TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jude 1:3–7. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have here, I. The design of the apostle in writing this epistle to the lately converted Jews and Gentiles; namely, to establish them in the Christian faith, and a practice and conversation truly consonant and conformable thereunto, and in an open and bold profession thereof, especially in times of notorious opposition, whether by artful seduction or violent and inhuman persecution. But then we must see to it very carefully that it be really the Christian faith that we believe, profess, propagate, and contend for; not the discriminating badges of this or the other party, not any thing of later date than the inspired writings of the holy evangelists and apostles. Here observe, 1. The gospel salvation is a common salvation, that is, in a most sincere offer and tender of it to all mankind to whom the notice of it reaches: for so the commission runs (Mar 16:15, Mar 16:16), Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, etc. Surely God means as he speaks; he does not delude us with vain words, whatever men do; and therefore none are excluded from the benefit of these gracious offers and invitations, but those who obstinately, impenitently, finally exclude themselves. Whoever will may come and drink of the water of life freely, Rev 22:17. The application of it is made to all believers, and only to such; it is made to the weak as well as to the strong. Let none discourage themselves on the account of hidden decrees which they can know little of, and with which they have nothing to do. God's decrees are dark, his covenants are plain. "All good Christians meet in Christ the common head, are actuated by one and the same Spirit, are guided by one rule, meet here at one throne of grace, and hope shortly to meet in one common inheritance," a glorious one to be sure, but what or how glorious we cannot, nor at present need to know; but such it will be as vastly to exceed all our present hopes and expectations. 2. This common salvation is the subject-matter of the faith of all the saints. The doctrine of it is what they all most heartily consent to; they esteem it as a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, Ti1 1:15. It is the faith once, or at once, once for all, delivered to the saints, to which nothing can be added, from which nothing may be detracted, in which nothing more nor less should be altered. Here let us abide; here we are safe; if we stir a step further, we are in danger of being either entangled or seduced. 3. The apostles and evangelists all wrote to us of this common salvation. This cannot be doubted by those who have carefully read their writings. It is strange that any should think they wrote chiefly to maintain particular schemes and opinions, especially such as they never did nor could think of. It is enough that they have fully declared to us, by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, all that is necessary for every one to believe and do, in order to obtain a personal interest in the common salvation. 4. Those who preach or write of the common salvation should give all diligence to do it well: they should not allow themselves to offer to God or his people that which costs them nothing, or next to nothing, little or no pains or thought, Sa2 24:24. This were to treat God irreverently, and man unjustly. The apostle (though inspired) gave all diligence to write of the common salvation. What then will become of those who (though uninspired) give no diligence, or next to none, but say to the people (even in the name of God) quicquid in buccam venerit - whatever comes next, who, so that they use scripture-words, care not how they interpret or apply them? Those who speak of sacred things ought always to speak of them with the greatest reverence, care, and diligence. 5. Those who have received the doctrine of this common salvation must contend earnestly for it. Earnestly, not furiously. Those who strive for the Christian faith, or in the Christian course, must strive lawfully, or they lose their labour, and run great hazard of losing their crown, Ti2 2:5. The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God, Jam 1:20. Lying for the truth is bad, and scolding for it is not much better. Observe, Those who have received the truth must contend for it. But how? As the apostles did; by suffering patiently and courageously for it, not by making others suffer if they will not presently embrace every notion that we are pleased (proved or unproved) to call faith, or fundamental. We must not suffer ourselves to be robbed of any essential article of Christian faith, by the cunning craftiness or specious plausible pretences of any who lie in wait to deceive, Eph 4:14. The apostle Paul tells us he preached the gospel (mind it was the gospel) with much contention (Th1 2:2), that is (as I understand it), with earnestness, with a hearty zeal, and a great concern for the success of what he preached. But, if we will understand contention in the common acceptation of the word, we must impartially consider with whom the apostle contended, and how, the enlarging on which would not be proper for this place.
II.The occasion the apostle had to write to this purport.
