 . The author interrupts his description of these ungodly men by a denunciation on them, which he grounds by characterizing them after the example of the ungodly in the O. T. (comp. 2Pe 2:15 ff.).

] The same denunciation frequently occurs in the discourses of Jesus: “at once a threatening and a strong disapproval” (de Wette). With this Jude indicates the judgment into which the Antinomians have fallen; it refers back to Jud 1:5-7 ; Wiesinger incorrectly understands it only as a mere “exclamation of pain and abhorrence.” [30] This denunciation of woe does not occur with an apostle; frequently in the O. T.

] On the phrase: , comp. Act 14:16 . (Act 9:31 : . . .) is to be understood locally (see Meyer on the above passages), not “instrumentally” (Schott), which does not suit .

; preterite (Luther and others translate it as the present), because Jude represents the judgment threatened in as fulfilled (de Wette-Brckner). Schott incorrectly explains it: “they have set out, set forth.” Many expositors find the similarity with Cain to consist in this, that whereas he murdered his brother, these by seduction of the brethren are guilty of spiritual murder; so Oecumenius, Estius, Grotius (Cain fratri vitam caducam ademit; illi fratribus adimunt aeternam), Calovius, Hornejus, Schott, and others. But this conversion into the spiritual is arbitrary, especially as the desire of seduction in these men is not specially brought forward by Jude. Other expositors, adhering to the murder committed by Cain, think on the persecuting zeal of these false teachers against believers; so Nicolas de Lyra: sequuntur mores et studia latronis ex invidia et avaritia persequentes sincerioris theologiae studiosos. As the later Jews regarded Cain as a symbol of moral scepticism, so Schneckenburger supposes that Jude would here reproach his opponents with this scepticism; but there is also no indication of this in the context. De Wette stops at the idea that Cain is named as “the archetype of all wicked men;” so also Arnaud [31] and Hofmann; but this is too general. Brckner finds the point of resemblance in this, that as Cain out of envy , on account of the favour shown to Abel, resisting the commandment and warning of God , slew his brother, so these false teachers resisted God, and that from envy of the favour shown to believers. But in the context there is no indication of the definite statement “ from envy .” It is more in correspondence with the context to find the tertium compar. in this, that Cain in spite of the warning of God followed his own wicked lusts; Fronmller: “The point of comparison is acting on the selfish impulses of nature, in contempt of the warnings of God.”

] , as a sinful moral error, denotes generally a vicious life averted from the truth; comp. Jas 5:20 ; 2Pe 2:18 (Eze 33:16 , LXX. translation of ). in the middle, literally, to issue forth out of something, construed with ; figuratively, to rush into something, to give oneself up with all his might to something (Clemens Alexandrinus, p. 491, 3; ; several proof passages in Wahl, Elsner, Wetstein); it is less suitable to explain the verb according to Psa 73:2 , where the LXX. have as a translation of = to slip (Grotius: errare). The dative is = ; Schott incorrectly explains it as dativus instrumentalis, since requires a statement for the completion of the idea. The genitive is, with Winer, p. 194 [E. T. 258], to be translated: for reward (see Grotius in loco ); so that the meaning is: “they gave themselves up for a reward ( i.e. for the sake of earthly advantage, thus from covetousness; Luther: ‘for the sake of enjoyment’) to the sin of Balaam;” thus most interpreters, also Brckner, Wiesinger, Hofmann. De Wette, on the contrary, after the example of Erasmus, Vatablus, and others, explains as a genitive dependent on ; the dative , as = by means of the error; and as an intransitive verb = “to commit excesses, to give vent to.” Accordingly, he translates the passage as follows: “By (by means of) the error (seduction) of the reward of Balaam, they have poured themselves out (in vice).” So also Hornejus: deceptione mercedis, qua deceptus fuit Balaam, effusi sunt. [32] But this construction is extremely harsh, the ideas and are arbitrarily interpreted, and the whole sentence, so interpreted, would be withdrawn from the analogy of the other two with which it is co-ordinate. [33] Schott construes the genitive with , whilst he designates it “as an additional, and, as it were, a parenthetically added genitive for the sake of precision,” and for this he supplies a : “the error of Balaam, which was an error determined by gain.” This construction, it is true, affords a suitable sense, but it is not linguistically justified: it is entirely erroneous to take as in apposition to = , 2Pe 2:15 (Fronmller, Steinfass).

De Wette, chiefly from Rev 2:14 , finds the point of resemblance in this, that “Balaam as a false prophet and a seducer to unchastity and idolatry, and contrary to the will of God, went to Balak, and that he is also particularly considered as covetous and mercenary.” But there is no indication that the men of whom Jude speaks enticed others to idolatry. Hofmann observes that this clause calls the sin of those described as “a devilish conduct against the people of God, the prospect of a rich reward being too alluring to Balaam to prevent him entering into the desires of Balak to destroy the people of God;” but in this explanation also a reference is introduced not indicated by the context. That Jude had primarily in view the covetousness of Balaam, shows; blinded by covetousness, Balaam resisted the will of God; his resistance was his , in which, and in the motive to it, the Antinomians resembled him (Brckner, Wiesinger); whether Jude had also in view the seduction to unchastity (comp. Num 31:16 ; Fronmller), is at least doubtful; and it is still more doubtful to find the point of resemblance in this, that the Antinomians “had in view a material gain to be obtained by the ruin of the church of God ” (Schott).

] , contradiction ; here, seditious resistance. does not mean that “they lost themselves in the . of Korah,” but “that they perished;” accordingly, is the instrumental dative. The point of resemblance is not, with Nicolas de Lyra, to be sought in this, that the opponents of Jude formed propter ambitionem honoris et gloriae sectas erroneas; or, with Hornejus, that they assumed the munus Apostolorum ecclesiae doctorum; or, with Hofmann, that they, as Korah (“whose resistance consisted in his unwillingness to recognise as valid the law of the priesthood of Aaron, on which the whole religious constitution of Israel rested”), “desired to assert a liberty not restricted;” but it consists in the proud resistance to God and His ordinances, which the Antinomians despise. By Schott’s explanation: “that they opposed to the true holiness a holiness of their own invention, namely, the holiness alleged to be obtained by disorderly excess,” a foreign reference is introduced. [34] The gradation of the ideas , , , in respect of definiteness, is not to be denied; but there is also a gradation of thought, for although the point about which Cain, Balaam, and Korah are named is one and the same, namely, resistance to God, yet this appears in the most distinct manner in the case of Korah.

[30] Hofmann correctly observes: “ has evil in view, whether it be in the tone of compassion which bewails it (Mat 23:15 ), or of indignation which imprecates it (Mat 11:21 ).” As not the first but the second is the case here, Hofmann should not have rejected the explanation of de Wette.

[31] Arnaud: J. compare seulement, d’une manire trs gnrale, ses adversaires Cain, sous le rapport de la mchancet.

[32] Calvin: dixit (Ap.), instar Bileam mercede fuisse deceptos, quia pietatis doctrinam turpis lucri gratia adulterant; sed metaphora, qua utitur, aliquanto plus exprimit; dixit enim effusos esse , quia scilicet instar aquae diffluentis projecta sit eorum intemperies.

[33] “The parallelism of the three clauses requires that should remain together, accordingly the genitive is equivalent to ” (Stier).

