2 Timothy 2:17
What does 2 Timothy 2:17 mean?
A plain-English look at 2 Timothy 2:17 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What 2 Timothy 2:17 means
Such teaching spreads like gangrene, a destructive infection that eats healthy tissue. Paul’s image is deliberate: false doctrine is not a harmless side conversation; it is lethal and contagious. Therefore, decisive action is required. He then names Hymenæus and Philetus, signaling that love for the flock includes the courage to identify dangerous teachers. Naming names is not spite but protection when error is public and harmful. The church must treat false teaching as a medical emergency, not an academic amusement. This verse emphasizes the speed and severity of doctrinal decay, urging Timothy to act early and firmly for the health of the body.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus;
KJV
King James Version · 1611And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus;
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901and their word will eat as doth a gangrene: of whom is Hymenæus and Philetus;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And their words will be like poisoned wounds in the flesh: such are Hymenaeus and Philetus;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and their word as a gangrene will have pasture, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And their speech spreadeth like a canker: of whom are Hymeneus and Philetus:
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and their word will spread as a gangrene; of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
Context
Expanding the warning against profane talk (v.16), Paul illustrates its effect with the image of gangrene and immediately provides concrete examples in Hymenæus and Philetus. This sets up verse 18, where he specifies their error concerning the resurrection. By moving from principle to metaphor to names to content, Paul shows Timothy how to diagnose and address false teaching comprehensively—seeing its nature, identifying its agents, and correcting its claims.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Nahum 3:15
There shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off; it shall devour thee like the canker-worm: make thyself many as the canker-worm; make thyself many as the locust.
- James 5:3
Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days.
- 1 Timothy 1:20
of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.
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