As evil manners give rise to good laws, so dangerous errors often give just occasion to the proper defence of important truths. Here observe,
1.Ungodly men are the great enemies of the faith of Christ and the peace of the church. Those who deny or corrupt the one, and disturb the other, are here expressly styled ungodly men. We might have truth with peace (a most desirable thing) were there none (ministers or private Christians) in our particular churches and congregations but truly godly men - a blessing scarcely to be looked or hoped for on this side heaven. Ungodly men raise scruples, merely to advance and promote their own selfish, ambitious, and covetous ends. This has been the plague of the church in all past ages, and I am afraid no age is, or will be, wholly free from such men and such practices as long as time shall last. Observe, Nothing cuts us off from the church but that which cuts us off from Christ; namely, reigning infidelity and ungodliness. We must abhor the thought of branding particular parties or persons with this character, especially of doing it without the least proof, or, as it too often happens, the least shadow of it. Those are ungodly men who live without God in the world, who have no regard to God and conscience. Those are to be dreaded and consequently to be avoided, not only who are wicked by sins of commission, but also who are ungodly by sins of omission, who, for example, restrain prayer before God, who dare not reprove a rich man, when it is the duty of their place so to do, for fear of losing his favour and the advantage they promise themselves therefRom. who do the work of the Lord negligently, etc.
2.Those are the worst of ungodly men who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, who take encouragement to sin more boldly because the grace of God has abounded, and still abounds, so wonderfully, who are hardened in their impieties by the extent and fulness of gospel grace, the design of which is to reduce men from sin, and bring them unto God. Thus therefore to wax wanton under so great grace, and turn it into an occasion of working all uncleanness with greediness, and hardening ourselves in such a course by that very grace which is the last and most forcible means to reclaim us from it, is to render ourselves the vilest, the worst, and most hopeless of sinners.
3.Those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness do in effect deny the Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ; that is, they deny both natural and revealed religion. They strike at the foundation of natural religion, for they deny the only Lord God; and they overturn all the frame of revealed religion, for they deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Now his great design in establishing revealed religion in the world was to bring us unto God. To deny revealed religion is virtually to overturn natural religion, for they stand or fall together, and they mutually yield light and force to each other. Would to God our modern deists, who live in the midst of gospel light, would seriously consider this, and cautiously, diligently, and impartially examine what it is that hinders their receiving the gospel, while they profess themselves fully persuaded of all the principles and duties of natural religion! Never to tallies answered more exactly to each other than these do, so that it seems absurd to receive the one and reject the other. One would think it were the fairer way to receive both or reject both; though perhaps the more plausible method, especially in this age, is to act the part they do.
4.Those who turn the grace of God into lasciviousness are ordained unto condemnation. They sin against the last, the greatest, and most perfect remedy; and so are without excuse. Those who thus sin must needs die of their wounds, of their disease, are of old ordained to this condemnation, whatever that expression means. But what if our translators had thought fit to have rendered the words palai progegrammenoi - of old fore-written of, as persons who would through their own sin and folly become the proper subjects of this condemnation, where had the harm been? Plain Christians had not been troubled with dark, doubtful, and perplexing thoughts about reprobation, which the strongest heads cannot enter far into, can indeed bear but little of, without much loss and damage. Is it not enough that early notice was given by inspired writers that such seducers and wicked men should arise in later times, and that every one, being fore-warned of, should be fore-armed against them?
5.We ought to contend earnestly for the faith, in opposition to those who would corrupt or deprave it, such as have crept in unawares: a wretched character, to be sure, but often very ill applied by weak and ignorant people, and even by those who themselves creep in unawares, who think their ipse dixit should stand for a law to all their followers and admirers. Surely faithful humble ministers are helpers of their people's joy, peace, and comfort; not lords of their faith! Whoever may attempt to corrupt the faith, we ought to contend earnestly against them. The more busy and crafty the instruments and agents of Satan are, to rob us of the truth, the more solicitous should we be to hold it fast, always provided we be very sure that we fasten no wrong or injurious characters on persons, parties, or sentiments.