[34] Ritschl finds the point of resemblance between the Antinomians and the three named in this, “that they, as these, undertook to worship God in a manner rejected by Him.” But it is erroneous that “the Korahites exhibited their assumption of the priesthood by the presentation of an offering rejected by God;” it is incorrect that by is indicated “the religious conduct” of Cain; and it is incorrect that the utterance of the curse willed by Balaam is to be considered as a religious transaction. Moreover, in the description of the Antinomians there is no trace indicating that their view was directed to a particular kind of worship.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

11 .] The description is interrupted by a denunciation on them for having followed in the steps of former ungodly men . Woe unto them (see reff.: from which it appears that Bengel is not exact, when he says “uno hoc loco unus hic apostolus u intentat”): for they went by the way (the dat. is probably one of rule, cf. reff., rather than one following understood. The aorists , &c. are probably proleptic, as looking back on their course; as those in Joh 17 , , &c. In an English version we are almost compelled to render these by our perfect, “they have gone,” &c.) of Cain (how? c. answers, , by perverse doctrine, or even according to his interpretation of above, by abusing that process by which men might be born into the world: Grot., “Cain fratri vitam caducam ademit: illi fratribus adimunt ternam.” But these explanations do not seem to fit the context, where as yet no indication has been given of their seducing power. Some (e. g. Lyra) have answered, from their persecuting the believers: but neither does this appear in the context: others, as De Wette and Arnaud, have regarded Cain simply as a representative of all bad men: Schneckenb., as that of all unbelievers, according to Jewish tradition (“respondit Cain non est judicium nec judex, nec est aliud sculum,” &c. Targ. Hieros. ad Gen 4:7 : see also Philo, “quod deterius,” &c., p. 155 ff., De agricultur, p. 169. De Wette). The most probable answer is that given by Stier and Huther, that the point of comparison is that selfish regard and envy which was at the root of Cain’s sin), and rushed after ( , “effundi in,” as Tacitus, Ann. i. 54, “Mcenate effuso in amorem Bathylli:” so Polyb. xxxii. 11. 4, : Clem. Al . Strom. ii. 20 (118), p. 491 P., ) the error of Balaam for reward (such, and not as De Wette, “they were poured out (ruined) by the deception of the reward of Balaam.” So also Horneius, “deceptione mercedis qua deceptus fuit Balaam, effusi sunt.” For this latter disturbs the parallelism of the three clauses, in which we have , , , strictly correlative. De Wette’s reasons for his view are (1) that the ordinary rendering severs the purpose, “for reward,” from the error of Balaam: 2) that “for reward” does not suit , which implies recklessness. But it may be answered to 1) that this by no means follows: for under the may be well implied, “as Balaam did,” or we may take as one idea, “they ran-greedily-for reward,” and B., after the error of Baalam, i. e. as Balaam did in his : and to 2) that although implies recklessness, yet it may be reckless pursuit of some favourite end, as in “alienari in libidinem.” As to the construction, may be either the normal dative, as above, or the dat. of direction, = : and the gen. is the usual one of price, as in 1Co 7:23 , ), and perished in the gainsaying ( , either the instrumental dative, “perished by gainsaying, as Korah,” or the dative with implied, “perished in,” i. e. as included in, “the gainsaying of Korah,” i. e. when we read of Korah and his company perishing in their gainsaying, we read of these too, as perishing after the same example. This latter seems preferable, on account of the parallelism with the other two clauses) of Korah (the common point being, that they like Korah despised God’s ordinances. , because Korah and his company . See reff., and cf. , Num 20:13 (24), Num 27:14 ; Deu 32:51 ; Deu 33:8 ; Psa 80:7 ; Psa 105:32 ).

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Jud 1:11 . , . For the use of the aorist see note on Jud 1:4 . : for the phrase cf. Blass, Gr. p. 119, and 2Pe 2:15 , . The phrase , so common in Enoch, especially in cc. 94 to 100, and in the Gospels and Apocalypse, occurs in the epistles only here and in 1Co 9:16 . The woe is grounded on the fate which awaits those who walk in the steps of Cain, Balaam and Korah. In 2 Peter Balaam is the only one referred to of the three leaders of wickedness here named by Jude. Cain, with Philo, is the type of selfishness ( [791] . 1 p. 206), (quoted by Schneckenb. p. 221); he is named as a type of jealous hate in 1Jn 3:2 ; 1Jn 3:12 . . ; , , of unbelief in Heb 11:4 , , cf. Philo, De Agric. 1 M. 300 f., and Targ. Jer. on Gen 4:7 , cited by Schneckenburger, in which Cain is represented as saying “non est judicium, nec judex, nec est aliud saeculum, nee dabitur merces bona justis, nec ultio sumetur de improbis,” etc. There seems no reason why we should not regard Cain here as symbolising the absence both of faith and of love, cf. 1Jn 3:23 . Euthym. Zig. gives an allegorical explanation, , . Cain and Korah are said to have been objects of special reverence with a section of the Ophite heresy, which appears to have been a development of the Nicolaitans (Epiphan. Pan. i. 3, 37, 1, ). They held that the Creator was evil, that the serpent represented the divine Wisdom, that Cain and his successors were champions of right (Epiphan. ib. 38, 1, , and boast themselves to be of kin to Cain, , see too Iren. i. 51, Clem. Str. vii. 108.)

[791] Codex Ruber (sc. ix.), at the British Museum; it derives its name from the colour of the ink.

. Every word in this clause is open to question. The passive of , to “pour out,” is used to express either the onward sweeping movement of a great crowd, or the surrender to an overpowering motive on the part of an individual = effusi sunt , [792] as in Sir 37:29 , , Test. Reub. 1, , Clem. Al. Str. ii. p. 491, , , , Plut. V. Ant. 21, . Such an interpretation seems not quite consistent with , which implies cool self-interest. That covetousness, , was a common motive with false teachers is often implied or asserted by St. Paul and St. Peter in the passages quoted below: and this, we know, was the case with Balaam; but would it be correct to say either of him or of his followers, here condemned by St. Jude, that they ran greedily into (or “in”) error for reward? Perhaps we should understand it rather of a headstrong will breaking down all obstacles, refusing to listen to reason or expostulation, as Balaam holds to his purpose in spite of the divine opposition manifested in such diverse ways. Then comes the difficulty, how are we to understand the dative , and what is the reference in the word? Should we take as equivalent to (Winer, p. 268)? This is the interpretation given by Lucifer p. 219, “vae illis quoniam in seductionem B. mercede effusi sunt,” but it is a rare use of the dative, and it seems more natural to explain by the preceding (dative of the means or manner), which is used in the same collocation in 2Pe 2:15 . What then are we to understand by “they were hurried along on the line of Balaam’s error”? What was his error? From Num 22:1-41 ; Num 25:1-3 ; Num 31:16 , Neh 13:2 , , Jos. Ant. iv. 6, 6, we learn that B [793] was induced by Balak’s bribe to act against his own convictions and eventually to tempt Israel to fornication. This then is the error or seduction by which he leads them astray. [794] In rabbinical literature Balaam is a sort of type of false teachers (Pirke Aboth, Jud 1:19 , with Taylor’s n.). Some suppose the name Nicolaitan (Rev 2:6 ) to be formed from the Greek equivalent to Balaam = “corrupter of the people”; see however the passages quoted from Clem. Al. in the Introduction on Early Heresies. In Rev 2:14 we read of some in Pergamum that held the teaching of Balaam, , . There is no hint to suggest that the innovators, of whom Jude speaks, favoured idolatry, but they may have prided themselves on their enlightenment in disregarding the rule of the Apostolic Council as to the use of meats offered to idols ( cf. 1Co 8 ), and perhaps in burning incense in honour of the Emperor, see Ramsay, Expositor for 1904, p. 409, and July, pp. 43 60. On the other hand, Jude continually charges them with moral laxity, and we may suppose that this was combined with claims to prophetic power, and with the covetousness which is often ascribed to the false teachers of the early Church, as in 1Th 2:3 f., where Paul asserts of his own ministry that it was , , , 1Ti 3:8-9 . , , , , Tit 1:7 ; Tit 1:11 , 1Pe 5:2 . For the gen. cf. Winer, p. 258, Plat. Rep. ix. 575 B, , 1Co 7:23 , .

[792] I do not think the marginal reading in the R.V., “cast themselves away,” is tenable.

[793]. Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[794] Zahn understand in an active, not a passive sense, as the ruling principle of the Balaam, not as the error into which others fell through his seductions. I do not think Jude discriminated between these meanings: covers both.

On the whole I understand the passage thus: Balaam went wrong because he allowed himself to hanker after gain and so lost his communion with God. He not only went wrong himself, but he abused his great influence and his reputation as a prophet, to lead astray the Israelites by drawing them away from the holy worship of Jehovah to the impure worship of Baal Peor. So these false teachers use their prophetical gifts for purposes of self-aggrandisement, and endeavour to make their services attractive by excluding from religion all that is strenuous and difficult, and opening the door to every kind of indulgence. See the notes and comments on the parallel passages of 2 Peter in my edition of that Epistle.

