The author identified himself as Jude the brother of James. Both Jude and James were half-brothers of Jesus. It is unknown whether this letter was intended for a specific church.
Jude wrote this letter to warn believers against false teachers. Jude often referred to the Old Testament. This may suggest that Jude was writing to a Jewish Christian audience. This letter and 2 Peter have similar content. They both speak about angels, Sodom and Gomorrah, and false teachers.
Translators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, "Jude." Or they may choose a clearer title, such as "The Letter from Jude" or "The Letter Jude Wrote."
It is possible that the people Jude spoke against were those who would become known as Gnostics. These teachers distorted the teachings of scripture for their own gain. They lived in immoral ways and taught others to do the same.
11Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:2May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.3Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I had to write to you to exhort you to struggle earnestly for the faith that was entrusted once for all to God's holy people.4For certain men have slipped in secretly among you. These men were marked out for condemnation. They are ungodly men who have changed the grace of our God into sensuality, and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.5Now I wish to remind you—although once you fully knew it—that the Lord saved a people out of the land of Egypt, but that afterward he destroyed those who did not believe.6Also, angels who did not keep to their own position of authority, but who left their proper dwelling place—God has kept them in everlasting chains, in utter darkness, for the judgment on the great day.7So also Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them gave themselves over to sexual immorality and perverse sexual acts. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.8Yet in the same way, these dreamers also defile their bodies. They reject authority and they slander the glorious ones.9But even Michael the archangel, when he was arguing with the devil and disputing with him about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment against him, but he said, "May the Lord rebuke you!"10But these people insult whatever they do not understand; and what they do understand naturally, like unreasoning animals, these are the very things that destroy them.11Woe to them! For they have walked in the way of Cain and have plunged into Balaam's error for profit. They have perished in Korah's rebellion.12These people are dangerous reefs at your love feasts, feasting with you fearlessly—shepherds who only feed themselves. They are clouds without rain, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit—twice dead, uprooted.13They are violent waves in the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of complete darkness has been reserved forever.14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them, saying, "Look! The Lord is coming with thousands and thousands of his holy ones.15He is coming to execute judgment on everyone. He is coming to convict all the ungodly of all the works they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the bitter words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him."16These are grumblers, complainers, following their evil desires. Their mouths speak loud boasts, flattering others for profit.17But you, beloved, remember the words that were spoken in the past by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.18They said to you, "In the last time there will be mockers who will follow their own ungodly desires."19It is these who cause divisions; they are worldly, and they do not have the Spirit.20But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, and pray in the Holy Spirit.21Keep yourselves in God's love, and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings you eternal life.22Be merciful to those who doubt.23Save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.24Now to the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to cause you to stand before his glorious presence without blemish and with great joy,25to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time, now, and forever. Amen.
Jude 1:1
General Information:
Jude identifies himself as the writer of this letter and greets his readers. He was probably the half-brother of Jesus. There are two other Judes mentioned in the New Testament. The word "you" in this letter refers to the Christians to whom Jude was writing and is always plural.
Jude, a servant of
Jude is the brother of James. Alternate translation: "I am Jude, a servant of"
brother of James
James and Jude were half brothers of Jesus.
Jude 1:2
May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you
"may mercy, peace, and love be increased many times for you." These ideas are spoken of as if they were objects that could grow in size or number. This can be restated to remove the abstract nouns "mercy," "peace," and "love." Alternate translation: "May God continue to be merciful to you so that you live peacefully and love one another more and more
Jude 1:3
General Information:
The word "our" in this letter includes both Jude and believers.
Connecting Statement:
Jude tells the believers his reason for writing this letter.
our common salvation
"the salvation we share"
I had to write
"I felt a great need to write" or "I felt an urgent need to write"
to exhort you to struggle earnestly for the faith
"to encourage you to defend the true teaching"
once for all
"finally and completely"
Jude 1:4
For certain men have slipped in secretly among you
"For some men have come in among the believers without drawing attention to themselves"
These men were marked out for condemnation
This can also be put into the active voice. Alternate translation: "These were men whom God chose to condemn"
who have changed the grace of our God into sensuality
God's grace is spoken of as if it were a thing that could be changed into something horrible. Alternate translation: "who teach that God's grace permits one to continue to live in sexual sin"
deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ
Possible meanings are 1) they teach that he is not God or 2) these men do not obey Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:5
Connecting Statement:
Jude gives examples from the past of those who did not follow the Lord.
the Lord saved a people out of the land of Egypt
"the Lord rescued the Israelites long ago from Egypt"
the Lord
Some texts read "Jesus."
Jude 1:6
their own position of authority
"the responsibilities God entrusted to them"
their proper dwelling place
The proper dwelling place of angels is heaven.
God has kept them in everlasting chains, in utter darkness
"God has put these angels in a dark prison from which they will never escape"
utter darkness
Here "darkness" is a metonym which represents the place of the dead or hell. Alternate translation: "in utter darkness in hell"
the great day
the final day when God will judge everyone
Jude 1:7
Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them
Here "Sodom," "Gomorrah," and "cities" represent the people who lived in them. Alternate translation: "the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and the people in the cities around them"
gave themselves over to sexual immorality and perverse sexual acts
"engaged in every kind of sexual immorality and all of the perverse sexual acts they desired." The sexual sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were the result of the same kind of rebellion as the angels' evil ways.
as an example of those who suffer the punishment
The destruction of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah became an example of the fate of all who reject God.
Jude 1:8
these dreamers
These are the people who disobey God, probably because they claim to have seen visions that gave them authority to do so.
defile their bodies
The people sinning is spoken of as if they were making their bodies unclean. Alternate translation: "sin and defile themselves"
they slander
"they speak insults about"
glorious ones
This refers to spiritual beings, such as angels.