III.The fair warning which the apostle, in Christ's name, gives to those who, having professed his holy religion, do afterwards desert and prove false to it, Jde 1:5-7. We have here a recital of the former judgments of God upon sinners, with design to awaken and terrify those to whom warning is given in this epistle. Observe, The judgments of God are often denounced and executed in terrorem - for warning to others, rather than from immediate or particular displeasure against the offenders themselves; not that God is not displeased with them, but perhaps not more with them than with others who, at least for the present, escape. I will put you in remembrance. What we already know we still need to be put in remembrance of. Therefore there will always be need and use of a standing stated ministry in the Christian church, though all the doctrines of faith, the essentials, are so plainly revealed in express words, or by the most near, plain, and immediate consequence, that he who runs may read and understand them. There wants no infallible interpreter, really or conceitedly such, for any such end or purpose. Some people (weakly enough) suggest, "If the scriptures do so plainly contain all that is necessary to salvation, what need or use can there be of a standing ministry? Why may we not content ourselves with staying at home, and reading our Bibles?" The inspired apostle has here fully, though not wholly, answered this objection. Preaching is not designed to teach us something new in every sermon, somewhat that we knew nothing of before; but to put us in remembrance, to call to mind things forgotten, to affect our passions, and engage and fix our resolutions, that our lives may be answerable to our faith. Though you know these things, yet you still need to know them better. There are many things which we have known which yet we have unhappily forgotten. Is it of no use or service to be put afresh in remembrance of them?
Now what are these things which we Christians need to be put in remembrance of?
1.The destruction of the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness, Jde 1:5. Paul puts the Corinthians in mind of this, 1 Cor. 10. The first ten verses of that chapter (as the scripture is always the best commentary upon itself) are the best explication of the fifth verse of this epistle of Jude. None therefore ought to presume upon their privileges, since many who were brought out of Egypt by a series of amazing miracles, yet perished in the wilderness by reason of their unbelief. Let us not therefore be high-minded, but fear, Rom 11:20. Let us fear lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it, Heb 4:1. They had miracles in abundance: they were their daily bread; yet even they perished in unbelief. We have greater (much greater) advantages than they had; let their error (their so fatal error) be our awful warning.
2.We are here put in remembrance of the fall of the angels, Jde 1:6. There were a great number of the angels who left their own habitation; that is, who were not pleased with the posts and stations the supreme Monarch of the universe had assigned and allotted to them, but thought (like discontented ministers in our age, I might say in every age) they deserved better; they would, with the title of ministers, be sovereigns, and in effect their Sovereign should be their minister - do all, and only, what they would have him; thus was pride the main and immediate cause or occasion of their fall. Thus they quitted their post, and rebelled against God, their Creator and sovereign Lord. But God did not spare them (high and great as they were); he would not truckle to them; he threw them off, as a wise and good prince will a selfish and deceitful minister; and the great, the all-wise God, could not be ignorant, as the wisest and best of earthly princes often are, what designs they were hatching. After all, what became of them? They thought to have dared and outfaced Omnipotence itself; but God was too hard for them, he cast them down to hell. Those who would not be servants to their Maker and his will in their first state were made captives to his justice, and are reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness. Here see what the condition of fallen angels is: they are in chains, bound under the divine power and justice, bound over to the judgment of the great day; they are under darkness, though once angels of light; so horribly in the dark are they that they continue to fight against God, as if there were yet some small hope at least left them of prevailing and overcoming in the conflict. Dire infatuation! Light and liberty concur, chains and darkness how well do they agree and suit each other! The devils, once angels in the best sense, are reserved, etc. Observe, There is, undoubtedly there is, a judgment to come; the fallen angels are reserved to the judgment of the great day; and shall fallen men escape it? Surely not. Let every reader consider this in due time. Their chains are called everlasting, because it is impossible they should ever break loose from them, or make an escape; they are held fast and sure under them. The decree, the justice, the wrath of God, are the very chains under which fallen angels are held so fast. Hear and fear, O sinful mortals of mankind!
