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Selected Verse: Jude 1:15 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
Jude 1:15	King James	To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
This verse and the beginning of Enoch's prophecy is composed in Hebrew poetic parallelism, the oldest specimen extant. Some think Lamech's speech, which is also in poetic parallelism, was composed in mockery of Enoch's prophecy: as Enoch foretold Jehovah's coming to judgment, so Lamech presumes on impunity in polygamy and murder (just as Cain the murderer seemed to escape with impunity). convince--convict. hard speeches--such as are noticed in Jde 1:8, Jde 1:10, Jde 1:16; Mal 3:13-14; contrast Rom 16:17. ungodly sinners--not merely sinners, but proud despisers of God: impious. against him--They who speak against God's children are regarded by God as speaking against Himself.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

This verse and the beginning of Enoch's prophecy is composed in Hebrew poetic parallelism, the oldest specimen extant. Some think Lamech's speech, which is also in poetic parallelism, was composed in mockery of Enoch's prophecy: as Enoch foretold Jehovah's coming to judgment, so Lamech presumes on impunity in polygamy and murder (just as Cain the murderer seemed to escape with impunity).

convince--convict.

hard speeches--such as are noticed in Jde 1:8, Jde 1:10, Jde 1:16; Mal 3:13-14; contrast Rom 16:17.

ungodly sinners--not merely sinners, but proud despisers of God: impious.

against him--They who speak against God's children are regarded by God as speaking against Himself.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
To execute judgment upon all - That is, he shall come to judge all the dwellers upon the earth, good and bad. And to convince all - The word "convince we now use commonly in a somewhat limited sense, as meaning "to satisfy" a man's own mind" either of the truth of some proposition, or of the fact that he has done wrong, as being in this latter sense synonymous with the word "convict." This "conviction" is commonly produced by argument or truth, and is not necessarily followed by any sentence of disapprobation, or by any judicial condemnation. But this is clearly not the sense in which the word is used here. The purpose of the coming of the Lord will not be to convince men in that sense, though it is undoubtedly true that the wicked will see that their lives have been wrong; but it will be to pronounce a sentence on them as the result of the evidence of their guilt. The Greek word which is here used occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. All that are ungodly among them - All that are not pious; all that have no religion. Of all their ungodly deeds ... - Of their wicked actions and words. This is the common doctrine of the Bible, that all the wicked actions and words of men will be called into judgment. In regard to this passage, thus quoted from an ancient prophecy, we may remark: (1) that the style bears the marks of its being a quotation, or of its being preserved by Jude in the language in which it had been handed down by tradition. It is not the style of Jude. It is not so terse, pointed, energetic. (2) it has every probable mark of its having been actually delivered by Enoch. The age in which he lived was corrupt. The world was ripening for the deluge. He was himself a good man, and, as would seem perhaps, almost the only good man of his generation. Nothing would be more natural than that he should be reproached by hard words and speeches, and nothing more natural than that he should have pointed the men of his own age to the future judgment. (3) the doctrine of the final judgment, if this was uttered by Enoch, was an early doctrine in the world. It was held even in the first generations of the race. It was one of those great truths early communicated to man to restrain him from sin, and to lead him to prepare for the great events which are to occur on the earth. The same doctrine has been transmitted from age to age, and is now one of the most important and the most affecting that refers to the final destiny of men.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

To execute judgment upon all - That is, he shall come to judge all the dwellers upon the earth, good and bad.

And to convince all - The word "convince we now use commonly in a somewhat limited sense, as meaning "to satisfy" a man's own mind" either of the truth of some proposition, or of the fact that he has done wrong, as being in this latter sense synonymous with the word "convict." This "conviction" is commonly produced by argument or truth, and is not necessarily followed by any sentence of disapprobation, or by any judicial condemnation. But this is clearly not the sense in which the word is used here. The purpose of the coming of the Lord will not be to convince men in that sense, though it is undoubtedly true that the wicked will see that their lives have been wrong; but it will be to pronounce a sentence on them as the result of the evidence of their guilt. The Greek word which is here used occurs nowhere else in the New Testament.

All that are ungodly among them - All that are not pious; all that have no religion.

Of all their ungodly deeds ... - Of their wicked actions and words. This is the common doctrine of the Bible, that all the wicked actions and words of men will be called into judgment. In regard to this passage, thus quoted from an ancient prophecy, we may remark:

(1) that the style bears the marks of its being a quotation, or of its being preserved by Jude in the language in which it had been handed down by tradition. It is not the style of Jude. It is not so terse, pointed, energetic.

