John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once know this , etc.] The Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version, read, knew all things; but rather it is to be restrained by the following instance of, God's vengeance on unbelievers; which with others is produced, to vindicate the divine conduct in the condemnation of the above persons, and to show that that is certain, and may be expected, since God has always dealt thus with such persons; and this they knew by reading of the Scriptures; at least they had known it once, though it might now be forgotten by them; and they had known it once for all; they had been perfectly acquainted with it; which is said, lest the apostle should be thought to write to persons ignorant, and rude in knowledge, and to show that he wrote nothing new and unheard of, and so should have the more weight and influence upon them; and he thought fit to remind them of it, though they had known it: it is one part of the work of the ministers of the word to put people in mind of what they have known; which is necessary, because of the inattentiveness of hearers, their forgetfulness, and loss of knowledge, and the weakness of some capacities to take in, and retain things; and if the judgment is not more informed hereby, yet the affections may be afresh raised, and grace be drawn out into exercise, and the mind be established and confirmed. The instance follows, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt ; that is, the people of Israel, who were the chosen people of God, a special people, above all others, and had peculiar privileges; these the Lord brought out of the land of Egypt, with an high hand, and a mighty arm, and saved them out of their bondage, and delivered out of their oppressions and afflictions: the Alexandrian copy, and some others, the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions, instead of the Lord, read Jesus: and yet, though they were a special people, and notwithstanding this wonderful deliverance, and great salvation, he afterward destroyed them that believed not ; their carcasses fell in the wilderness by one judgment or another upon them; so that of all that came out of Egypt, but two entered into the land of Canaan: this shows the evil nature of unbelief; and that God will not suffer sin to go unobserved in any; no outward privileges and profession will screen any from divine vengeance; God sometimes makes severe examples of mere nominal professors; nor must false teachers, deniers of Christ, and perverters of his Gospel, expect to go free: moreover, it may be observed, that God may do great things for persons, and yet after all destroy them; great riches and honours may be conferred on some, great natural gifts on others; some may seem as if they had the grace of God, and were brought out of spiritual Egypt, and enjoy great mercies and favours, and have many deliverances wrought for them, and yet at last perish.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-7 - Outward privileges, profession, and apparent conversion, could no secure those from the vengeance of God, who turned aside in unbelie and disobedience. The destruction of the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness, shows that none ought to presume on their privileges. The had miracles as their daily bread; yet even they perished in unbelief A great number of the angels were not pleased with the stations God allotted to them; pride was the main and direct cause or occasion of their fall. The fallen angels are kept to the judgment of the grea day; and shall fallen men escape it? Surely not. Consider this in du time. The destruction of Sodom is a loud warning to all, to take hee of, and flee from fleshly lusts that war against the soul, 1Pe 2:11 God is the same holy, just, pure Being now, as then. Stand in awe therefore, and sin not, Ps 4:4. Let us not rest in anything that doe not make the soul subject to the obedience of Christ; for nothing but the renewal of our souls to the Divine image by the Holy Spirit, can keep us from being destroyed among the enemies of God. Consider thi instance of the angels, and see that no dignity or worth of the creature is of avail. How then should man tremble, who drinket iniquity like water! Job 15:16.
Greek Textus Receptus
υπομνησαι 5279 5658 V-AAN δε 1161 CONJ υμας 5209 P-2AP βουλομαι 1014 5736 V-PNI-1S ειδοτας 1492 5761 V-RAP-APM υμας 5209 P-2AP απαξ 530 ADV τουτο 5124 D-ASN οτι 3754 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM κυριος 2962 N-NSM λαον 2992 N-ASM εκ 1537 PREP γης 1093 N-GSF αιγυπτου 125 N-GSF σωσας 4982 5660 V-AAP-NSM το 3588 T-NSN δευτερον 1208 A-NSN τους 3588 T-APM μη 3361 PRT-N πιστευσαντας 4100 5660 V-AAP-APM απωλεσεν 622 5656 V-AAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. Ye once knew (eidotav apax). Entirely wrong. The participle is to be rendered as present, and the once is not formerly, but once for all, as ver. 3. So Rev., rightly, though ye know all things once for all.