3.The apostle here calls to our remembrance the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jde 1:7. Even as, etc. It is in allusion to the destruction of Pentapolis, or the five cities, that the miseries of the damned are set forth by a lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; they were guilty of abominable wickedness, not to be named or thought of but with the utmost abhorrence and detestation; their ruin is a particular warning to all people to take heed of, and fly fRom. fleshly lusts that war against the soul, Pe1 2:11. "These lusts consumed the Sodomites with fire from heaven, and they are now suffering the vengeance of eternal fire; therefore take heed, imitate not their sins, lest the same plagues overtake you as did them. God is the same holy, just, pure Being now as then; and can the beastly pleasures of a moment make amends for your suffering the vengeance of eternal fire? Stand in awe, therefore, and sin not," Psa 4:4.
Historical interpretation
Nine Centuries of Reception
12 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
For many angels of God accompanied with women, and begat sons that proved unjust, and despisers of all that was good, on account of the confidence they had in their own strength; for the tradition is, that these men did what resembled the acts of those whom the Grecians call giants. But Noah was very uneasy at what they did; and being displeased at their conduct, persuaded them to change their dispositions and their acts for the better: but seeing they did not yield to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he was afraid they would kill him, together with his wife and children, and those they had married; so he departed out of that land.
God, when He had made the whole world, and subjected things earthly to man, and arranged the heavenly elements for the increase of fruits and rotation of the seasons, and appointed this divine law-for these things also He evidently made for man-committed the care of men and of all things under heaven to angels whom He appointed over them. But the angels transgressed this appointment, and were captivated by love of women, and begat children who are those that are called demons; and besides, they afterwards subdued the human race to themselves, partly by magical writings, and partly by fears and the punishments they occasioned, and partly by teaching them to offer sacrifices, and incense, and libations, of which things they stood in need after they were enslaved by lustful passions; and among men they sowed murders, wars, adulteries, intemperate deeds, and all wickedness. Whence also the poets and mythologists, not knowing that it was the angels and those demons who had been begotten by them that did these things to men, and women, and cities, and nations, which they related, ascribed them to god himself, and to those who were accounted to be his very offspring, and to the offspring of those who were called his brother), Neptune and Pluto, and to the children again of these their offspring. For whatever name each of the angels had given to himself and his children, by that name they called them.
Since the Son of God is always one and the same, He gives to those who believe on Him a well of water [springing up] to eternal life, but He causes the unfruitful fig-tree immediately to dry up; and in the days of Noah He justly brought on the deluge for the purpose of extinguishing that most infamous race of men then existent, who could not bring forth fruit to God, since the angels that sinned had commingled with them, and [acted as He did] in order that He might put a check upon the sins of these men, but [that at the same time] He might preserve the archetype, the formation of Adam. And it was He who rained fire and brimstone from heaven, in the days of Lot, upon Sodom and Gomorrah, “an example of the righteous judgment of God,” that all may know, “that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.”
"But the angels," he says, "that kept not their own pre-eminence," that, namely, which they received through advancement, "but left their own habitation," meaning, that is, the heaven and the stars, became, and are called apostates. "He hath reserved these to the judgment of the great day, in chains, under darkness." He means the place near the earth, that is, the dark air. Now he called "chains" the loss of the honour in which they had stood, and the lust of feeble things; since, bound by their own lust, they cannot be converted. "As Sodom and Gomorrha," he says.
To which also we shall add, that the angels who had obtained the superior rank, having sunk into pleasures, told to the women the secrets which had come to their knowledge; while the rest of the angels concealed them, or rather, kept them against the coming of the Lord.
