2 Peter 1:20 Meaning and Explanation
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Scripture did not begin in any one person's own imagining; its source is God Himself.
The Context of 2 Peter 1:20
Peter has just recalled standing on the mountain when he heard the Father's voice declare Jesus His Son (verses 16 to 18), and he turns to the written word as something even more sure. This verse and the next explain where that word came from.
What Does 2 Peter 1:20 Mean?
Peter sets down a foundation: no prophecy of Scripture came from someone's own private unraveling of things. The prophets did not sit down and invent meaning out of their own thoughts. The words they gave were not their personal theories about God dressed up as revelation. Their source lay outside and above them. This is why Peter calls the prophetic word "more sure" than even his own eyewitness experience: it does not rest on one human mind, however gifted.
Verse 21 completes the thought, telling us these holy men "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The Scripture that points us to Christ is trustworthy because it comes from God, not from human guesswork. When we open these pages and find Jesus there, we are not reading one person's opinion; we are hearing a word God Himself set in motion, carried to us so that we might know His Son.
2 Peter 1:20 in the Original Language
epilysis (ἐπίλυσις), 'interpretation' -- an unloosing or solving, the working-out of a meaning.
How to Apply 2 Peter 1:20 Today
When we wonder whether the Scriptures can be trusted, this verse points past the human writers to their true source. The word that leads us to Christ did not begin in anyone's private notion; it came from God. That gives us solid ground to stand on as we read.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Peter 1:20
What does 2 Peter 1:20 mean?
Scripture did not begin in any one person's own imagining; its source is God Himself.
What is the context of 2 Peter 1:20?
Peter has just recalled standing on the mountain when he heard the Father's voice declare Jesus His Son (verses 16 to 18), and he turns to the written word as something even more sure. This verse and the next explain where that word came from.
How can I apply 2 Peter 1:20 today?
When we wonder whether the Scriptures can be trusted, this verse points past the human writers to their true source. The word that leads us to Christ did not begin in anyone's private notion; it came from God. That gives us solid ground to stand on as we read.