. For Rorah’s sin see Num 16:1 f. and compare, for the same rebellious spirit in the Christian Church, 3Jn 1:9-10 (of Diotrephes), Tit 1:10-11 . , Tit 1:16 ; Tit 3:10-11 , 1Ti 1:20 (among those who have made shipwreck of the faith mention is made of Hymenaeus and Alexander) , 1Ti 6:3-6 ; 2Ti 2:16-18 , , , , 2Ti 2:25 ; 2Ti 4:14 , where the opposition of Alexander the coppersmith is noted; but especially 2Ti 3:1-9 , which presents a close parallel to our passage, referring to a similar resistance to Moses in the case of the apocryphal Jannes and Jambres. For see Heb 12:3 , It is used as a translation of Meribah in Num 20:13 al. and (in relation to Korah) in Protev. Jac. 9. , , , .

Rampf draws attention to the climax contained in these examples. The sin of Cain is marked by the words , that of Balaam the gentile prophet by , that of the Levite Korah by .

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

have gone = went.

Cain. His way was that of natural religion, not the way God hadappointed.

ran greedily = rushed. Literally were poured out. Greek. ekchuno. Often translated “shed”.

reward. Same word as in 2Pe 2:13, 2Pe 2:15.

perished. Greek. apollumi. See Joh 17:12.

gainsaying. Greek. antilogia. See Heb 6:16; Heb 12:3. In five places wherethe Hebrew has “Meribah”, the Septuagint translates it by antilogia. Num 20:13; Num 27:14. Deu 32:51; Deu 33:8. Psa 81:7.

Core. Korah, as the two others, resisted the declared will of God.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

11.] The description is interrupted by a denunciation on them for having followed in the steps of former ungodly men. Woe unto them (see reff.: from which it appears that Bengel is not exact, when he says uno hoc loco unus hic apostolus u intentat): for they went by the way (the dat. is probably one of rule, cf. reff., rather than one following understood. The aorists , &c. are probably proleptic, as looking back on their course; as those in John 17,- , &c. In an English version we are almost compelled to render these by our perfect, they have gone, &c.) of Cain (how? c. answers, , by perverse doctrine, or even according to his interpretation of above, by abusing that process by which men might be born into the world: Grot., Cain fratri vitam caducam ademit: illi fratribus adimunt ternam. But these explanations do not seem to fit the context, where as yet no indication has been given of their seducing power. Some (e. g. Lyra) have answered, from their persecuting the believers: but neither does this appear in the context: others, as De Wette and Arnaud, have regarded Cain simply as a representative of all bad men: Schneckenb., as that of all unbelievers, according to Jewish tradition (respondit Cain non est judicium nec judex, nec est aliud sculum, &c. Targ. Hieros. ad Gen 4:7 : see also Philo, quod deterius, &c., p. 155 ff., De agricultur, p. 169. De Wette). The most probable answer is that given by Stier and Huther, that the point of comparison is that selfish regard and envy which was at the root of Cains sin), and rushed after (, effundi in, as Tacitus, Ann. i. 54, Mcenate effuso in amorem Bathylli: so Polyb. xxxii. 11. 4, : Clem. Al. Strom. ii. 20 (118), p. 491 P., ) the error of Balaam for reward (such, and not as De Wette, they were poured out (ruined) by the deception of the reward of Balaam. So also Horneius, deceptione mercedis qua deceptus fuit Balaam, effusi sunt. For this latter disturbs the parallelism of the three clauses, in which we have , , , strictly correlative. De Wettes reasons for his view are (1) that the ordinary rendering severs the purpose, for reward, from the error of Balaam: 2) that for reward does not suit , which implies recklessness. But it may be answered to 1) that this by no means follows: for under the may be well implied, as Balaam did, or we may take – as one idea, they ran-greedily-for reward, and B., after the error of Baalam, i. e. as Balaam did in his : and to 2) that although implies recklessness, yet it may be reckless pursuit of some favourite end, as in alienari in libidinem. As to the construction, may be either the normal dative, as above, or the dat. of direction, = : and the gen. is the usual one of price, as in 1Co 7:23, ), and perished in the gainsaying (, either the instrumental dative, perished by gainsaying, as Korah, or the dative with implied, perished in, i. e. as included in, the gainsaying of Korah, i. e. when we read of Korah and his company perishing in their gainsaying, we read of these too, as perishing after the same example. This latter seems preferable, on account of the parallelism with the other two clauses) of Korah (the common point being, that they like Korah despised Gods ordinances. , because Korah and his company . See reff., and cf. , Num 20:13 (24), Num 27:14; Deu 32:51; Deu 33:8; Psa 80:7; Psa 105:32).

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Jud 1:11. , woe!) Jude alone of the apostles, and he in this passage only, threatens a woe, from a threefold reason, which follows immediately. To the same purport, Peter calls them accursed children![4]- , of Cain) the murderer of his brother.- , of Balaam) the false prophet.-) for reward.-) they have been poured forth, like a torrent without a bank.-, in the gain saying) , Septuagint, .- , of Korah) thrusting himself into the priesthood.

[4] Accursed children-literally, sons of cursing, maledictionis filios.-T.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

Jud 1:11-13

CONDEMNATION OF EVIL-DOERS

(Jud 1:11-13)

11 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.–The substantive is wanting in the clause “woe unto them,” and it is possible to understand it as either in the indicative or optative mood. If the latter, it is a curse, i.e., “Woe be unto them”; if the former, a simple statement of the misery that will inevitably descend . .”Woe unto them.” It is in this sense that the word “woe” (ouai) occurs in Mat 24:19, and which sense we assign it here.

Three well-known illustrations from Old Testament history are adduced by the writer to prove his thesis that disobedience leads to disaster, Cain, Balaam, and Korah. Cain is cited because he was regarded as one of the most outstanding examples of Old Testament characters who became wicked, one who defied the simplest and most obvious law of God; and who, in addition, fol-lowed his own natural instinct rather than the will of the Lord in determining the nature of his offering; Balaam is included because he degraded the prophetic gift for sordid gain; and Korah, because he rebelled against divine authority. (See Gen 4:7; Num. 22 5-7; Rev 2:14; 2Pe 2:15; Num 16:1-35.) By identifying these false teachers with these Old Testament characters, Jude demonstrated that they were guilty, in principle at least, of mur-der, covetousness, rebellion, and pride. See the comments of 2Pe 2:15.

The “way of Cain” was the way of disobedience, hate, murder, and ruin; the “error of Balaam” was in seeking to seduce Israel for personal gain; and the “gainsaying of Korah” was rebellion against divinely constituted authority. The evil inherent in these men exhibited itself in the lives of the false teachers threatening the peace and harmony of the church and exists, alas, in some measure today.

12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you,–With a wealth of imagery and in vivid detail here and in the verse to follow Jude describes those who threatened the peace and purity of the church and against whom he wrote. They are described as “hidden rocks” in the love feasts in which the saints participated. Like sunken reefs which could not be seen on the surface of the water, but which would inevitably wreck any ship which struck them, so these men gave no warning of the threat which they posed. The “love-feasts” were meals common to the apostolic age at which the saints met from social, charitable, and humanitarian reasons. They appear to have had their origin in the practice of wealthier members of the con-gregation providing food for the poorer ones, and eating with them, in token of their brotherliness. These feasts are not to be identified in any way with the Lord’s supper; indeed, when this supper was corrupted into such a meal, it occasioned a sharp re-buke from Paul. (1Co 11:17-34.) But that saints were ac-customed to meet together for common meals follows from this reference to such by Jude, from a similar reference in 2 Pet. 2 13, and from numerous statements from ecclesiastical writers in the early centuries of the Christian era. They were suspended by the fourth century because men of the type of whom Jude wrote turned them into ungodly revels.

Shepherds that without fear feed themselves; –Instead of submitting themselves to the true shepherds of the flock–the elders–they affected to be shepherds themselves, their true motive being to feed themselves! This statement is similar in content to that occurring in Eze 34:2 : “Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep?” “Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand:they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.” (Isa 56:11.)

