Sometimes interpretive problems are solved much more easily when you know the biblical languages. We have one of those cases in Jude 9, where he says that the archangel Michael did not rebuke the devil, but said “the Lord rebuke you” (ἐπιτιμήσαι σοι κύριος).
The problem is: from where does Jude get this idea of the Lord rebuking Satan?
Jude is known for using extra-canonical writings in his epistle, e.g., 1 Enoch and the Assumption of Moses, so one might be tempted to write this off as another Jewish folk tale to which Jude alludes.
But if you know Greek, you’ll notice that ἐπιτιμήσαι (rebuke) is a unique and rare form and is the key to figuring out where the Lord rebukes Satan. Check out this 2-minute video from our Jude Greek Reading Videos to find out where.
See how a little Greek goes a long way!
Jude’s little writing tends to get neglected because (1) it is filled with odd uses of both OT and extra-biblical writings, and because (2) the Greek is a bit tough to work through.
These are the two reasons we created our Jude Greek Reading Videos, which include over 4 hours of video instruction working through this exciting New Testament epistle. You’ll get seminary-caliber instruction that will refresh and improve your Greek, along with visual textual comparisons between Jude’s letter and the Jewish texts he uses.
After working through our Jude series, you’ll be empowered to study and teach Jude, to handle the odd extra-biblical allusions, and to continue improving your Greek as a lifelong student of Scripture.
