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Daily Devotions

2 Peter

2 Peter 
Day 
Day 38

"According to the true proverb"

Text: 2 Peter 2:22

CITING PROVERBIAL SAYINGS

Peter cited two proverbial sayings as he concluded his warning concerning false teachers. It was a fitting word to describe the wicked false teachers.

“But it has happened to them according to the true proverb:
‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and,
‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.'”
2 Peter 2:22

1. Remembering what the Lord Jesus taught

a) The Lord had told His disciples not to give what is holy to dogs (Matthew 7:6a).

b) He also told them not to cast pearls before swine.

c) Being animals, they would not be able to appreciate the holy commandments.

d) They would treat teachings of the Lord with great disdain.

2. “But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit'”

a) This word is cited from Proverbs 26:11.

“As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.”

i) It is true that the dog would actually eat its own vomit.

ii) It is a dog and it does not know better!

b) The word was applied to the foolish false teachers.

i) A fool will repeat his foolish actions.

ii) The foolish false teachers will keep repeating the same foolish teachings.

3. “And, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire'”

a) This is not a Biblical proverb.

b) A proverb is often drawn from folk wisdom.

c) The sow is a female pig.
(No particular meaning is intended though its gender is indicated. It is just a general reference to swine.)

i) A pig may be washed and be clean.

ii) But being a pig, if it has an opportunity would naturally wallow in mud.

4. The point of the common proverbial sayings

a) Peter had carefully taken time to give a detailed analysis:

i) Of the false teachers.

ii) Of their false teachings.

b) All the details may not be easily understood.

c) The simple proverbial sayings:

i) They were pertinent remarks.

ii) They may not offer deep insights.

iii) But they suffice to describe the false teachers.

iv) They may appear to be good and clean on the outside.
But as dogs and pigs cannot offer truths, neither could these false teachers.