Clouds without water, carried along by winds; –Note a similar statement in 2Pe 2:17, “springs without water, and mists driven by a storm.” These false teachers were like clouds which offer promises of refreshing showers, but are carried along (borne past, parapheromenai) and leave no rain. In a land of little rainfall such as Palestine, indeed, in much of the East, the appearance of clouds offering refreshing rain are eagerly watched by the farmer, but when the cloud is borne along by the wind leav-ing no moisture hope yields to despair. These false teachers, like clouds devoid of water, were pretentious, boastful, promising. Yet, in their wake they left only disappointment. To an Oriental, it would not be possible to suggest a more expressive and vivid figure than that which here appears. Cf. Pro 25:14 : “As clouds and wind without rain, so is he that boasteth himself of his gifts falsely.”

Autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; –“Autumn” here is from phthinoporon, a word meaning, literally, late autumn, hence, trees on which there is no fruit at the season when it is most expected. Jude may have recalled here the parable of the barren fig tree, which teaches the same lesson of legitimate expectation unfulfilled. The lesson, however, is car-ried further here. The tree was not only barren; it was twice dead, and in addition, plucked up by the roots. There was, there-fore, no possible chance for fruit from such a source! Such was the character of the false teachers about whom Jude wrote.

13 Wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved for ever.–The first two figures which Jude used, hid-den rocks and clouds, referred to the false pretentions of the men about whom he warned and their disaster to which their teaching and conduct led. The third, that of the fruit tree twice dead, described their wretched condition of complete barrenness. The two which this verse contains, foaming waves of the sea, and wan-dering stars, suggest their lawlessness and shamelessness and their ultimate fate. The figure of the foaming sea waves as illustrative of the wicked is used by the prophet Isaiah: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt.” (Isa 57:20.) The reference is obviously to the flotsam and jetsam borne on the crest of the waves and cast up from time to time on the beach. These men with their “great swelling words of vanity” (2Pe 2:18) were like the great waves that break in foam and leave the beach littered with tangled and worthless refuse. Or, like wandering stars without direction or orbit, they shine for a while and then pass into utter darkness. For them the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever and ever. Religious teachers are often likened to stars in the sacred writings. (Rev 1:16; Rev 2:1.)

There is striking resemblance between this entire section and that which occurs in 2Pe 2:1-22. The notes should be con-sulted there in connection with the comments which are made here.

Commentary on Jud 1:11-13 by E.M. Zerr

Jud 1:11. Way of Cain refers to his life of wicked selfishness, and they are compared to Balaam because of his willingness to be bribed. Gainsaying means contention for one’s personal desires. Such a person is like Core (Korah in Numbers 16).

Jud 1:12. Spots is a figure of speech drawn from a hidden rock in the sea that wrecks the vessels. Jude says they will come to the feasts of charity (love feasts, 2Pe 2:13) for the purpose of feeding themselves. Clouds without water is explained at 2Pe 2:17. Trees . . . twice dead is another figure, indicating something utterly useless; the same is meant by being plucked up by the roots.

Jud 1:13. Raging waves is used because such things make great disturbances but accomplish nothing but threatening appearances. Wandering stars refers to the planets that seem to have no fixed position and these men are like that. Blackness of darkness refers to the “outer darkness” awaiting the wicked.

Commentary on Jud 1:11-13 by N.T. Caton

Jud 1:11.-Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain.

Woe only is their portion; in destroying the souls of their brethren, their course is that of the murderer, as it is the same in effect as was the act of Cain, who killed his brother Abel. They that run in the course of error and sin as did Balaam, who sought the wages of wrong-doing, and pretending a superior knowledge and a spiritual illumination in opposition to the inspired teachings of the apostles of the Lamb, it is simple rebellion, and will meet with the same punishment meted out to Korah, who opposed the authority of God through Moses and Aaron. (Num 16:3-13.) Jude’s comparison of these false teachers with Cain, Balaam, and Korah indicates clearly that he regards them as guilty of the three heinous crimes of murder, covetousness and rebellion.

Jud 1:12.-These are spots in your feasts of charity.

The gathering of the saints together at stated times, the duty of Christians. When wicked men meet with you, their excesses are so great they are like black spots upon a clean white surface. They regard not the holy character of the feast, and the love for the Master in obedience to whose commandment it is observed, but as gluttons feed without reverence. They make pretensions to a holy life, yet by their acts and speech they demonstrate the contrary; in this respect they are like a cloud containing no water, and easily dispelled and driven away. They are like trees exhibiting an apparent prospect of much fruit, yet a fruit that never comes to maturity, but always withers and drops from the boughs; withered autumnal fruit; they are twice dead; once they died in the Jewish faith, now they have died since the faith of the gospel has been proclaimed, and there is nothing left to them but to be plucked up by the roots. What a climax! How striking in its description of false teachers. The final end of all such is to be rooted up as trees utterly barren, utterly worthless.

Jud 1:13.-Raging waves of the sea.

Another view of these creatures is presented. When the sea is lashed into fury by the winds, her waves dash and boil into mountains of white foam. These false teachers are likened thereunto. They were turbulent and furious, attempted to place no restriction whatever upon their evil temper or tongue, or upon their lewd and dissolute actions, even when among disciples at their sacred feasts, and even here showed the filthiness of their own habits, and thus exhibited their own shame and disgrace. The evangelical prophet speaks of just such characters in the following language: “The wicked are like the troubled sea when it can not rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isa 57:20).

Wandering stars.

Not fixed, unstable, unsettled, irregular. Blackness of darkness forever.

A fearful doom.

Lived where the light was shining in all its God-given splendor, and suddenly all shut out and midnight’s dark pall settled over them for all eternity. What a fearful ending to contemplate.

Commentary on Jud 1:11-13 by Donald Fream

What a tragedy! They have thrown themselves to destruction like Cain, Balaam, and Korah.

Woe upon them! The exclamation expresses grief and/or denunciation. Jude neither gives the woe nor wishes it; but he sees it clearly in the three examples from the Old Testament. His heart is filled with grief over their plight. With saddened eyes he sees them sinning the sins condemned so long ago. Their wickedness has been proclaimed, and now he predicts their misery.

Cains way was one of envy, hatted, and murder. These apostates disdain the welfare of the saints and use them to their own selfish purposes. Like Cain, they do not believe that God means what He says. They are walking the same road as this archtype of all bad men. Hateful and envious of their brethren, they are guilty of Cains type of murder. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. (1Jn 3:15)

One wonders how many Christians within the church today are beginning the same walk as Cain. Not willing to repent, they begin to dislike and even rebel at the example of godliness in their brethren. Soon their dislike will turn to complete disregard and hatred, and they will find the Christian examples about them unbearable. This is the road of hatred and murder. This is the road of Cain.

Balaam was looking for a reward from the king, and sold his life in a futile chase for money. He was drowned in destruction and perdition in attempting to curse the people of God. For money he would do what Cain did for hate. So it is that money figures largely in the motivation for these apostates. Doctrine is a matter of pay, not a matter of truth, and in reaching for the pay they depart from the truth. They ignore the warning of 1Ti 6:9-10 : But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Korah rebelled against Gods authority. He was envious and jealous of the authority God gave to Moses and Aaron; so he presumed to share in that authority. This was contrary to Gods expressed instruction. With a terrifying finality and suddenness, punishment followed. The earth opened up and swallowed the wicked men and their followers. Fire from God consumed all the goods that pertained to these men. In a moment Israel learned a lesson that caused them to flee in terror.

How serious is rebellion against divine authority! How certain will be the result! With what fear and respect we should follow after the authority of God. These apostates did not do so. They ignored the authority of Jehovah, and worked out their own rules by which they conducted their lives. The doctrine in Gods revelation they ignored, and were ignorantly content to create teachings that satisfied their own ears and pleased their own lusts.

Can it be that people today, even within the church of the living God, also ignore divine instruction? Will people today follow after the ways of Korah and invent offices, positions, and authority for themselves; contrary to the revelation of God? Korah was not the first, but his destruction should have been a lesson for all mankind. These apostates are not the last, for this seems to be one way for an evil heart. May God help us to find His authority sufficient, and like Michael submit ourselves to His will.

