Jude Chapter 1, Verse 11
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11: ουαι αυτοις οτι τη οδω του καιν επορευθησαν και τη πλανη του βαλααμ μισθου εξεχυθησαν και τη αντιλογια του κορε απωλοντο
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 Core.
11: Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain: and after
the error of Balaam they have for reward poured out themselves and have
perished in the contradiction of Core.
ουαι αυτοις. Outside of the Gospels this phrase is used only in i Cor. ix. 16 and in the Apocalypse. It is rare in later writers, but occurs in a Fragment of Clement of Alexandria (Dindorf, vol. iii. p. 492), ouai de tois echousi kai en hupokrisei lambanousi, which is quoted in the Didache.
Jude's fourth instance is Cain, who is not introduced by Peter, and whose mention here has caused difficulty. De Wette and Arnaud thought that Cain here was a type of all wicked men. Schneckenburger, Spitta, von Soden, and Kuhl (the last with some hesitation) appeal to the Jerusalem Targum on Gen 4:7, where Cain is represented as the first sceptic and sophist, and as saying, "Non est iudicium nee iudex, nee est aliud saeculum, nee dabitur merces bona iustis, nee ultio sumetur de improbis, neque per miserationem creatus est mundus, neque per miserationem guber-natur."
The Targum is later than Jude; but the same idea is found in Philo, from whom it is possibly derived. See references in Siegfried. This explanation would give tolerable sense, but is much too artificial. The name Cain, standing as it does without qualification, must mean Cain the murderer. See Wis 10:3 (a passage which was probably in Jude's mind as he wrote Jude 1:7), where Cain is "the unrighteous man who fell away from her (Wisdom) in his anger, and perished himself in the rage wherewith he slew his brother." Hence Grotius, Oecumenius, and others rightly account for his introduction here by supposing Jude to mean that the false teachers murder men's souls. "Cain," says Grotius, "fratri uitam caducam ademit; illi fratribus adimunt aeternam." The same language has often been used in later times. We have before noticed the fiery zeal of Jude, and his tendency to exaggerate; see vers. 3, 7, 23.
The fifth instance is Balaam, who appears in 2 Peter also. Jude devotes less space to him, and again darkens the picture. Peter charges Balaam only with covetousness; Jude says that for the sake of money (misthou, genitive of price) the false teachers fling themselves into the plane of Balaam — that is to say, into the sin of Baal Peor (Num 25, Num 31:8; Rev 2:14). Hence the verb execjuthesan, which, like the Latin effundi in, is used of those who pour themselves out, fling themselves into sensual indulgence. Jude does not press the charge of greed and extortion so strongly as 2 Peter; he barely alludes to it here and in Jude 1:16; in his eyes the covetousness of the false teachers is as nothing in comparison with their uncleanness.
The sixth instance is Korah, who is not mentioned in 2 Peter. Korah "gainsaid" Moses and Aaron (Num. 16) because Moses by God's command had restricted the priesthood to the family of Aaron. He despised not God's ordinances generally (as Huther, Ritschl, Alford, Kuhl think), but this particular ordinance. Jude must mean that those of whom he is speaking defied the authorities of the Church, and claimed the right to make rules for themselves. So he speaks of them just below as eautous poimainontes, in other words as making themselves their own presbyters; cf. 1 Pet 5:2. Here we find support for the explanation of doxai given on 2 Pet 2:10. The "dignities" whom these false teachers blaspheme were the rulers of the Church. We notice in this verse that Jude possesses a certain copia uerborum, three different nouns, hodos, plane, antilogia are coupled with three different verbs, poreuthenai, ekchuthenai, apolestah. It is clear that he was a better writer than 2 Peter, and in particular that he dislikes needless iteration. See on this point Introduction to 2 Peter.
For they have gone in the way of Cain. Gen 4:5ff. 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 favoured, and a spirit of hatred of the brethren (comp. 1Jn 3:15) which would lead to murder.
And ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward. The word rendered ran greedily -- execuyhsan, from ekcew -- 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 Barnes "2 Pet 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, Mt 10:28, Mt 10:39, Mt 18:14 Mk 1:24 Lk 13:3ff, Jn 3:15f, Jn 10:28 2 Thes 2:10 2 Pet 3:9.
In the gainsaying of Core. Of Korah, Num 16:1ff. 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.
