Angels Mentioned in Jude 1:6 and Their Sin

Jude 1:6 states, "Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day" ^[1]. This verse refers to a group of angels who sinned and were subsequently punished by God.

The passage is part of the Epistle of Jude, which warns against false teachers and reminds believers of the judgment that awaits those who reject God's authority. The context surrounding Jude 1:6 is a series of examples illustrating God's judgment on the ungodly, including the Israelites who disobeyed in the wilderness (Jude 1:5) and Sodom and Gomorrah (Jude 1:7).

The identity of the angels mentioned in Jude 1:6 has been a subject of debate among interpreters. Some understand the reference to be to the fall of Satan and his followers ^[2]. However, the majority of commentators link this verse to the account in Genesis 6:1-4, where the "sons of God" are described as having intercourse with human women, resulting in the birth of the Nephilim. Jewish tradition, as reflected in 1 Enoch 6-10, interpreted the "sons of God" as wicked angels, and this understanding is cited as the likely background for Jude's reference ^[3].

The phrase "their first estate" or "principality" (Greek: ἀρχήν, archēn) is significant in understanding the nature of the angels' sin. The term suggests that the angels had a specific role or domain assigned to them, which they failed to maintain. John Gill interprets this as referring to the angels' original state of holiness and righteousness, as well as their position of authority ^[4]. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown suggest that the angels' sin involved aspiring to a higher status than was assigned to them ^[5].

The sin of the angels is also described in 2 Peter 2:4, which states that God "did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment" ^[7]. This parallel passage reinforces the idea that the angels' sin was a grave offense against God, resulting in severe punishment.

The Catholic tradition, as represented by Thomas Aquinas, has also grappled with the nature of the angels' sin. Aquinas considers the possibility that the highest angel among those who sinned was the highest of all, but ultimately concludes that the lower angels were more prone to sin due to their closer connection to the material world ^[6].

The interpretation of Jude 1:6 has significant implications for understanding the nature of angelic beings and their role in the divine economy. The verse serves as a warning against the dangers of rebellion against God's authority and highlights the consequences of sin, even for those who are considered to be among the heavenly host.

The understanding of this passage has been shaped by various theological traditions. The Reformed tradition, represented by Calvin, views the fallen angels as having degenerated into the image of Satan ^[2]. In contrast, the Catholic tradition has developed a more nuanced understanding of the angels' sin, considering factors such as their natural inclination and the role of free will.

The reference to the angels in Jude 1:6 has also been influential in the development of Christian theology, particularly in the areas of angelology and demonology. The verse remains a crucial text for understanding the biblical account of the fallen angels and their punishment.

Sources

Jude “Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. -- Jude 1:6”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 30: the devil. 117 117 2 Cor. 4:4 ; Eph. 2:2 ; Rom. 9:22 ; John 8:44 ; 1 John 3:8 . For as believers are recognised to be the sons of God by bearing his image, so the wicked are properly regarded as the children of Satan, from having degenerated into his image. 19. Having above refuted that nugatory philosophy concerning the holy angels, which teaches that they are nothing but good motions or inspirations which God excites in the minds of men, we must here likewise refute those who foolishly allege that devils are nothing but bad affec”
Jude (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jude 1:6: 1:6 The angels might refer to the fall of Satan and his angelic followers, but no Old Testament passage clearly describes this event (see study notes on Isa 14:12-17; Ezek 28:12-19). Jude was probably referring to Gen 6:1-4; Jewish tradition understood the “sons of God” in Gen 6 to be wicked angels and viewed their intercourse with women as the cause of their judgment (see 1 Enoch 6–10; see also study notes on 1 Pet 3:19-20; 2 Pet 2:4). Jude later (Jude 1:14-15) quotes directly from 1 Enoch.”
Jude (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jude 1:6: And the angels which kept not their first estate,.... Or "principality"; that holy, honourable, and happy condition, in which they were created; for they were created in perfect holiness and righteousness, stood in the relation of sons to God, and were, for the lustre of their nature, comparable to the morning stars; they were among the thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers; were a superior rank of creatures to men, and who beheld the face, and enjoyed the presence of God; but this estate they kept not, for being mutable creatures, one of them first sinning, the”
Jude (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jude 1:6: (Pe2 2:4.) kept not their first estate--Vulgate translates, "their own principality," which the fact of angels being elsewhere called "principalities," favors: "their own" implies that, instead of being content with the dignity once for all assigned to them under the Son of God, they aspired higher. ALFORD thinks the narrative in Gen 6:2 is alluded to, not the fall of the devil and his angels, as he thinks "giving themselves over to fornication" (Jde 1:7) proves; compare Greek, "in like manner to these," namely, to the angels (Jde 1:6). It seems to me m”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Malice of the Angels with Regard to Sin, Art. 7: Article: Whether the highest angel among those who sinned was the highest of all? I answer that, Two things have to be considered in sin, namely, the proneness to sin, and the motive for sinning. If, then, in the angels we consider the proneness to sin, it seems that the higher angels were less likely to sin than the lower. On this account Damascene says (De Fide Orth. ii), that the highest of those who sinned was set over the terrestrial order. This opinion seems to agree with the view of”
2 Peter (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Peter 2:4: For if God spared not the angels that sinned..... By whom are meant the devil and his angels; who are spirits created by God and as such were good; their first estate which they left was pure and holy, as well as high and honourable; they, were at first in the truth, though they abode not in it; they were once among the morning stars and sons of God, and were angels of light; their numbers are many, and therefore are here expressed in the plural number, "angels", though it cannot be said how large; a legion of them was in one man; one at first might be in the rebellio”

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