Peter's Use of the Word "Lethe" in 2 Peter 1:9
In 2 Peter 1:9, the apostle Peter describes individuals who lack certain spiritual virtues as "blind, being shortsighted, taking on forgetfulness of the cleansing of his sins in time past" (LITV) [2]. The Greek word translated as "forgetfulness" in this verse is lethen (λήθην), which refers to oblivion or a state of forgetting [2].
The immediate context of 2 Peter 1:9 is Peter's exhortation to believers to grow in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (2 Peter 1:5-7). one tradition states that if these qualities are present and increasing, they will keep believers from being ineffective or unfruitful in their knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8). Conversely, the one who lacks these qualities is described as blind and shortsighted, having forgotten their past cleansing from sins [2].
This "forgetfulness" is not merely a lapse of memory but indicates a failure to live in light of the purification received through Christ. The individual has lost sight of the transformative power of their initial cleansing [2]. This spiritual amnesia suggests a regression from the initial experience of salvation and a failure to progress in Christian maturity. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary notes that Peter's earnest urging in this passage stems from his affection for his brethren, emphasizing the importance of diligence in cultivating these graces [3].
The concept of "cleansing of his sins" refers to the purification and forgiveness that believers receive through Christ, often associated with baptism and conversion (cf. 1 Peter 3:21, Hebrews 9:14, 1 John 1:7) [1, 4]. The cross-references for 2 Peter 1:9 highlight themes of spiritual growth, the nature of faith, and the consequences of spiritual stagnation, connecting it to passages like Romans 6:1, 2 Corinthians 4:3, and James 2:14 [1]. The warning implies that without active pursuit of the listed virtues, the initial cleansing, though real, becomes functionally forgotten in the believer's life, leading to spiritual ineffectiveness.
Sources
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge “2 Peter 1:9 cross-references: Leviticus 13:55, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22, John 9:40, Romans 6:1, Romans 6:11, 2 Corinthians 4:3, Galatians 5:6, Galatians 5:13, Ephesians 5:26, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 9:14, James 2:14, 1 Peter 3:21, 2 Peter 1:4, 2 Peter 2:18, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:9, Revelation 3:17”
- II Peter “II Peter 1:9 (LITV) — For the one in whom these things are not present is blind, being shortsighted, taking on forgetfulness of the cleansing of his sins in time past.”
- 2 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Peter 1:10: Wherefore--seeking the blessed consequence of having, and the evil effects of not having, these graces (Pe2 1:8-9). the rather--the more earnestly. brethren--marking that it is affection for them which constrains him so earnestly to urge them. Nowhere else does he so address them, which makes his calling them so here the more emphatical. give diligence--The Greek aorist implies one lifelong effect [ALFORD]. to make--Greek middle voice; to make so far as it depends on you; to do your part towards making. "To make" absolutely and finally is God'”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: 2:19 2:21 2:24 4:3 4:6 4:8 4:11-12 4:14 5:12 5:12 5:13 5:14 5:15 5:16 5:16 5:16 5:17-18 1 Peter 1:2 1:2 1:2 1:3 1:5 1:5 1:9 1:11 1:12 1:12 1:15 1:16 1:18-19 1:18-19 1:19 1:19-20 1:20 1:21 1:21 1:21 1:21 1:22 1:23 1:23 1:23 2:5 2:9 2:9 2:9 2:13 2:17 2:17 2:18 2:24 2:24 2:24 2:24 2:24 2:25 2:25 3:18 3:19 3:21 3:21 3:21 3:21 3:21 3:21 4:3 4:3 4:8 4:8 4:11 4:11 4:14 4:17 5:1 5:2 5:2 5:3 5:5 5:6 5:7 5:8 5:8 5:9 2 Peter 1:4 1:4 1:4 1:5 1:13-14 1:14 1:14 1:19 2:1 2:4 2:4 3:4 3:8 3:9 3:16 11:9 1 John 1:1 1:7 1:7 1:7 1:9 1:9 1:10 2:1 2:1 2”