Authorship. Although a pseudepigrapher would want to clarify which Jude he was (i.e., Jesus’ brother) or to write in the name of someone more prominent, this author does not specify which Jude he is, making it probable that the letter was genuinely written by Jude. At the same time, his lack of clarification as to which Jude he is and the fact that he seems to be already known to his audience (vv. 3, 5) suggest that he is the most prominent Jude, brother of the most prominent James—the younger brother of Jesus (Mk 6:3). Early *church tradition varied on which Jude wrote the letter, but this is the only Jude specifically known to us whose brother was called James. His Greek is sophisticated, but the thought world he shares with his readers is that of popular Judaism; for a Palestinian Jew’s knowledge of Greek or the availability of scribal help, see the introduction to James.
Situation. The letter clearly opposes false teachers whose sexual lifestyles are immoral and who are teaching arrogantly. The thought world of Jude and his readers is popular Judaism; his opponents may be rooted in the same Jewish-Christian tradition that Jude is, but they have also sought to assimilate many values of immoral pagan culture. Given Jude’s heavy use of *1 Enoch, that book may represent a tradition cited by his opponents, who apparently appeal to their own mystical visions as divine revelations like Enoch’s (v. 8).
Genre. This may be a letter-essay, a letter used as a sermon. Letters were meant as substitute speeches or surrogates for the presence of the writer.
Commentaries. Excellent commentaries include R. J. Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, WBC 50 (Waco, TX: Word, 1983), and (easier for those without Greek) J. N. D. Kelly, A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and Jude, BNTC (reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1981).
Jude’s lack of elaboration on his office suggests that he is the well-known Jude, brother not only of James but of Jesus as well. Although a son of Joseph and Mary, he now describes his half-brother Jesus as “Lord” rather than as brother. On “slave,” see comment on Romans 1:1.
3-4. At least part of the error that Jude addresses resembles that proclaimed by false prophets in the *Old Testament: judgment would not come on God’s people because of his special favor for them—a teaching that led to sin (Jer 6:14; 8:11; 23:17; Ezek 13:10, 16; Mic 3:5). Biblical *grace means forgiveness and power to overcome sin, not permission to act immorally. Ancient writers often applied the language of battle or athletic contests (“contend”) to spiritual or moral battles.
5. All Jewish hearers and even most recent *Gentile converts to Christianity knew the exodus story. That people had experienced God’s redemption did not guarantee that they could not fall away and be destroyed.
6. In Jewish tradition (except most of the *rabbis), the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:1-4 were fallen angels who left their assigned place to have intercourse with women (see comment on 2 Pet 2:4). In the earliest of these traditions, *1 Enoch, the fallen angels were imprisoned and bound (e.g., 10:11-14; 18:15-16; 21:3-6); Azazel was thrown into “darkness” (10:4), which was applied to the realm of the dead in much ancient tradition. First Enoch (22:11; 54:6; 84:4) uses “great day” for the day of judgment. Cf. Wisdom of Solomon 17:17 (and 17:2).
7. Already in the Old Testament and even more so in later Jewish tradition, Sodom came to be viewed as the epitome of wickedness. “Strange flesh” (KJV, NASB) here could mean angelic bodies, but because Jewish tradition would not call angels “flesh” and the Sodomites did not realize that the guests were angels (Gen 19:5), Jude may have their attempted homosexual acts in view. (“Strange” flesh is literally “other” flesh, but this may mean “other than what is natural,” rather than “other than their own kind.” Then again, “in the same way” as those of v. 6 might imply angels and people having intercourse with each other. Apart from Philo, few ancient Jewish writers stressed the Sodomites’ homosexual behavior; most instead stressed their lack of hospitality, arrogant sin or sexual immorality in general, which in the Jewish perspective included but was not limited to homosexual acts.)
8. “Dreaming” probably refers to the dreams of false prophets, who produce falsehood while claiming to speak truth (Jer 23:25); angelic “majesties” (literally “glories”; cf. NRSV) refers to the various ranks of angelic hosts, to which God has assigned authority over nations, nature and so on in Jewish tradition. Disrespect for earthly authorities and the spiritual powers behind them appointed by God would cause Christians to be labeled as subversive and encourage widespread persecution of them in the Roman Empire. (Some scholars have also suggested that they reviled these angels as the angels through whom God gave the *law, because of their antilaw stance, but it is not clear that they argued for their immorality primarily on the basis of their rejection of the law.)
9. Michael (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1) and Gabriel (Dan 8:16; 9:21) are the only two angels named in the Old Testament (though others were soon added, e.g., Tobit 5:4; 2 Esdras 4:36), and they naturally became the two most popular angels in contemporary Jewish lore, with Michael as Israel’s guardian and generally the most prominent archangel.