There also seems to be a progress in the action expressed in these three examples. The apostates went in the way of Cain, ran in the error of Balaam, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. Such is a way of sin, First one walks, then one runs; and finally one is consumed. The lusts of the flesh have the same process. First there is a sinful play with the fire. Then there comes a frantic chase after the sin; and finally one is completely consumed in his lusts. Sin is a snare that draws tighter with indulgence. Sin is not a single trap, but a series of traps, each one stronger and more vicious than the last. It begins with playful rebellion and ends with total destruction. Woe unto them!

The manuscripts seem to differ as to whether the reading is rocks or hidden rocks. In either case, the reading should be rocks rather than the spots of King James.

Shepherds they are called. The word means those who tend the flock. A secondary meaning of feed themselves (shepherds) is to furnish pasture, or nourishment, to ones body; thus to serve the body. This last meaning seems to be in keeping with the textual context, for they feed themselves without fear. They do not look for nor dread any possible correction, expulsion from the brotherhood, nor punishment from God. Absorbed in the satisfaction of their own sensuous desires they have no thought for feeding their souls.

The waterless clouds, that raise mens hopes but are always a disappointment, are also referred to in 2Pe 2:14; 2Pe 2:17. They are clouds that blot out the light of God and bring no moisture for growth. Ever visible they are, as well as ever fruitless. Unstable, at the mercy of every wind of false doctrine, they are carried with the tempest. They are strangers to the faithful word, and have no fixed direction in their own course.

While the stars in heaven keep a fixed course in relation to the rotation of the earth, there are planets that appear as stars, but wander off the fixed course. They are not in the same orbit as the other stars, and their relative wanderings appear aimless and unrelated. So are these libertines as they hold not to the faith that had been delivered to the saints once for all. Their lives are a departure from the Christ-like witness that is normal for the Christian. Their witness appears aimless and unrelated to Jesus Christ.

Their sensuous passions are beaten constantly into a filthy, roaring foam. Their shameful deeds (shames) are the only fruits of their agitations. The hidden things of shame (2Co 4:2) are not renounced by them, but rather from the depths of their rotten lives are the seaweeds and dirt, mire and unclean scum, that are laid bare as the foam of their agitation bursts forth upon the sands of time.

Their destiny is also shown forth by the aimless stars of heaven. With no fixed course but wandering aimlessly about the blackness of space, they have both all expanse and all eternity without any hope of a resting place with God.

Such sensuality among the brethren within the living church of God is not an impossibility. The libertines of that day had their places for feeding the desires of the flesh and promoting sensuality. Today, however, the very home itself has become a spawning area for all kinds of filth. Magazines that contain all kinds and all amounts of sex are often carried, even through the mails, into the home. The television set has become a living fixture in the home that carries death through sensuality as many as twenty or more hours in every day. Spirituality is lost in the sensual desire for the sensuous programs. Wednesday night prayer services, and even the Sunday evening church services have been overwhelmed by the avalanche of fleshly carnality via the TV. Entire churches have dismissed these services, admitting defeat. Time for prayer and devotions within the home is no more. There are too many programs that might be missed. There are too many games to be played and too many parties to be attended. Besides all this, if there were regular devotions within the home, where would one find time to cook, eat, sleep, and cook again? The appetites of the flesh are many, and they cry out as demanding in this day as the day in which the epistle of Jude was written. May God help us to heed the warning.

Commentary on Jud 1:11-13 by Burton Coffman

Jud 1:11 –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.

Glancing above at the preceding verses, it will be noted that Jude gave three examples of apostasy: the ancient Israelites, the rebel angels, and the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 1:1:5-7). Next, he indicted the licentious Gnostic heretics as just as guilty as the ancient apostates, emphasizing their sinful and ignorant behaviour by contrasting it with the restraint of the archangel Michael (Jude 1:1:8-9), these two verses being somewhat of a parenthetical note. He returned to the indictment of the wicked men in Jude 1:1:10; but in this (Jude 1:1:11), he equates and compares their conduct with the wickedness of three of the worst Old Testament apostates: Cain, Balaam, and Korah.

Cain … Balaam … Korah … Jude assumed that his readers were thoroughly familiar with the Old Testament events associated with these three names of infamy; and we shall do our readers the courtesy of making the same assumption with regard to them. For those who would like to “brush up a bit,” the narratives of Cain (Genesis 4), Balaam (Numbers 22-24), and Korah (Numbers 16) are among the most interesting records in Scripture. Jude’s reason for the choice of these three examples might have been lodged in the spectacular punishments they received. Cain was cursed of God; Balaam was found dead with God’s enemies fighting against Israel, and Korah was swallowed up by an earthquake that split open the earth, taking Korah and all of his company to their death. The lesson is that a grievous punishment will be meted out to wicked men. Another reason for the selection of these three was also probably that of their sins being similar to the sins of the wicked Gnostics. Like Cain, they were innovators with a fierce hatred of any who rejected their ideas. Like Balaam, they were greedy, covetous, and willing to do any dishonorable thing whatever for the sake of money. Like Korah, they rebelled against God’s appointed authorities, the sacred apostles, prophets and teachers of the new covenant, just as Korah had rebelled against Moses. Still another possible purpose in using the example of Cain derived from the need to refute the Ophites, called also Cainites. Bruce has this on that evil system:

In the early days of Christianity there was one heretical (Gnostic) group which actually venerated Cain and his successors as champions of right, and claimed to be akin to him “and to the men of Sodom and Esau and Korah” (as Epiphanius informs us)[36]

There is further discussion of this above, under 1Jn 3:12, where Cain was cited as an example of wickedness. Also see above, under 2Pe 2:15, where Balaam was similarly cited. Apparently, all three of these, Cain, Balaam, and Korah were considered to be especially notorious sinners, and frequently referred to as examples and warnings.

ENDNOTE:

[36] F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), p. 134.

Jud 1:12 –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 trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

Hidden rocks in your love-feasts … The metaphor appears to be a sunken shoal, or reef, upon which the unwary mariner might suffer shipwreck.

Love-feasts … The love-feast mentioned here “still appears to be one with the eucharistic assembly,”[37] and therefore not the type which was mentioned by Tertullian as continuing into the fourth century. This, according to Robinson, suggests something near a mid-century date (61-62 A.D.) for Jude. Essential to the success of these evil poachers in the Lords’ vineyard was the secret and stealthy modus operandi which attended their operations.

Shepherds that without fear feed themselves … Like everything else in his letter, Jude here drew this from the Old Testament example of “shepherds that feed themselves” (Ezekiel 34). Ezekiel called them “fat cattle” who abuse the flock of God, fouling their food with refuse, etc.; as some would say today, “They were fat cats, living in luxury while impoverishing others.”

Clouds without water … Note that this is a metaphor drawn from the arid area of Judaea, perfectly ordinary, and universally known. Clouds without water were a terrible disappointment to people who needed rain most of the time.

Carried along by winds … A similar cloud metaphor having the meaning of instability. Now one may see such a cloud; then he doesn’t. That was the way it was with the false teachers.

Autumn trees without fruit … The autumn trees here were those which normally bore their fruit in the autumn. Fruit time was disappointment time for those who looked to barren trees.

Twice dead, plucked up by the roots … In a sense, an unfruitful, or barren tree, was “dead”; but, when it had already been grubbed up from the earth, it was “doubly dead.” “Spiritually, these men were twice dead in having returned after baptism to the death of sin.”[38] Many have likewise identified this as parallel with such passages as Heb 6:4-7.

[37] John A. T. Robinson, Redating the New Testament (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 172.

[38] Alfred Plummer, op. cit., p. 513.

Jud 1:13 –wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved for ever.

Wild waves of the sea … Jude, like countless others, had visited a sea shore following a storm, finding the beach littered and polluted by every kind of filth and trash. In addition to such experience which it may be assumed he had, the words of the Prophet Isaiah pronounced the metaphor for him: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isa 57:20). A polluted beach was the perfect figure of the evil Gnostics.

Wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved for ever … The “wandering stars” here is a clear reference to meteorites which blaze a moment in the night sky and then fall into darkness forever. Yes, Jude used a word which is supposed to have meant, literally, “stars which follow no orbit” (J. B. Phillips), or “stars which have wandered off course” (New English Bible); but Jude was undeniably writing metaphorically. Trees cannot be “twice dead”; oceans do not foam up “shame”; and stars do not “wander.” There is hardly anyone alive who has not used exactly the same metaphor Jude used here, in such a remark as “I saw a shooting star!” Stars do not “shoot”; in fact, neither the people who mention such observations, nor Jude in this letter, had any reference whatever to “stars” in the technical sense (although using technical terms), but to drifting fragments in space which, being trapped by the earth’s atmosphere, blaze gloriously for a moment and then perish forever. Stars? No. Meteorites is the technical word. It would be just as honest to accuse one who mentioned a “shooting star” of actually believing a star had fallen upon earth, as it is to load Jude’s humble and simple meaning here with a lot of Greek astronomy. One fears that the translators have been translating Enoch here, instead of the letter of Jude. We appreciate the words of J. B. Mayor who admitted that “shooting star” would “fit better” in this passage.[39] Indeed it would; for that is exactly what the passage means. Those evil men who troubled the church were just like “shooting stars” that shine a moment and then plunge to doom and darkness. Like his knowing of clouds, winds, sea shore, and fruitless trees, the knowledge of this nocturnal phenomenon was Jude’s by his own personal observation and experience. It is absolutely gratuitous to drag Enoch into this verse.

ENDNOTE:

[39] J. B. Mayor, Expositor’s Greek New Testament, Vol. V (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 270.

Commentary on Jud 1:11-13 by Gary Hampton

Not only did the false teachers speak evil, they even spoke against things about which they did not know or understand. The only things they understood concerned the fulfillment of physical appetites. They did that to the point of their own destruction. They could only look forward to woe because they were like Cain. He followed his own desires instead of walking the path of obedient service (Gen 4:7). Balaam simply did his works to gain monetary profit (Num 22:5-7). Korah rebelled against Moses’ and God’s authority in the wilderness in his lusty hunger for power (Num 16:1-35). These men are examples of the type of attitude the false teachers must have portrayed (Jud 1:10-11).

Apostasy Illustrated from the Natural Realm

Like rocks hidden in the water, false teachers were unrecognized trouble ready to sink the unprepared Christian. They acted as if they were shepherds of the flock so they could feed themselves. In the dry climate of Palestine, their personalities were best represented as clouds that would seem to promise a much wanted rain but only leave the land dry and disappointed. They were like barren fruit trees in autumn. They should have had fruit but it was as if they had been plucked up by the roots. They were dead in the realm of fruit bearing and devoid of any life (Jud 1:12).

The wave illustration was used in Isa 57:20. It simply says the false teachers are like the foamy waves which promised much but carried nothing of real value. The star idea may refer to shooting comets or falling meteors leaving only darkness in their trail. Thus, the ultimate end of the false teachers was set forth (Jud 1:13).

Commentary on Jud 1:11-13 by David Hersey

Jud 1:11 –Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. Apostates Depraved and Doomed.

A simple statement of the misery that will descend upon them, both in this life and the one to come. Jude drew on three old testament characters whose examples served to illustrate his point.

Jud 1:11 –“For they have gone in the way of Cain” Cain followed his own instincts and passion in determining the nature of his offering to the Lord. He thought an offering of the fruit of the ground would be more appropriate so he offered it to the Lord. Cain’s offering was rejected and he allowed his passion to govern him to the extent that he slew his own brother. Cain was a slave to his own passions.

Jud 1:11 –“have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit”

Balaam was a gentile prophet who lived at the time when Balak the king of Moab was facing his overthrow by the children of Israel as they conquered

Balaam, a gentile and the son of Bosor, was a man of stature among the Midianites (Num 31:8). He lived at Pethor (Deu 23:4), in Mesopotamia (Num 23:7). It is evident that though dwelling among idolaters he had knowledge of the true God, and was held in such reputation that it was believed that those whom he blessed were blessed, and those whom he cursed were cursed (Num 22:6). When the Israelites were encamped on the plains of Moab, on the east of Jordan, by Jericho, Balak, concerned that he would be overthrown by Israel (Num 22:4), sent for Balaam “from Aram, out of the mountains of the east,” to curse them (Num 22:6), but because of God’s intervention he was unable to fulfill Balak’s wish. The apostle Peter refers to Balaam in 2Pe 2:15-16 as he who loved the wages of unrighteousness.

Though Balaam could not curse Israel, he did counsel Balak during the time he was with him on Peor to entice the children of Israel to “commit trespass against the Lord” (Num 31:16). Rev 2:14 gives us more detail concerning this, “Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication”. Balaam couldn’t curse the children of Israel directly but he did reveal to Balak a way to cause the Israelites to fall from favor and incur the wrath of God as a consequence. If the Israelites could be tempted to commit fornication with the women of Moab, God would withdraw His support from them. In Num 24:25 to Num 25:1, we learn that when Balaam and Balak concluded their discussions over Israel, “Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way. And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab”. Balaam’s counsel to Balak concerning the Israelites was successful. This resulted in the wrath of God being poured out on Israel which ended with the deaths of twenty four thousand (Num 25:4). After this, God sent Israel to destroy Moab during which the kings of Midian and Balaam were killed.

Balaam was mentioned by Jude because he counseled Balak to have the Moabitish women seduce the men of Israel into illicit sexual relations. This lasciviousness was what the Antinomian Gnostics were promoting in the Lord’s church. Jude’s intent here was to illustrate the similarities and to associate these depraved activities with the fate that befell Balaam and Balak.

Jud 1:11 –“and perished in the rebellion of Korah”

Kohath was the son of Levi (Gen 46:11). Kohath had four sons, two of which are of interest here; Izhar and Amram (Exo 6:18). Izhar was father of Korah (Exo 6:21) and Amram, his brother was the father of Moses (Exo 6:20). Korah and Moses were first cousins which is interesting in that Korah was the ringleader in a rebellion against Moses and Aaron (Num 16:1-3), “Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; 2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”

This did not work out well for them at all. In the end Dathan and Abiram, along with their families were swallowed up by the earth and Korah along with the two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation perished by fire from the Lord. Korah himself perished while standing before the door of the tabernacle of meeting where he had gathered the opposing leaders of the Israelites against Moses and Aaron.

Korah’s sin by rebelling against Moses and inciting the Israelites to rise up against him was “Despising dominion and speaking evil of dignities” as mentioned in Jud 1:8. The application for us today is of a warning against those who would rise up in opposition to the civil or spiritual authorities under which a Christian lives and serves. Our instructions concerning the civil authorities is found in 1Pe 2:13-14 and Rom 13:1-3. Our instructions concerning our conduct in respect to spiritual authorities is found in Heb 13:17 and 1Th 5:12-13.

In all we have:

1) Cain who insisted on his own righteousness instead of God’s and failed to govern his own passions.

2) Balaam who taught Balak to lead God’s children astay with the pleasures of the flesh.

3) and Korah who did not respect the authorities above him and rose up against them.

These three examples cover very well the characteristics of the false teachers that Jude was opposing. It is well known fact that the Gnostics approached God with their own righteousness, allowing their lusts and passions to govern their behavior. They promoted sexual promiscuity and had no respect whatsoever for authority, whether it be physical or spiritual. The Gnostics had all three, but it is apparent that to possess any one of these characteristics would bear the same consequences.

The application for us today is that we, like the Christians to whom Jude wrote, need to seek after God’s righteousness (Rom 10:3), refrain from the pleasures of the flesh and respect the authorities under which we live (2Pe 2:10), and do not engage in the acceptance or the practice of false teaching.

Jud 1:12 –These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;

The Greek word for “spots” here means a reef under the sea, which carries the meaning of a hidden menace. The ASV renders this phrase as, “These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts”. The NASB simply renders the word for its literal meaning, a “hidden reef”. The idea here is of a threat that is hard to see but carries an imminent threat of disaster. Like sunken reefs which could not be seen from the surface of the water, but would destroy any ship that hit them, so the apostates in Jude’s consideration had hidden themselves among them, giving no evidence of the threat they posed. Peter used this word when prophesying about these very people in 2Pe 2:13, “They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you”.

