3 without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Without natural affection - see the notes at Romans 1:31.
Trucebreakers - The same word in Romans 1:31, is rendered "implacable;" see the notes at that verse. It properly means "without treaty;" that is, those who are averse to any treaty or compact. It may thus refer to those who are unwilling to enter into any agreement; that is, either those who are unwilling to be reconciled to others when there is a variance - implacable; or those who disregard treaties or agreements. In either case, this marks a very corrupt condition of society. Nothing would be more indicative of the lowest state of degradation, than that in which all compacts and agreements were utterly disregarded.
False accusers - Margin, "makebates." The word "makebate" means one who excites contentions and quarrels. Webster. The Greek here is διάβολοι diaboloi - "devils" - the primitive meaning of which is, "calumniator, slanderer, accuser;" compare the notes at 1-Timothy 3:11, where the word is rendered "slanderers."
Incontinent - 1-Corinthians 7:5. Literally, "without strength;" that is, without strength to resist the solicitations of passion, or who readily yield to it.
Fierce - The Greek word used here - ἀνήμερος anēmeros - does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means "ungentle, harsh, severe," and is the opposite of gentleness and mildness. Religion produces gentleness; the want of it makes men rough, harsh, cruel; compare the notes at 2-Timothy 2:24.
Despisers of those that are good - In Titus 1:8, it is said of a bishop that he must be "a lover of good men." This, in every condition of life, is a virtue, and hence, the opposite of it is here set down as one of the characteristics of that evil age of which the apostle speaks.
Without natural affection - Αστοργοι· Without that affection which parents bear to their young, and which the young bear to their parents. An affection which is common to every class of animals; consequently, men without it are worse than brutes.
Truce-breakers - Ασπονδοι· From α, negative, and σπονδη, a libation, because in making treaties libations both of blood and wine were poured out. The word means those who are bound by no promise, held by no engagement, obliged by no oath; persons who readily promise any thing, because they never intend to perform.
False accusers - Διαβολοι· Devils; but properly enough rendered false accusers, for this is a principal work of the devil. Slanderers; striving ever to ruin the characters of others.
Incontinent - Ακρατεις· From α, negative, and κρατος, power. Those who, having sinned away their power of self-government, want strength to govern their appetites; especially those who are slaves to uncleanness.
Fierce - Ανημεροι· From α, negative, and ἡμερος, mild or gentle. Wild, impetuous, whatever is contrary to pliability and gentleness.
Despisers of those that are good - Αφιλαγαθοι· Not lovers of good men. Here is a remarkable advantage of the Greek over the English tongue, one word of the former expressing five or six of the latter. Those who do not love the good must be radically bad themselves.
Without natural affection,.... To parents, or children, or wife; parents thrusting their children into religious houses, cloisters, &c. against their wills; children leaving their parents without their knowledge or consent; married bishops and priests being obliged to quit their wives, and declare their children spurious; with many other such unnatural actions.
Trucebreakers; or covenant breakers; stirring up princes to break through their treaties and covenants with one another; dissolving the allegiance of subjects to their sovereigns, and moving them to rebellion against them; loosing the marriage bond between husband and wife; making void all oaths, contracts, and agreements, among men, which stand in the way of their designs; teaching that no faith is to be kept with heretics.
False accusers; or devils, being like Satan, the accuser of the brethren, charging all that depart from their communion with schism and heresy.
Incontinent; though they pretend to the gift of continency, yet give themselves up to all lasciviousness, and work all uncleanness with greediness; or "intemperate" in eating and drinking, indulging themselves in rioting and drunkenness: "she hath lived deliciously", Revelation 18:7.
Fierce; like beasts of prey; such was Rome Pagan, in the times of the ten persecutions; and such has been Rome Papal, exercising the greatest cruelties and barbarities on the saints, being drunk with their blood.
Despisers of those that are good; or without love to good; both to good works, to which they are reprobate, notwithstanding all their pretensions to them, and bluster about them; and to good men, whom they hate.
truce-breakers--rather as the Greek is translated in Romans 1:31, "implacable."
false accusers--slanderers (1-Timothy 3:11; Titus 2:3).
incontinent, fierce--at once both soft and hard: incontinently indulging themselves, and inhuman to others.
despisers, &c.--"no lovers of good" [ALFORD]; the opposite of "a lover of good" (Titus 1:8).
Without natural affection - To their own children. Intemperate, fierce - Both too soft, and too hard.
*More commentary available at chapter level.