Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 1

1:1–3:6 Two prologues (1:1–2:5 and 2:6–3:6) preface the body of the book. Both begin with the death of Joshua (1:1; cp. 2:8), thus connecting Judges with the preceding narrative (Josh 24:29-33; cp. Josh 1:1; 2 Sam 1:1).

1:1–2:5 The first prologue describes the unfaithfulness of the tribes in their failure to carry out Joshua’s farewell charge (Josh 23).

1:1 The request for divine guidance (see Exod 28:30; Num 27:21; 1 Sam 14:41; 28:6; cp. Josh 7:14) is a reminder that the Lord’s covenant with Israel included the taking of the land.

1:1-2 In a typical letter opening, Jude identifies himself and his audience and prays for them. • keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ: This description introduces an important emphasis (see also 1:21, 24) and gives assurance in the context of false teaching.

1:1 Jude (or Judas) is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name “Judah.” It was a common name; this Jude was a brother of James, who was a brother of Jesus (see Jude Book Introduction, “Author”). • a slave of Jesus Christ: Jude acknowledges that he is under Jesus’ lordship in every area of life. The title also carries honor: The great Old Testament leaders of God’s people were also called slaves or servants of God (see Josh 14:7; 2 Kgs 18:12; Ezek 34:23). • to all who have been called: It is unclear who the specific recipients of Jude’s letter were.

Verse 2

1:2 This verse, which is paralleled in the epilogues (20:18), shows the primacy of Judah. This tribe did not figure in the downward cycles of the judges (cp. 15:9-13) after Othniel, the model judge who was linked to Judah through Caleb (Josh 14:6; 15:13, 17).

Verse 3

1:3 The tribe of Simeon virtually disappeared within the land assigned to Judah (Josh 19:1). • fight against the Canaanites . . . help you conquer: See Josh 16:10; 17:13; 23:4-13.

1:3-4 In place of the thanksgiving that usually comes at this point in a New Testament letter (see Rom 1:8-14; 1 Cor 1:4-9), Jude explains his central purpose. False teaching was a potent danger to the faith of his readers (see Jude 1:22-23).

1:3 In the New Testament, “faith” usually refers to the act of believing, while the faith refers to the content of Christian belief.

Verse 10

1:10 Hebron was the city nearest to Abraham’s dwelling by the oaks of Mamre (Gen 13:18); the patriarchs later lived and were buried there (Gen 23:19; 35:27; 49:29-32). It was originally called Kiriath-arba (“City of Arba”), after the legendary Arba, who was “a great hero of the descendants of Anak” and “Anak’s ancestor” (Josh 14:15; 15:13). The Anakites, in turn, are identified with the dreaded Nephilites (Num 13:33; see Gen 6:4).

Verse 11

1:11 Debir or Kiriath-sepher (“City of the Book”): This major Anakite town of the hill country (Josh 11:21) is not firmly identified but is traditionally understood as being either southwest or east of Hebron.

1:11 Cain: See Gen 4:1-16. • Balaam: See study note on 2 Pet 2:15. • Korah: See Num 16:1-35.

Verse 14

1:14 she urged him: See study note on Josh 15:18-19.

1:14-15 Enoch was an early descendant of Adam (see Gen 5:18-24; 1 Chr 1:3); the comment in Gen 5:24 apparently means that Enoch did not die but was taken directly to heaven (cp. 2 Kgs 2:1-13; see Heb 11:5). This extraordinary commendation from God and the almost complete silence of Scripture about him make Enoch a fascinating character. There are a number of legends about him in Jewish literature, and at least two books of apocalyptic visions written between the Old Testament and the New Testament are attributed to him (1–2 Enoch).

Verse 16

1:16 The Kenites were a southern desert tribe associated with Moses’ in-laws, who were also called Midianites (Exod 18:1; Num 10:29). Moses offered them a share in the covenant blessing (Num 10:29-32). At least one clan of Kenites accepted the offer and was adopted into Judah, though members of the clan later shifted allegiance to King Jabin of Hazor (Judg 4:11, 17).

Verse 17

1:17 completely destroyed: See Lev 27:28-29. • Hormah: See study note on Num 21:2-3.

1:17-23 After condemning the false teachers, Jude again encourages his readers directly (see 1:3-4). They had been warned by the apostles about false teaching (1:17-19). They should encourage each other in the faith (1:20-21) and reach out to those who might be going astray through the false teachers’ influence (1:22-23).

1:17 what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted: Such predictions are in Acts 20:29-30; 1 Tim 4:1-3; 2 Tim 3:1-5.

Verse 18

1:18 Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, with Gath and Ashdod, later made up the five main cities of the Philistines (3:3).

1:18 in the last times: The coming of Jesus as Messiah inaugurated the last stage of God’s plan, when the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the last days began to take place. For this reason, Jude applies the apostles’ prophecy about the last times to the immediate crisis created by the false teachers (1:19).

Verse 19

1:19-20 Despite the Lord’s presence, the conquest was not completed because of iron chariots and lack of obedience (see Josh 23:12-13; 24:14).

Verse 21

1:21-36 The tribes of Israel failed to keep the covenant; their complacency was rebellion against the Lord, as the rest of the book of Judges shows.

1:21 Though the tribe of Benjamin produced more than its share of heroes (e.g., Ehud, Saul), it was also the nadir of covenant unfaithfulness, in contrast to Judah (see 20:18). Like Judah in its first battle (1:4-8), Benjamin faced challenges from a great people dwelling in a great city, but Benjamin settled for sharing the city with them. Reference to the Lord’s personal presence is absent (cp. 1:19, 22). The Jebusite city remained in Canaanite hands until David’s day. • The phrase to this day highlights either ongoing historical circumstances (here and 6:24) or the survival of certain customs to a later time (1:26; 10:4; 15:19; 18:12).