The “love-feasts” is a reference to the well known feasts of charity which was a customary practice of the New Testament church associated with their assemblies. These love feasts were not intended to be a part of their worship but the Corinthian Christians combined them with the Lord’s supper and brought about the condemnation of Paul in 1Co 11:17-22. The Corinthian Christians were not the only group of Christians who associated the Lord’s supper with a common meal, but it was the Corinthians who abused it and received Paul’s inspired teachings on the matter. Several congregations of the Lord’s church still observe the feasts of charity today as a custom, not as a part of the biblical pattern. These feasts are more modernly referred to as ‘potlucks’ or ‘fellowship meals’.

One of the purposes, aside from building and maintaining a bond of fellowship among brethren, was to make sure all the Christians received a good meal. At this time in history, Christian persecution had arisen to the point that it was difficult for many Christians to find work to support their families. There were times when the love-feast was the only decent meal a Christian could count on receiving. That the saints were accustomed to meeting together for common meals is evident from this verse and also from 2Pe 2:13. There are also numerous extra-biblical references to these love feasts by the early ecclesiastical writers of the church. By the 4th century they were suspended because men of the type prophesied by Peter and described by Jude had turned the feasts into banquetings and drinking parties as condemned in 1Pe 4:3. Anything can be abused to the point that something innocent can be corrupted into something ungodly.

There were other public feasts which were available at the time but Christians were forbidden to partake in them because they involved eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Paganism was at its height in Roman society in the first century. Their religion was replete with all kinds of mythological pagan gods such as Zeus, Hercules, Athena, Diana and literally hundreds of others. These gods were actively worshipped in temples constructed in their honor. Animal sacrifices were sometimes a regular part of their worship and the meat which had been sacrificed to these pagan gods would be used to feed the citizens of the Roman Empire in the cities where this took place. These public feasts, well intentioned at the first, turned into wild orgiastic festivals in the streets where drunkeness and gluttony ran wild along with every depraved form of sexual depravity imaginable. These gluttonous feasts were alluded to in Rev 2:20 where John quoted Jesus words concerning the church at Thyatira, “I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” Paul likewise had this to say concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols in 1Co 10:18-22, “Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons”.

Jud 1:12 –“while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves.”

The ASV renders more correctly renders this passage as, “shepherds that without fear feed themselves”. Jude drew this imagery from Eze 34:2 and following, “Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?” The apostates in Jude’s consideration care nothing about the sheep, instead all they care about is serving their own interests. They care not one whit for the damage they are inflicting on others. All they care about is serving themselves.

Apostates never seem to be content with just being apostates. They almost always yield to some inner drive to win others over to their way of thinking. It’s as if they feel their point of view is somehow validated through acceptance of others. The apostates in view of Jude were no different. They were not content to just partake of their fleshly desires themselves, they wanted others to as well. That they were in some way associated with Christianity is apparent in that they had “crept in” to the church. These people were obviously coming into the fellowship in the guise of Christians, or else it would not have been possible. And, true to the nature of apostates, they were trying to influence others to their perverted understandings of scripture, thereby dragging the souls of the innocent with them to destruction. They wanted Jesus and the hope He represented, but they also wanted to be free to satiate their fleshly desires without the fear of losing the hope they had in Christ. So instead of just surrendering to their lusts and leaving the faithful Christians to worship God correctly, they chose to come in stealthily and try to win then over to their way of thinking. They were shepherds that without fear, feeding their own desires and trying to lead the sheep down their path.

Jud 1:12 –“They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds”

This is the first of four comparisons Jude makes from nature regarding the apostates. Compare the clouds without water to Peter’s prophesy regarding apostates in 2Pe 2:17, “These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest”. Clouds promise rain and relief from the dry and the heat. The expectation of those who depend entirely on their environment for survival is expectant that the thirsty earth is to be refreshed with needful showers. Instead of this, however, the clouds follow the wind’s direction, and no rain is received. The clouds which promise water are only carried about by the whim of whatever drives it, with no consistent direction, no defined purpose. So this is of false religious teachers. Instruction in regards to the way of salvation was expected from them; but, instead, they disappointed the anticipations of those who were desirous of knowing the way of life, but were disappointed.

Jud 1:12 –“late autumn trees without fruit”

Similar to a cloud with no water, the tree without fruit cannot bring the sustenance required for life. The imagery here is of expected spiritual nourishment with none available. The tree is there, but there is nothing produced from it of any value.

Jud 1:12 –“twice dead”

These apostates, here described as being like clouds without water and trees without fruit are now declared “twice dead”. Christians are characterized in scripture as those who were formerly dead but live again, (Eph 2:1-2, Eph 2:5, 1Jn 3:14). Scripture also refers to this second life and being born again, (Joh 3:3-5, 1Pe 1:23). Those who are twice dead, would be in the same condition they were before they became alive in Christ, dead twice. In writing to Timothy concerning widows in the church who live after the flesh, Paul said in 1Ti 5:6-7, “But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives”. Like the living dead widows who seek the pleasures of the flesh, so also are the apostates who fell under the scrutiny of Judas, and so will be the spiritual state of any who follow after their evil teachings.

Jud 1:12 –pulled up by the roots;

Ezekiel wrote by the commandment of god concerning the rebellious house of Israel in, Eze 17:9, “It was planted in good soil by many waters, To bring forth branches, bear fruit, And become a majestic vine. 9 Say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots, Cut off its fruit, And leave it to wither? All of its spring leaves will wither, And no great power or many people Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots” And such is the fate of these apostates in the end. They are dead while they live, and will be plucked up and disposed of.

Jud 1:13 –raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame;

Isa 57:20-21, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast up mire and dirt. “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.” These apostates are compared to the raging waves of troubled seas who appear powerful but produce only mire, dirt and refuse on the shores in their wake. All that is produced by them is a lot of show, leaving behind only trash, mire and filth.

Jud 1:13 –“wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.”

Jude is most likely referring to what we today refer to as ‘falling or shooting stars’. They appear for a moment in the night sky and then fall into the darkness. Jude’s use of the Greek here means a “stars which follow no orbit”, or “stars which have wandered off course”. Jude is using familiar imagery to characterize these apostates. Trees cannot be literally “twice dead”; oceans do not foam up “shame”; and real stars do not ‘wander off course.’ Jude was not referring to stars in a technical sense, rather he was using the imagery to illustrate a likeness which his readers could identify with.

The application of the imagery here, both for Jude’s immediate readership and for us today as well, is that the blackness of darkness forever is what is in store for the apostates. Here is their pronouncement of eternal doom and damnation. They will share the same fate as the angels who sinned as mentioned by Jude in Jud 1:6.

There is an apparent resembles between this entire section of Jude and the words of 2 Peter 2 concerning future apostates. 2 Peter 2 prophecies their coming and Jude describes them in fulfillment of Peter’s prediction. The imagery used to illustrate and characterize them is both similar and striking. The harsh terms used by both writers are indicative of the seriousness of their spiritual situation and that of those who would follow after their ways. Neither writer leaves any doubt as to the fate that lays in store for them.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Reciprocal: Gen 4:8 – Cain rose Num 16:1 – Korah Num 16:33 – they perished Num 16:40 – that no Num 22:5 – sent Num 22:7 – rewards of divination Num 22:19 – General Num 22:23 – the ass saw Num 23:1 – Build me Num 24:17 – I shall see him Num 26:9 – General Num 31:8 – Balaam Jos 13:22 – Balaam 2Sa 16:3 – day 2Ki 16:16 – General Pro 30:15 – Give Isa 10:1 – Woe Isa 56:11 – they are Jer 51:13 – and the Eze 22:12 – greedily Mic 3:11 – and the prophets Mic 6:5 – Balaam Hab 2:9 – that coveteth an evil covetousness Mat 11:21 – Woe Mat 13:22 – the care Mat 18:7 – but Mar 14:11 – and promised Luk 22:5 – and covenanted Eph 4:19 – with Phi 4:17 – because 1Th 2:5 – a cloak 1Ti 3:3 – not greedy 1Ti 6:5 – supposing 1Ti 6:9 – they 1Ti 6:10 – coveted 2Ti 3:2 – covetous Heb 11:4 – a more Heb 13:5 – conversation Jam 5:19 – err 2Pe 2:3 – through 2Pe 2:14 – an heart 2Pe 2:15 – who 1Jo 3:12 – as Rev 2:14 – Balaam

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jud 1:11. Way of Cain refers to his life of wicked selfishness, and they are compared to Balaam because of his willingness to be bribed. Gainsaying means contention for one’s personal desires. Such a person is like Core (Korah in Numbers 16).

