2 Peter 2:19

Although these false teachers promise ¹  such people ²  freedom, they themselves are enslaved to ³  immorality. ⁴  For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved. ⁵ 

Isa 28:1; Jer 23:9; Joh 8:34; Ro 6:12-14,16-22; Ga 5:1,13; 2Ti 2:26; Tit 3:3; 1Pe 2:16; 2Pe 2:20

¹ tn Verse 19 is a subordinate clause in Greek. The masculine nominative participle “promising” (ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, epangellomenoi) refers back to the subject of vv. 17-18. At the same time, it functions subordinately to the following participle, ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte", “while being”).

² tn Grk “them.”

³ tn Grk “slaves of.” See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.

⁴ tn Or “corruption,” “depravity.” Verse 19 constitutes a subordinate clause to v. 18 in Greek. The main verbal components of these two verses are: “uttering…they entice…promising…being (enslaved).” The main verb is (they) entice. The three participles are adverbial and seem to indicate an instrumental relation (by uttering), a concessive relation (although promising), and a temporal relation (while being [enslaved]). For the sake of English usage, in the translation of the text this is broken down into two sentences.

⁵ tn Grk “for by what someone is overcome, to this he is enslaved.”