2 Peter 2:21
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than, after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them.

it had.

Matthew 11:23,24 And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day. . . .

Luke 12:47 And that servant, who knew the will of his lord and prepared not himself and did not according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

John 9:41 Jesus said to them: If you were blind, you should not have sin: but now you say: We see. Your sin remaineth.

John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin.

the way.

Proverbs 12:28 In the path of justice is life: but the bye-way leadeth to death.

Proverbs 16:31 Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice.

Matthew 21:32 For John came to you in the way of justice: and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you, seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.

to turn.

Psalm 36:3,4 The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well. . . .

Psalm 125:5 But such as turn aside into bonds, the Lord shall lead out with the workers of iniquity: peace upon Israel.

Ezekiel 3:20 Moreover if the just man shall turn away from his justice, and shall commit iniquity: I will lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die, because thou hast not given him warning: he shall die in his sin, and his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: but I will require his blood at thy hand.

Ezekiel 18:24 But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them he shall die.

Ezekiel 23:13 And I saw that she was defiled, and that they both took one way.

Zephaniah 1:6 And them that turn away from following after the Lord, and that have not sought the Lord, nor searched after him.

holy.

Romans 7:12 Wherefore the law indeed is holy: and the commandment holy and just and good.

1 Thessalonians 4:2 For you know what precepts I have given to you by the Lord Jesus.

Context
Deliverance from False Prophets
20For if, flying from the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they be again entangled in them and overcome: their latter state is become unto them worse than the former. 21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than, after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them. 22For, that of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog is returned to his vomit; and: The sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.…
Cross References
Psalm 85:8
I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me: for he will speak peace unto his people: And unto his saints: and unto them that are converted to the heart.

Ezekiel 18:24
But if the just man turn himself away from his justice, and do iniquity according to all the abominations which the wicked man useth to work, shall he live? all his justices which he hath done, shall not be remembered: in the prevarication, by which he hath prevaricated, and in his sin, which he hath committed, in them he shall die.

Ezekiel 33:13
Yea, if I shall say to the just that he shall surely live, and he, trusting in his justice, commit iniquity: all his justices shall be forgotten, and his iniquity, which he hath committed, in the same shall he die.

Galatians 6:2
Bear ye one another's burdens: and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ.

1 Timothy 6:14
That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Hebrews 6:4
For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

Hebrews 6:6
And are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God and making him a mockery.

Hebrews 10:26
For if we sin wilfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins:

James 4:17
To him therefore who knoweth to do good and doth it not, to him it is sin.

2 Peter 3:2
That you may be mindful of those words which I told you before from the holy prophet and of your apostles, of the precepts of the Lord and Saviour.

Jude 1:3
Dearly beloved, taking all care to write unto you concerning your common salvation, I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.

Lexicon
It would have been
ἦν (ēn)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's Greek 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

better
κρεῖττον (kreitton)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular - Comparative
Strong's Greek 2909: Stronger, more excellent. Comparative of a derivative of kratos; stronger, i.e. better, i.e. Nobler.

for them
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's Greek 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

to have known
ἐπεγνωκέναι (epegnōkenai)
Verb - Perfect Infinitive Active
Strong's Greek 1921: From epi and ginosko; to know upon some mark, i.e. Recognize; by implication, to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

way
ὁδὸν (hodon)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 3598: A way, road, journey, path. Apparently a primary word; a road; by implication, a progress; figuratively, a mode or means.

of righteousness
δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosynēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 1343: From dikaios; equity; specially justification.

than
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's Greek 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

to have known [it]
ἐπιγνοῦσιν (epignousin)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's Greek 1921: From epi and ginosko; to know upon some mark, i.e. Recognize; by implication, to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge.

and turned away
ὑποστρέψαι (hypostrepsai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's Greek 5290: To turn back, return. From hupo and strepho; to turn under, i.e. To return.

from
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's Greek 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

holy
ἁγίας (hagias)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

commandment
ἐντολῆς (entolēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 1785: An ordinance, injunction, command, law. From entellomai; injunction, i.e. An authoritative prescription.

passed on
παραδοθείσης (paradotheisēs)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's Greek 3860: From para and didomi; to surrender, i.e yield up, intrust, transmit.

to them.
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


Additional Translations
It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them.

For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to have turned from the holy commandment having been delivered to them.

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known [it] to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

For it would have been better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandments in which they were instructed.

For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

for it were better to them not to have acknowledged the way of the righteousness, than having acknowledged it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them,
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Alphabetical: and away backs be been better command commandment for from handed have having holy It known not of on passed righteousness sacred than that the their them then to turn was way would

NT Letters: 2 Peter 2:21 For it would be better for them (2 Pet. 2P iiP ii Pet) Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools

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