Jude 1:9
General Information:
Balaam was a prophet who refused to curse Israel for an enemy but then taught that enemy to get the people to marry unbelievers and become idol worshipers. Korah was a man of Israel who rebelled against Moses's leadership and Aaron's priesthood.
did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment against him
"did not dare to speak anything evil against him" or "did not dare to insult or condemn him"
Jude 1:10
these people
the ungodly people
whatever they do not understand
"anything of which they do not know the meaning." Possible meanings are 1) "everything good that they do not understand" or 2) "the glorious ones, which they do not understand" (Jude 1:8).
Jude 1:11
walked in the way of Cain
"Walked in the way" here is a metaphor for "lived in the same way as." Alternate translation: "lived the same way Cain lived"
Jude 1:12
Connecting Statement:
Jude uses a series of metaphors to describe the ungodly men. He tells the believers how to recognize these men when they are among them.
These people
The word "These" refers to the "ungodly men" of Jude 1:4.
dangerous reefs
Reefs are large rocks that are very close to the surface of water in the sea. Because sailors cannot see them, they are very dangerous. Ships can easily be destroyed if they hit these rocks.
autumn trees without fruit—twice dead, uprooted
These words contain two metaphors for dead people and apply them both to "these people."
autumn trees without fruit
This is the first metaphor for dead people. Trees in autumn look dead because their leaves have all fallen off, as has the fruit of fruit trees.
twice dead, uprooted
This is the second metaphor for dead people. After these "autumn trees" have lost their leaves and fruit, they die their first metaphorical death. Then people uproot them, and they die their second metaphorical death.
uprooted
completely pulled out of the ground so their roots dry out
Jude 1:13
violent waves in the sea
As the sea's waves are blown by a strong wind, so the ungodly people are easily moved in many directions.
foaming up their shame
As wind causes wild waves to stir up dirty foam—so these men, through their false teaching and actions, shame themselves. Alternate translation: "and just as waves bring up foam and dirt, these men pollute others with their shame"
wandering stars
Those who studied the stars in ancient times noticed that some "stars,"—what we call planets—do not move the way that stars do, so they called them "wandering stars." Alternate translation: "They are like moving stars"
for whom the gloom of complete darkness has been reserved forever
Here "darkness" is a metonym that represents the place of the dead or hell, and "the gloom of complete darkness" is an idiom that means "a totally dark place." The phrase "has been reserved" can be stated in active form. Alternate translation: "and God will put them in the gloom and complete darkness of hell forever"
Jude 1:14
the seventh from Adam
If Adam is counted as the first generation of mankind, Enoch is the seventh. If Adam's son is counted as the first, Enoch is sixth in line.
Look
"Listen" or "Pay attention to this important thing I am going to say"
holy ones
Possible meanings are 1) "angels" or 2) "saints" or 3) "angels and saints"
Jude 1:15
to execute judgment on
"to make judgment on" or "to judge"
Jude 1:16
grumblers, complainers
People who do not want to obey and speak against godly authority. "Grumblers" tend to speak quietly, while "complainers" speak openly.
Their mouths speak loud boasts
They praise themselves so that others can hear.
flattering others
"giving false praise to others"
Jude 1:17
General Information:
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Jude 1:18
mockers who will follow their own ungodly desires
Ungodly desires are spoken of as if they were a path that a person will follow. Alternate translation: "mockers who will continue to dishonor God by doing the evil things they wish to do"
Jude 1:19
It is these
"It is these mockers" or "These mockers are the ones"
they are worldly
Here "worldly" describes someone who is concerned with things of the world rather than things of God. Often in the Bible "world" represents all things opposed to God. Alternate translation: "they are only concerned with doing what is evil"
they do not have the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is spoken of as if he were something that people can possess. Alternate translation: "the Spirit is not within them"
Jude 1:20
Connecting Statement:
Jude tells the believers how they should live and how they should treat others.
But you, beloved
"Do not be like them, beloved. Instead"
build yourselves up
Becoming increasingly able to trust in God and obey him is spoken of as if it were the process of constructing a building.
Jude 1:21
Keep yourselves in God's love
Remaining able to receive God's love is spoken of as if one were keeping oneself in a certain place.
wait for
"eagerly look forward to"
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings you eternal life
Here "mercy" stands for Jesus Christ himself, who will show his mercy to the believers by making them live forever with him.
Jude 1:22
those who doubt
"those who do not yet believe that Jesus is God"
Jude 1:23
snatching them out of the fire
The picture is that of pulling people from a fire before they start to burn. Alternate translation: "doing for them whatever needs to be done to keep them from dying without Christ. This is like pulling them from the fire"
to others show mercy with fear
"be kind to others, but be afraid of sinning the way they do"
hating even the garment defiled by the flesh
Jude exaggerates to warn his readers that they can become like those sinners. Alternate translation: "treating them as though you could become guilty of sin just by touching their clothes"
Jude 1:24
Connecting Statement:
Jude closes with a blessing.
to cause you to stand before his glorious presence
His glory is brilliant light that represents his greatness. Alternate translation: "and to allow you to enjoy and worship his glory"
glorious presence without blemish and with
Here sin is spoken of as if it were dirt on one's body or a flaw on one's body. Alternate translation: "glorious presence, where you will be without sin and have"
Jude 1:25
to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord
"to the only God, who saved us because of what Jesus Christ did." This emphasizes that God the Father as well as the Son is the Savior.
be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time, now, and forever
God has always had, now has, and always will have glory, absolute leadership, and complete control of all things.
