John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy , etc.] Or through the hypocrisy of those that speak lies; for the apostle is still speaking of the means by which the apostasy should rise, and get ground; and it should be by the means of persons that should deliver lying or false doctrine under the colour of truth, and make great pretensions to religion and holiness, which would greatly take with men, and captivate and lead them aside: and this plainly points at the abettors of antichrist, the Romish priests, who deliver out the lying doctrines of merit, purgatory, invocation of saints, fastings, pilgrimages, etc. and the fabulous legends of saints, and the lying wonders and miracles done by them, and all under a show of godliness, and the promoting of religion and holiness: having their conscience seared with a hot iron ; which exactly describes the above mentioned persons, whose consciences are cauterized and hardened, and past feeling; and have no regard to what they say or do, make no conscience of anything, but under a cloak of sanctity commit the most shocking impieties; and are men of the most infamous characters, and of the most enormous and scandalous lives and conversations; so that the metaphor may be taken either from the searing of flesh with an iron, or cauterizing it, whereby it grows callous and hard; or from the stigmas or marks which used to be put on malefactors, or such who have been guilty of notorious crimes.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - The Holy Spirit, both in the Old and the New Testament, spoke of general turning from the faith of Christ, and the pure worship of God This should come during the Christian dispensation, for those ar called the latter days. False teachers forbid as evil what God ha allowed, and command as a duty what he has left indifferent. We fin exercise for watchfulness and self-denial, in attending to the requirements of God's law, without being tasked to imaginary duties which reject what he has allowed. But nothing justifies an intemperat or improper use of things; and nothing will be good to us, unless we seek by prayer for the Lord's blessing upon it.
Greek Textus Receptus
εν 1722 PREP υποκρισει 5272 N-DSF ψευδολογων 5573 A-GPM κεκαυτηριασμενων 2743 5772 V-RPP-GPM την 3588 T-ASF ιδιαν 2398 A-ASF συνειδησιν 4893 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy (en upokrisei yeudologwn). Wrong. Rend., through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies. Upokrisiv hypocrisy once in Paul, Gal. ii. 13, see note. See also on Matthews xxiii. 13. The phrase ejn uJpokrisei only here. Yeudologov speaking lies, N.T.o . o LXX. Rare in Class.Having their conscience seared with a hot iron (en upokrisei yeudologwn) Better, branded in their own conscience. With a hot iron is superfluous. The verb N.T.o . o LXX, o Class. The metaphor is from the practice of branding slaves or criminals, the latter on the brow. These deceivers are not acting under delusion, but deliberately, and against their conscience. They wear the form of godliness, and contradict their profession by their crooked conduct (2 Tim. iii. 5). The brand is not on their brow, but on their conscience. Comp. Tit. i. 15; iii. 11.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:2 {Through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies} (en hupokrisei yeudologwn). For hupokrisis, see #Ga 2:13. yeudologos (yeudes, legw) _Koin_ word from Aristophanes on. Here only in N.T. "A good classical word for liars on a large scale" (Parry). {Branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron} (kekausteriasmenwn ten idian suneidesin). Accusative case suneidesin retained with the perfect passive participle of kausteriazw, a rare verb only here and once in Strabo. Branded with the mark of Satan (#2Ti 2:26) as Paul was with the marks of Christ (#Ga 6:17). Agreeing in case with yeudologwn.
