2 Peter 2:17
“These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →These teachers are empty wells and storm-driven clouds, for whom the gloom of darkness is reserved forever.
What Does 2 Peter 2:17 Mean?
Peter pictures the false teachers with two images of empty promise. They are "wells without water" — the very thing a thirsty traveler longs for, yet dry when reached. They are "clouds that are carried with a tempest," promising rain but blown past, scattering nothing. Their appointed end is fixed: "the mist of darkness is reserved for ever."
The tragedy of these teachers is that they promise life and deliver nothing. A well should give water; a cloud should bring rain. These offer the appearance of refreshment to the spiritually thirsty but leave them parched and disappointed. Their grand words (verse 18) are wind. Against this emptiness stands Christ, who gives living water that truly satisfies. Peter assures believers that such hollow teachers, however impressive, cannot quench the soul — and that judgment awaits them. The reader is drawn to seek the true source. Only Christ fills the well and sends the rain; everything else, however promising, runs dry.