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But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
2 Timothy 3:9 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But they will proceed no further. For their folly will be evident to all men, as theirs also came to be.
  • BSB But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.
  • NKJV but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
  • NASB But they will not make further progress; for their foolishness will be obvious to all, just as was that also of Jannes and Jambres.
  • NLT But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

These opponents will not get far, for their folly will become obvious to everyone, as happened to Moses's opponents. False teaching is ultimately exposed and limited by God.

Overview

Though false teachers do real harm, Paul assures Timothy that their progress is ultimately checked. Their folly will be publicly unmasked, just as Jannes and Jambres were finally discredited. This gives hope that God will not allow error to triumph over his truth.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • 2 Tim 3:8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
  • Exod 7:12For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
  • Jer 28:15–17Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
  • Exod 9:11And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
  • 1 Kgs 22:25And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
  • Acts 13:11And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
  • Acts 19:15–17And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
  • Ps 76:10Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
  • Jer 29:31–32Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
  • Jer 29:21–23Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
  • Exod 8:18–19And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
  • Jer 37:19Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Timothy videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Timothy 3:9YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 TimothyMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Christ Jesus 'abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel' — the risen Lord whose word and kingdom endure to the end.

How 2 Timothy 3:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.