(2) it has every probable mark of its having been actually delivered by Enoch. The age in which he lived was corrupt. The world was ripening for the deluge. He was himself a good man, and, as would seem perhaps, almost the only good man of his generation. Nothing would be more natural than that he should be reproached by hard words and speeches, and nothing more natural than that he should have pointed the men of his own age to the future judgment.

(3) the doctrine of the final judgment, if this was uttered by Enoch, was an early doctrine in the world. It was held even in the first generations of the race. It was one of those great truths early communicated to man to restrain him from sin, and to lead him to prepare for the great events which are to occur on the earth. The same doctrine has been transmitted from age to age, and is now one of the most important and the most affecting that refers to the final destiny of men.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
sinners Sin (See Scofield) - (Rom 3:23).

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]

sinners

Sin

(See Scofield) - (Rom 3:23).

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
To execute judgment - Enoch herein looked beyond the flood. Upon all - Sinners, in general. And to convict all the ungodly, in particular, of all the grievous things which ungodly sinners (a sinner is bad; but the ungodly who sin without fear are worse) have spoken against him, Jde 1:8, Jde 1:10, though they might not think, all those speeches were against him.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]

To execute judgment - Enoch herein looked beyond the flood. Upon all - Sinners, in general. And to convict all the ungodly, in particular, of all the grievous things which ungodly sinners (a sinner is bad; but the ungodly who sin without fear are worse) have spoken against him, Jde 1:8, Jde 1:10, though they might not think, all those speeches were against him.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
To execute judgment - This was originally spoken to the antediluvians; and the coming of the Lord to destroy that world was the thing spoken of in this prophecy or declaration. But as God had threatened this, it required no direct inspiration to foretell it. To execute judgment, etc. This is a very strange verse as to its composition, and is loaded with various readings; the MSS. and versions being at little agreement among themselves on its phraseology. Αυτων, which we translate among them, is omitted by the best MSS. and versions, and is, in all probability, spurious. Many also omit ασεβειας after ργων, ungodly deeds. Many insert λογων, words or speeches, after σκληρων, hard; and this word our translators have supplied. And instead of ἁμαρτωλοι, sinners, the Sahidic has ανθρωποι, men. There are others of less note; but the frequent recurrence of All and Ungodly makes the construction of the sentence very harsh. Dr. Macknight supposes that Enoch's prophecy was common among the Jews; for the first words in Hebrew are Maranatha, and these were used by them in that form of excommunication or cursing which they pronounced against irreclaimable offenders. The doctor forgets himself here; the words Maranatha are not Hebrew, but Syriac. In Hebrew the form of execration begins with ארור אתה arur attah, "cursed art thou;" or מחרם אתה mochoram attah: but the Syriac maran atha, is literally, our Lord is coming; see on Co1 16:22 (note); but here, in the Syriac, the words are atha moria, "the Lord cometh." So it is doubtful whether this fancied analogy exists.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

To execute judgment - This was originally spoken to the antediluvians; and the coming of the Lord to destroy that world was the thing spoken of in this prophecy or declaration. But as God had threatened this, it required no direct inspiration to foretell it. To execute judgment, etc. This is a very strange verse as to its composition, and is loaded with various readings; the MSS. and versions being at little agreement among themselves on its phraseology. Αυτων, which we translate among them, is omitted by the best MSS. and versions, and is, in all probability, spurious. Many also omit ασεβειας after ργων, ungodly deeds. Many insert λογων, words or speeches, after σκληρων, hard; and this word our translators have supplied. And instead of ἁμαρτωλοι, sinners, the Sahidic has ανθρωποι, men. There are others of less note; but the frequent recurrence of All and Ungodly makes the construction of the sentence very harsh.

Dr. Macknight supposes that Enoch's prophecy was common among the Jews; for the first words in Hebrew are Maranatha, and these were used by them in that form of excommunication or cursing which they pronounced against irreclaimable offenders. The doctor forgets himself here; the words Maranatha are not Hebrew, but Syriac. In Hebrew the form of execration begins with ארור אתה arur attah, "cursed art thou;" or מחרם אתה mochoram attah: but the Syriac maran atha, is literally, our Lord is coming; see on Co1 16:22 (note); but here, in the Syriac, the words are atha moria, "the Lord cometh." So it is doubtful whether this fancied analogy exists.

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