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Jud 1:11. Woe to them. This expression is often used by our Lord, but never elsewhere except in Jude and in Revelation. (Pauls use, Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel, is different.) The words may mean, Woe is to them, a description of their miserable condition, present or future, uttered as a warning to others (Calvin); or even Alas for them, expressive of pity (Newcome); or as generally expressive of pain and indignation, a censure and a threat: in any case the word speaks of evil and woe, whether uttered in the tone of compassion which bewails it (Mat 23:15), or of the indignation that imprecates it (Mat 11:21). Here the context favours the idea that it is neither pity nor imprecation, for their sin is strongly condemned, and they are said to have been punished; but a cry of horror on taking in at one glance the whole course of their ungodliness, and its final plunge into the dark abyss (as in Rev 18:16; Rev 18:19).

for in the way of Cain have they walked (so Jud 1:16; Jud 1:18). Like him have they lived, gratifying the passions and selfish instincts of their nature, in contempt of the warnings of God and His word. (Envy of others; murder, literal or figurativedestroying others by their teaching; godlessness, are all more or less inaccurate; it is the character of selfish immoral deceivers that is described.)

and in the error; generally a sinful moral faulta vicious life, that leaves the way of truth (Jas 5:20; 2Pe 2:18) in the error, i.e in the direction (not by the seduction of Balaams rewardde Wettenor into the sin of, but as in the previous clause, in the way of) of Balaam (of selfish avarice, gratified even in the sin and ruin of others).

have they run greedily (the verb means to pour ones self out on, or to give ones self up to a thing).

in the gainsaying (the rebellion. See note on Heb 12:3) of Koran; insurrection against the Lord under cover of right and freedom.

have they perished. The beginning, therefore, and the end of their way are illustrated in this threefold history. The general sins of these apostates have been variously defined, envy, covetousness, pride; murder, seduction of others for the sake of gain, rebellion against Divine authorityall have been used to describe their motives and sins. In all there is this quality predominant, that they knew God and His truth, and their knowledge was perverted by selfishness or covetousness or pride to results eminently immoral and disastrous.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Our apostle goes on charging these seducers with several crimes; particularly with the malice and envy of Cain, with the sordid covetousness of Balaam, with the sedition and gainsaying of Core: they hate their brethren, and so are murderers like Cain; they have adulterated the truth for base gain, and so have followed the example of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; and as Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, rose up against Moses and Aaron, so they seditiously opposed both magistracy and ministry.

Learn hence, 1. That the practice of wicked men now, and from the beginning, is still the same.

2. That Satan entices his slaves to divers sins; to the malice of Cain, to the covetousness of Balaam, to the sedition of Core.

3. That such as sin now may read their destruction in the destruction of those that sinned before them, Woe unto them! they have gone in the way of Cain, and perished, & c.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

11. Woe unto them because they have gone off in the way of Cain. Cain was a very religious man, the great patriarch of anti-holiness, bloodless religion. Doubtless his offering was much more costly than was Abels. It only lacked the blood. Hence it was destitute of salvation. For a time the antediluvians were divided between the holiness followers of Abel and Seth, and the anti-holiness followers of Cain, the latter predominating over the former till Noah and family stood alone favored of God, with the ark in which to ride up from the doom of the wicked world. Jesus says, As it was in the days of Noah… so shall it be when the Son of man cometh.

Mat 24:38-39. As the antediluvians waxed worse and worse till the flood, when Noah escaped in the ark, so the world will grow worse till the Lord comes and takes up the faithful few in the cloud from the awful Tribulation symbolized by the flood. Cains bloodless religion is sweeping Christendom today, while Abels bleeding Lamb has but here and there a devotee. In the delusion of Balaam, they rushed forth for reward.

Balaam coveted Balaks gold, and did his best to get it by cursing Israel. Jesus condemns a hireling ministry. Oh, the preachers this day who curse Israel (the holy people) to get the gold of the rich, carnal members! But, like the case of Balaam, God turns all their curses into blessings to His true people. Glory to His name! Gods true people are this day ejected, ostracized, anathematized and decapitated, but God makes it all a blessing to them, as He turned all the curses of Balaam into showers of blessing, poured down from heaven on Israel. And they perished in the gainsaying of Korah. Remember the rebellion raised by Korah, Dathan and Abiram in Israel against Moses, Aaron and Miriam for professing the second blessing. They charged them with usurping authority over Israel, testifying, We are all holy, whereas they claimed to be holy in a sense above the rank and file of Israel. Moses immediately committed the controversy to God, who, taking the matter into hand, commanded the people to depart from these men, leaving Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their adherents to themselves, when behold the earth opened a great chasm and swallowed them up, closing on them, burying them out of sight. This was the mournful fate of the people who publicly opposed the second work of grace, claimed by Moses, Aaron and Miriam, conferring on them leadership in Israel. Beware; history repeats itself.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

1:11 {9} Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

(9) He foretells their destruction, because they resemble or proclaim Cain’s shameless malice, Balaam’s filthy covetousness, and to be short, Core’s seditious and ambitious head.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

"Woe to them" is an imprecation of doom (cf. Isa 5:8-23; Hab 2:6-20; Mat 23:13-29; 1Co 9:16; et al.). It is the opposite of a blessing.

"The doom of apostates is no less sure than the glorification of the saints." [Note: Coder, p. 72.]

Cain’s way was the way of godlessness and sensuality, violence and lust, greed and blasphemy, that led to divine judgment. It was the way of pride. Cain wanted to earn a relationship with God by his works, and he became a hateful murderer.

Balaam’s error was compromise with God’s enemies and teaching the Israelites that they could sin with impunity (Num 31:16; cf. Rev 2:14). He counseled the Midianites to seduce the Israelites to commit idolatry and fornication (Num 31:16). His way was to use the spiritual to gain the material for himself. His error was thinking that he could get away with his sins. The false teachers also compromised God’s truth in a way that involved idolatry and immorality. They would likewise perish under God’s judgment, as Balaam did (Num 31:8).

"Balaam stands for two things. (a) He stands for the covetous man, who was prepared to sin in order to gain reward. (b) He stands for the evil man, who was guilty of the greatest of all sins-the sin of teaching others to sin. So Jude is declaring of the wicked men of his own day that they are ready to leave the way of righteousness to make gain; and that they are teaching others to sin." [Note: Barclay, p. 225.]

"Balaam was the prototype of all greedy religionists who lead God’s people into false religion and immorality . . ." [Note: Blum, p. 392. Cf. Charles H. Savelle, "Canonical and Extracanonical Portraits of Balaam," Bibliotheca Sacra 166:664 (October-December 2009):387-404.]

Korah’s rebellion was against God and His appointed leaders, Moses and Aaron (Num 16:1-35). The false teachers were rebelling against God and his leaders, the apostles. Korah also perished.

According to William Barclay there was a sect of Gnostics called Orphites that regarded Cain, Balaam, and Korah as great heroes of the Old Testament. [Note: Barclay, p. 192.] Barclay regarded much of what Jude wrote as polemic against Gnosticism.

Each of these three examples shows a different aspect of unbelief.

"Cain, to show the arrogance, malice, and false piety of apostates, the example of religious unbelief; Balaam, to show the avarice, subversiveness, and seductive character of apostates, the example of covetous unbelief; and Core [Korah], to show the factiousness and sedition toward rightful authority, the example of rebellious unbelief." [Note: Lawlor, p. 83. Italics added for clarification.]

"Cain rebelled against God’s authority in salvation, for he refused to bring a blood sacrifice as God had commanded. Balaam rebelled against God’s authority in separation, for he prostituted his gifts for money and led Israel to mix with the other nations. Korah rebelled against God’s authority in service, denying that Moses was God’s appointed servant and attempting to usurp his authority." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:555. Italics his.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)