For they, withal, who instituted them are assigned, under condemnation, to the penalty of death — those angels, to wit, who rushed from heaven on the daughters of men; so that this ignominy also attaches to woman. For when to an age much more ignorant (than ours) they had disclosed certain well-concealed material substances, and several not well-revealed scientific arts — if it is true that they had laid bare the operations of metallurgy, and had divulged the natural properties of herbs, and had promulgated the powers of enchantments, and had traced out every curious art, even to the interpretation of the stars — they conferred properly and as it were peculiarly upon women that instrumental mean of womanly ostentation, the radiances of jewels wherewith necklaces are variegated, and the circlets of gold wherewith the arms are compressed, and the medicaments of orchil with which wools are colored, and that black powder itself wherewith the eyelids and eyelashes are made prominent. What is the quality of these things may be declared meantime, even at this point, from the quality and condition of their teachers: in that sinners could never have either shown or supplied anything conducive to integrity, unlawful lovers anything conducive to chastity, renegade spirits anything conducive to the fear of God. If (these things) are to be called teachings, ill masters must of necessity have taught ill; if as wages of lust, there is nothing base of which the wages are honourable. But why was it of so much importance to show these things as well as to confer them? Was it that women, without material causes of splendour, and without ingenious contrivances of grace, could not please men, who, while still unadorned, and uncouth and — so to say — crude and rude, had moved (the mind of) angels? Or was it that the lovers would appear sordid and — through gratuitous use — contumelious, if they had conferred no (compensating) gift on the women who had been enticed into connubial connection with them? But these questions admit of no calculation. Women who possessed angels (as husbands) could desire nothing more; they had, forsooth, made a grand match! Assuredly they who, of course, did sometimes think whence they had fallen, and, after the heated impulses of their lusts, looked up toward heaven, thus requited that very excellence of women, natural beauty, as (having proved) a cause of evil, in order that their good fortune might profit them nothing; but that, being turned from simplicity and sincerity, they, together with (the angels) themselves, might become offensive to God. Sure they were that all ostentation, and ambition, and love of pleasing by carnal means, was displeasing to God. And these are the angels whom we are destined to judge: these are the angels whom in baptism we renounce: these, of course, are the reasons why they have deserved to be judged by man. What business, then, have their things with their judges? What commerce have they who are to condemn with them who are to be condemned? The same, I take it, as Christ has with Belial. With what consistency do we mount that (future) judgment-seat to pronounce sentence against those whose gifts we (now) seek after? For you too, (women as you are,) have the self-same angelic nature promised as your reward, the self-same sex as men: the self-same advancement to the dignity of judging, does (the Lord) promise you. Unless, then, we begin even here to pre-judge, by pre-condemning their things, which we are hereafter to condemn in themselves, they will rather judge and condemn us.
But not only did man fall from perfection to imperfection, but so too did "the sons of God," "when they saw that the daughters of men were fair, and took for themselves whomever they chose." And, in general, all those fell who forsook "their own habitation" and "kept not their own beginning."
Who can understand God’s love for his people or figure out the truth just by his own reasoning? For because of the truth he did not spare the angels who sinned, but on account of his kindness toward us he has allowed harlots and publicans into his kingdom.
They are being kept until they are thrown into the ultimate fire and bound in those chains which cannot be seen because of the darkness. That he has kept them for the coming judgment can be seen from what Peter has written.
The angels, indeed, who did not keep their own position, etc. And in this sentence, as in the previous one, we must first remember that Jesus our Lord punished the transgressing angels. For He, the man born at the end of the ages from a Virgin, who received the name Jesus by the angel’s declaration, being God born from the Father before all ages, arranged every creature with the Father as He willed, and from the beginning condemned the haughty angels under the darkness of this air, reserving them for greater punishment on the day of judgment. And therefore, rightly are they to be condemned who contend that Christ Jesus was not true God, but only a man, and born of both genders. Furthermore, it must be inferred that He who did not spare the sinning angels will not spare haughty men either; but those who did not keep their position, namely, by the grace of adoption made sons of God, but forsook their abode, that is, the unity of the Church, in which they were reborn unto God, or certainly the seats of the heavenly kingdom which they would have received if they kept the faith, He will also condemn severely before the judgment and more severely in the universal judgment.
The Holy Spirit convicts the world of the judgment by which the ruler of this world has been judged, in these words of the apostle Jude.
