2 Peter 2:4
 
2 Peter 2:4
(KJV) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
(1611 KJV) For if God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them downe to hell, and deliuered them into chaines of darkenesse, to be reserued vnto iudgment:
(1587 Geneva Bible) For if God spared not the Angels that had sinned, but cast them downe into hell, and deliuered them into chaines of darkenes, to be kept vnto damnation:
(1526 Tyndale) For yf god spared not the angels that synned but cast them doune into hell and delyuered them in chaynes of darknes to be kept vnto iudgement.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but cast them into hell and delivered them in chains of utter darkness to be kept for judgment;
(NIV) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
(NASV) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
(THE MESSAGE) God didn't let the rebel angels off the hook, but jailed them in hell till Judgment Day.
(AMP) For God did not [even] spare angels that sinned, but cast them into hell, delivering them to be kept there in pits of gloom till the judgment and their doom.
(NLT) For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.
(CEV) God did not have pity on the angels that sinned. He had them tied up and thrown into the dark pits of hell until the time of judgment.
(NCV) When angels sinned, God did not let them go free without punishment. He sent them to hell and put them in caves of darkness where they are being held for judgment.
(1901 ASV) For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
(RSV) For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the judgment;
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Certainly if God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tar´ta·rus, delivered them to pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgment;
Footnotes
NIV - Some manuscripts into chains of darkness
NLT - Some manuscripts read in chains of gloom.
NCV - caves Some Greek copies read "chains."
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
ei gar o qeoV aggelwn amarthsantwn ouk ejeisato alla seiraiV zojou tartarwsaV paredwken eiV krisin tethrhmenouV
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
ei gar o qeoV aggelwn amarthsantwn ouk ejeisato alla seiroiV zojou tartarwsaV paredwken eiV krisin throumenouV
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
81 - (Minuscule) 1044 AD
917 - (Minuscule) - Twelfth Century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
P 72 - Third/Fourth Century
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
K 018 - Ninth century
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Reads “dens of darkness” rather than chains of darkness”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
 
Affected Teaching
When Satan’s rebellion took place, many of the angels had rebelled with him. God then sent them to hell to chains of darkness. The word “chain” is very important because it teaches us that these angels will never be allowed to leave since they are chained. Now we know that the word “chain” is speaking figuratively which means they were consigned to hell and were unable to leave, as if they were literally chained there. The modern versions just state that they were thrown into pits of darkness. Now someone can climb the side of a pit and escape but if someone is chained, they are unable to leave and that chain means they have been intentionally assigned there without the possibility of escape. Satan’s rebellion against God caused Him to take action against these evil angels and permanent consignment in hell with no possibility of escape is their plight. Thankfully the King James Bible teaches that it is absolutely useless to rebel against God because anyone who does, loses eternally.

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