Verse 22

1:22-36 Two references to the descendants of Joseph (1:22, 35) frame this litany of the northern tribes’ failures to drive out the enemy.

1:22 The Lord was with the descendants of Joseph (the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh), but only in their united attack on Bethel, a place sacred to Israelite memories from the days of Jacob (Gen 28:19). They failed in attacks made separately (Judg 1:27-29). • Bethel is associated with the battle against Ai (Josh 7:2) and is listed in the summary statement of kings that Israel had defeated (Josh 12:16).

1:22-23 The NLT accepts the manuscript tradition that includes three commands in these verses, corresponding to three categories of people: (1) those whose faith is wavering, (2) those who need to be snatched from the flames of judgment, and (3) others who need to be shown mercy. Some manuscripts have only two categories of people: (1) those whose faith is wavering and thus need to be snatched from judgment, and (2) those who need to be shown mercy. The text adopted in the NLT follows the pattern of threes that Jude uses elsewhere (1:5-7, 11).

1:22 those whose faith is wavering: Some believers were in the early stages of doubt because of what the false teachers were saying.

Verse 24

1:24 To have mercy (Hebrew khesed) has the overtones of making a covenant (see also 8:35, “loyalty”).

1:24-25 Jude concludes his letter with one of the most stirring doxologies in Scripture, and one quoted very often in liturgical settings. Jude’s wording makes it especially appropriate for his readers: They needed a renewed vision of God who could keep them from falling away, from succumbing to the enticing doctrine of false teachers. He has the glory, majesty, power, and authority to bring them safely into his glorious presence forever.

Verse 26

1:26 The land of the Hittites was probably a general name for North Syria, not the Hittite Kingdom of Anatolia (now Turkey). Nothing is known of the new Luz.

Verse 27

1:27 This chain of Canaanite cities stretched from Dor on the Mediterranean to Beth-shan in the Jordan Valley and effectively cut off the northern tribes from those south of the Jezreel Valley. Likewise, a number of the cities listed in the south (1:35) probably cut Judah off from the northern tribes.

Verse 34

1:34 Dan’s failure to take the land represents total infidelity and led to the complete abandonment of a portion of the Promised Land (chs 17–18).

Verse 4

1:4 Abusing God’s marvelous grace by saying that it allows us to live immoral lives is a constant temptation (cp. Rom 6).

Verse 5

1:5-16 This section elaborates on the “condemnation recorded long ago” (1:4) by applying to the false teachers Old Testament examples of God’s judgment.

1:5 The preexistent Jesus rescued the people of Israel from Egypt and later destroyed the unfaithful (cp. 1 Cor 10:4). • After rescuing the nation of Israel from Egypt, God led them toward the Promised Land. Most of the people did not trust the Lord to protect them. Because of their unbelief, God sentenced that generation (except Joshua and Caleb) to wander in the wilderness until they died (see Num 14).

Verse 6

1:6 The angels might refer to the fall of Satan and his angelic followers, but no Old Testament passage clearly describes this event (see study notes on Isa 14:12-17; Ezek 28:12-19). Jude was probably referring to Gen 6:1-4; Jewish tradition understood the “sons of God” in Gen 6 to be wicked angels and viewed their intercourse with women as the cause of their judgment (see 1 Enoch 6–10; see also study notes on 1 Pet 3:19-20; 2 Pet 2:4). Jude later (Jude 1:14-15) quotes directly from 1 Enoch.

Verse 7

1:7 God’s judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah had become proverbial (see Gen 18:17–19:26; Luke 17:26-29). • neighboring towns: Deuteronomy 29:23 mentions Admah and Zeboiim. • Every kind of sexual perversion probably refers to homosexuality (Gen 19:5-10).

Verse 8

1:8 supernatural beings: Literally glorious ones, which are probably evil angels. In the Old Testament and in Judaism, angels were given a prominent role in the judgment. The false teachers might have been downplaying the reality of a judgment to come (see 1:18; 2 Pet 3:3-4) or denying the glorious origin of these fallen angels (cp. 2 Pet 2:10).

Verse 9

1:9 Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels: In Jewish tradition, “archangel” was the highest rank of angel (see also 1 Thes 4:16). Michael is mentioned several other times in Scripture (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; Rev 12:7); the story about him fighting with the devil about Moses’ body is not in the Old Testament but is preserved in Jewish tradition (see Assumption of Moses).

Verse 12

1:12 The early Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper as part of shared fellowship meals with one another.

Verse 13

1:13 The planets were considered to be wandering stars because they moved across the sky in seemingly irregular patterns. The false teachers wandered, and God condemned their sin.

Verse 20

1:20 your most holy faith: As in 1:3, faith refers to what Christians believe, the doctrinal and ethical core of Christian identity, which false teachers threaten. Believers must therefore devote themselves to it.

Verse 23

1:23 Rescue others: Some believers were so open to the false teachers that they were in imminent danger of condemnation. • Show mercy to still others: The third group probably consists of the false teachers themselves or those who had subscribed to the false teachers’ program. Showing mercy might have meant praying for them (cp. Matt 5:44). • Believers need to exercise great caution when showing mercy to false teachers and those who have fallen into their sinful ways, because their sins can be enticing. Cp. Zech 3:1-4; Rev 3:4.