I want to remind you, when we know once that the Lord, after He had saved the people from Egypt, again destroyed those who did not believe: and that He kept the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their own dwelling, in eternal chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring cities, which were similarly defiled with them through sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
After Jude spoke of the corruption of the impure Nicolaitans, Valentinians, and Marcionites, and as if by a certain branding he marked them out from their own foul filth, he also adds this: "after He had saved the people from Egypt," etc., indeed showing through these things that the same God is the author of both the Old and the New Testament: and not, as these wicked ones say, that there was one God of the Old Testament, vengeful and cruel, and another of the New, gentle and humane: and Jude also states that neither those who now sin will remain unpunished, just as neither did those who were brought out of Egypt.
For indeed, by the enormous power of God, and because of the oath made to their ancestors, God had freed them from the slavery and tyranny of Egypt: yet those who acted immorally did not remain unpunished, but they received deserving penalties; and it did them no good that God had been generous towards their ancestors: nor did the enormous evidence of signs presented for them have any effect: just as neither did the angels who had fallen, although they were formed by God and endowed with intellectual nature; nor did the Sodomites, because they dwelt with Lot.
But those who first crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, later became unbelievers and perished. Those who had indeed received the honor of angelic position, since they did not remain in their origin, but corrupted the gift given to them from the goodness of celestial life, were reserved and kept for judgment or condemnation on the day of great and intolerable punishment. For this also now signifies kept (τετήρηνε). According to what Christ said: "Who is prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matt. 25:41)
And certainly, the Sodomites are presented as a sign of the eternal fire that will receive them. "and pursued strange flesh," and committed fornication, that is, turning aside, which means to engage in prostitution (πορνεύειν). But strange flesh refers to male flesh, which does not benefit the union that is for the sake of generation. For the flesh that engages in union is the flesh of a woman, according to what was said by the first parent: "Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." (Gen. 2:23)
The flesh of men, however, is strange, I say, from sexual intercourse. Although in a woman, indeed joined by the laws to one man, her flesh is her own and moral: but that which is poured out and public is foreign and strange, and left almost to the atonement of male wickedness. But when Jude had set forth these examples, he left it to the listener to understand what followed from them. What is that? To bear what follows from it. If, therefore, he has so destroyed these, not satisfied by their previous happiness, does he now allow these to act immorally and lustfully, when the Son of God came into the world for men and suffered injuries and afflictions for them? No one would ever say this. For although he is kind and compassionate, yet he is also truly just: and for the sake of true justice, he did not spare those who have sinned (2 Peter 2:4): but for the sake of kindness, he introduced harlots and tax collectors into the kingdom (Matt. 21:31). Since it was thus necessary that the discourse should promise, he himself omitted it, for the reason we have mentioned.
Or also speaking in a similar manner with blessed Peter, when he said: "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned," etc. (2 Peter 2:4) And indeed it has been said of these things.
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Summary
Jude 1:6 delivers a solemn warning concerning the unwavering nature of God's judgment, even against powerful celestial beings who rebelled against His divine order. This verse, embedded within Jude's urgent plea for believers to contend for the faith, serves as a stark historical precedent, illustrating God's absolute sovereignty and the certain retribution awaiting all who abandon their divinely appointed roles and truth. It highlights that no creature, regardless of their original status or power, is exempt from accountability before the righteous Creator.
Context
Literary Context
Jude's concise epistle is a passionate and urgent appeal to contend for the faith against insidious false teachers who had infiltrated the early Christian communities. To underscore the severity of their apostasy and the inevitability of divine judgment, Jude employs a series of historical examples of God's swift and severe punishment for rebellion. Immediately preceding this verse, Jude references the Israelites who, despite being saved from Egypt, were later destroyed for their unbelief (Jude 1:5). Following the judgment of the angels, Jude continues with the example of Sodom and Gomorrah, which suffered eternal fire for their immorality (Jude 1:7). This tripartite structure of historical judgments—Israel, angels, and the cities of the plain—forms a powerful rhetorical device, building an undeniable case for the certain doom awaiting the ungodly false teachers Jude condemns.
