Jude 1:12
What does Jude 1:12 mean?
A plain-English look at Jude 1:12 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Jude 1:12 means
Jude likens the intruders to hidden rocks at your love-feasts, endangering the fellowship’s gatherings where believers share in mutual care. They are shepherds who feed themselves without fear, using leadership for self-interest. They are clouds without water—promising refreshment but giving none—driven by winds, unstable and directionless. As autumn trees without fruit, they fail at harvest time, revealing barrenness; being twice dead and uprooted portrays spiritual lifelessness beyond remedy. Each image unmasks the contradiction between appearance and reality. Their presence threatens, their leadership exploits, their teaching disappoints, and their lives betray a lack of the life that only God gives.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
KJV
King James Version · 1611These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949These men are unseen rocks at your love-feasts, when they take part in them with you, keepers of sheep who without fear take the food of the sheep; clouds without water rushing before the wind, wasted trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots,
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862These are in your love-feasts craggy rocks; feasting together with you, without fear shepherding themselves; clouds without water, by winds carried about; trees autumnal, without fruit, twice dead, rooted up;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752These are spots in their banquets, feasting together without fear, feeding themselves: clouds without water, which are carried about by winds: trees of the autumn, unfruitful, twice dead, plucked up by the roots:
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890These are spots in your love-feasts, feasting together [with you] without fear, pasturing themselves; clouds without water, carried along by [the] winds; autumnal trees, without fruit, twice dead, rooted up;
Context
This vivid set of metaphors follows the "woe" of verse 11, showing how the false teachers harm the church’s communal life and offer empty promises. The images prepare for more in verse 13, where their shame and destiny are further described. The mention of love-feasts highlights how close to the center of fellowship the danger lies. Jude is not warning about distant threats but about internal, subtle hazards. After these pictures, Jude will turn to prophetic testimony (verses 14–15) to stress that such people have a reserved judgment.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Luke 16:19
Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day:
- Luke 12:19
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.
- Mark 11:20
And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
- Ezekiel 34:2
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep?
- James 5:5
Ye have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.
- 1 Corinthians 11:20
When therefore ye assemble yourselves together, it is not possible to eat the Lord’s supper:
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