Jewish traditions about Moses’ death (or lack of it, despite Deut 34) varied widely, and this report seems to have been one of these versions. In the Old Testament and Jewish literature, the devil acted as an accuser; here the great archangel Michael did not challenge his accusations; he deferred the issue to God the supreme judge. God’s angelic messenger also cries, “The Lord rebuke you” in defending the *high priest in Zechariah 3:2.
10. The false teachers, however, were ridiculing angelic powers, probably including *Satan. The *Dead Sea Scrolls show that some people cursed Satan (see comment on 2 Pet 2:10-11), but Jude does not approve of that. Instead, he seems to agree with the moral embodied in a later rabbinic story: a man named Pelimo went around making fun of the devil until one day the devil showed up and chased him into a bathhouse, whereupon he learned his lesson (Babylonian Talmud Qiddushin 81ab); cf. also the saying in Sirach 21:27 LXX. Christians also should not speak authoritatively on secret or esoteric matters God has not chosen to reveal (cf. Deut 29:29).
11. More than in the Old Testament, in Jewish tradition Cain (see comment on 1 Jn 3:12) and Balaam (see comment on 2 Pet 2:15) had become symbolic for leaders of wickedness. Balaam was regarded as one of the most powerful prophets, as prophet of the *Gentiles, but he used his powers for evil, enticing Israel to sin so they would be judged. Korah revolted against the leadership of Moses (Num 16) and became a standard figure for rebelling against the law in Jewish tradition.
12. The Last Supper was a full Passover meal, and the early *church had continued the tradition of celebrating a meal (“the Lord’s Supper”) of which bread and wine were only a part. Communion as a full meal was apparently also called a “love feast.”
“Concealed rocks” (or “hidden reefs”—NASB) were deceptive and killed sailors who failed to navigate their vessels away from them; empty clouds promised rain to needy farmers but delivered nothing (Prov 25:14). The image of trees may be because harvesting would be complete by late autumn, when many trees shed their leaves before the advent of winter; or it may mean that they did not bear summer fruit and showed no signs of fruitfulness by early autumn; in any case, these trees were plainly dead (on the future second death, see comment on Rev 2:11).
13. In Greek tradition, Aphrodite, goddess of desire, was produced from sea foam at the castration of the Titan Uranos (alluding to the teachers’ immorality); probably more relevant, waves appear in the Dead Sea Scrolls as an image of casting up the filth of sin. “Wandering stars” referred to the erratic orbits of planets, sometimes attributed to disobedient angels, who were to be imprisoned under God’s judgment and are called “stars” in *1 Enoch. Judgment as eternal darkness appears in 1 Enoch and elsewhere. The wicked as raging waves appear in Isaiah 57:20 and in subsequent Jewish tradition (Dead Sea Scrolls).
14-15. Jude quotes from 1 Enoch 1:9, citing a popular story that is still extant to make his point. This passage in 1 Enoch represents some themes that run throughout that section of Enoch.
16. “Grumblers” may allude to Israel’s murmuring in the wilderness, but especially to the wrong speech (“defiant words”—NIV) of verse 15, expounding the citation from 1 Enoch. Ancient moralists repeatedly condemned flattery and advocated forthright speech; politicians commonly used flattery to win people over with speeches, and flattery was a necessity for subordinates of many emperors to survive. Jude had already addressed both their lusts (vv. 6-8b) and arrogant speech (vv. 8c-10).
17-19. Later *Gnostics claimed to be spiritual, thinking that others were at best “worldly” (NASB, NRSV) or “natural” (NIV); under the influence of certain kinds of Greek philosophy, some false teachers may have been already moving in this direction. More important, because the false teachers claimed to be prophetically inspired (v. 8), they no doubt laid claim to the *Spirit (cf. comment on v. 20), but Jude says that they are altogether lacking in the Spirit.
20-21. Because the *Holy Spirit was usually viewed as the Spirit of *prophecy, “praying in [or by] the Holy Spirit” probably means inspired prayer (1 Chron 25:3; Psalms), likely including (though not necessarily limited to) tongues (cf. comment on Acts 2:4; 1 Cor 14).
22-23. Some of the language here is from Zechariah 3:2 and 4, but the reference is to those being led astray and others who are already astray or false teachers themselves, who are dangerous.
24-25. Jude closes with praise, as would be common in a *synagogue service; the emphasis is that, for all the danger of falling away (vv. 3-23), God is able to keep believers secure and persevering.