Historical & Cultural Context
While Jude does not specify the exact angelic rebellion, the reference to "angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation" likely alludes to a well-known tradition within Second Temple Judaism concerning fallen angels. This tradition often drew from interpretations of Genesis 6:1-4, where "sons of God" (often understood as angels) descended to earth, took human wives, and produced offspring (Nephilim). This act was seen as a profound transgression against their divinely appointed boundaries and roles, leading to their imprisonment. Texts like the Book of Enoch, widely circulated and influential in Jude's time, elaborate on this narrative, describing these angels being bound in darkness until a final judgment. Jude's audience would have been familiar with such interpretations, making this reference a potent and readily understood example of divine retribution for cosmic rebellion.
Key Themes
Jude 1:6 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the epistle. Firstly, it emphasizes Divine Judgment and Retribution, demonstrating that God's justice is impartial and extends even to powerful spiritual beings who defy His authority. Secondly, it highlights the Seriousness of Rebellion and Apostasy, showing that abandoning one's God-given place or truth carries severe consequences, a direct warning to the false teachers and their followers. Thirdly, the verse reinforces the Certainty of Future Accountability, as these angels are "reserved...unto the judgment of the great day," assuring believers that ultimate justice will prevail against all forms of evil and unrighteousness, culminating in a final, definitive reckoning. This theme provides comfort to the faithful and a stern warning to the ungodly.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word fundamentally means 'beginning,' 'origin,' 'rule,' 'dominion,' or 'principality.' In this context, it refers to the angels' original, divinely appointed position, rank, or sphere of authority and operation. By "kept not their first estate," these angels failed to maintain or abide within the boundaries of their proper place and God-given authority, initiating a profound act of rebellion against the divine order.
This term denotes a 'residence,' 'dwelling place,' or 'abode.' It reinforces the idea that these angels abandoned their assigned spiritual or perhaps even physical realm. Their sin involved not merely a moral failing but a transgression of spatial and ontological boundaries established by God, forsaking the place where they were meant to dwell and function according to His design.
This word signifies a 'band,' 'ligament,' or 'shackle' used to bind a prisoner. When combined with G126 (aḯdios, meaning 'everduring' or 'everlasting'), it conveys a state of secure, inescapable, and permanent confinement. These are not necessarily literal physical chains but represent an unbreakable bond of divine decree, a spiritual imprisonment that holds these angels captive in a state of darkness, awaiting their final judgment.
Verse Breakdown
"And the angels which kept not their first estate,"
This clause introduces the subjects of God's judgment: a specific group of angels. The phrase "kept not their first estate" indicates a failure to maintain their original, divinely ordained position, authority, or sphere of operation. This implies a deliberate act of disobedience and a rejection of the boundaries God had set for them.
"but left their own habitation,"
This second clause clarifies and intensifies the nature of their transgression. "Left their own habitation" signifies that these angels abandoned their assigned dwelling place or spiritual realm. This act reinforces the idea of a profound rebellion, not merely a lapse in duty but a willful departure from their divinely appointed sphere, often understood in relation to their interaction with humanity (e.g., in Genesis 6).
"he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness"
This phrase describes the immediate consequence of their rebellion: God's active and decisive judgment. "He hath reserved" emphasizes God's sovereign action in their confinement. They are held "in everlasting chains," signifying a permanent and inescapable imprisonment, a divine restraint that binds them. This confinement is "under darkness," symbolizing their spiritual deprivation, isolation, and exclusion from God's light and presence, a state of profound misery and hopelessness.
"unto the judgment of the great day."
This final clause specifies the purpose and duration of their reservation. Their current imprisonment is not their final punishment but a prelude to a definitive, ultimate sentencing. "The great day" refers to the eschatological day of God's final judgment, a climactic moment of divine reckoning when all unrighteousness, including that of these rebellious angels, will receive its just and ultimate condemnation.
Literary Devices
Jude 1:6 employs several powerful literary devices. Imagery is prominent, particularly in phrases like "everlasting chains under darkness," which conjures a vivid picture of secure, inescapable, and miserable confinement. This imagery is not merely literal but functions as Symbolism, where "chains" represent an unbreakable divine decree of restraint, and "darkness" symbolizes spiritual isolation, deprivation, and separation from God's light and favor. The verse also utilizes Allusion, referring to a specific angelic rebellion that was likely well-known to Jude's audience through Jewish tradition (e.g., the "sons of God" in Genesis 6). Furthermore, there is a clear Parallelism with 2 Peter 2:4, indicating a shared theological understanding and perhaps a common source of tradition regarding this specific angelic fall and its consequences.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jude 1:6 serves as a profound theological anchor, affirming God's absolute sovereignty and unyielding justice. It underscores that divine judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous response to rebellion, applicable to all beings regardless of their power or original status. The reservation of these angels in "everlasting chains under darkness" demonstrates that God maintains perfect control over all spiritual forces, even those that have rebelled, ensuring that evil is ultimately contained and will face a final reckoning. This provides immense comfort to believers, assuring them that God is just and that all unrighteousness will eventually be brought to account, reinforcing the certainty of His ultimate triumph over all opposition.
Reflection and Application
Jude 1:6 offers a sobering yet encouraging truth for believers today. It reminds us that God's holiness demands justice, and His justice is impartial, extending to the highest of created beings. This should instill a profound reverence for God's authority and a deep seriousness about our own obedience. If angels, with their exalted status and proximity to God, faced such severe consequences for rebellion, how much more should humanity, recipients of God's grace, take heed of His commands? This verse also provides immense assurance that evil, though seemingly rampant, is ultimately under God's control. The "everlasting chains" and the "judgment of the great day" signify that God has already decreed the end of all rebellion. For those who contend for the faith, this means that our struggles against spiritual darkness and false teachings are not in vain; God will ultimately prevail, and justice will be served. This truth should embolden us to stand firm in the truth, knowing that our God is sovereign over all.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are the "angels which kept not their first estate" mentioned in Jude 1:6?
While Jude does not explicitly name them, this verse, along with its parallel in 2 Peter 2:4, is widely understood to refer to a specific group of angels who engaged in a profound act of rebellion against God's established order. Many biblical scholars and ancient Jewish traditions connect this event to the narrative in Genesis 6:1-4, where "the sons of God" (often interpreted as angels) descended to earth, took human wives, and produced offspring. This act was considered a violation of their divinely appointed boundaries and roles, leading to their unique imprisonment. It is distinct from the general fall of Satan and his angels, though it shares the principle of rebellion against God's authority.
What is meant by "everlasting chains under darkness"?
The phrase "everlasting chains under darkness" describes the state of secure and inescapable confinement for these rebellious angels. "Everlasting chains" (Greek: desmón) are not necessarily literal physical chains but symbolize an unbreakable, permanent bond of divine decree that holds them captive. This signifies a judgment that is eternal in its effect and duration. The "darkness" (Greek: zóphos) symbolizes their spiritual and literal deprivation, a state of profound misery, isolation, and exclusion from God's light, presence, and favor. It represents their complete separation from the divine realm they once inhabited.
What is "the judgment of the great day"?
"The judgment of the great day" refers to the ultimate, climactic day of God's final reckoning for all unrighteousness. This eschatological event is often associated with the Great White Throne Judgment described in Revelation 20:11-15, or the final definitive sentencing for all who have rebelled against God. For these angels, their current imprisonment is a prelude to this final, public, and irreversible condemnation. It assures believers that divine justice will ultimately prevail, and all evil, both human and angelic, will face its just and final punishment.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jude 1:6, while depicting God's severe judgment on rebellious angels, ultimately points to the supreme authority and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The very act of God reserving these angels in "everlasting chains under darkness" highlights His absolute sovereignty over all creation, including spiritual forces of evil. This divine control is fully vested in Christ, who, as the Son of God, has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He is the one who triumphed over principalities and powers through His death and resurrection, disarming them. The "judgment of the great day" to which these angels are reserved is ultimately administered by Christ Himself, for the Father "has given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man" (John 5:27). Thus, the fate of these fallen angels underscores the ultimate victory of Christ over all evil and rebellion, securing the eternal salvation of those who trust in Him and assuring His followers that no power, visible or invisible, can thwart His divine plan or escape His final, righteous judgment. His triumph guarantees the ultimate defeat of all who oppose God, providing profound assurance and hope for believers.