But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

2 PETER 1:9KJV
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2 Peter 1:9 (KJV)

What does 2 Peter 1:9 mean?

2 Peter 1:9 says that anyone who does not have the qualities Peter has just listed is spiritually blind, unable to see what is truly important, and has forgotten that God has already cleansed them from their past sins. The verse warns that a lack of spiritual growth shows a kind of forgetfulness about what God has done for a person.

Peter is writing to Christians, urging them to keep growing in faith and character. In the verses just before, he lists qualities like goodness, knowledge, self-control, and love. Here, Peter explains that failing to develop these qualities is like being blind and short-sighted, forgetting the forgiveness and new start God has given. This sets up his encouragement for believers to be diligent in their spiritual lives.

The Greek behind 2 Peter 1:9

  • The word for "blind" is τυφλός (typhlos), which means unable to see. In this context, it is often understood as spiritual blindness, not physical.
  • The phrase "cannot see afar off" uses the Greek word μυωπάζων (myōpazōn), which carries the sense of being short-sighted or only able to see what is right in front, missing the bigger picture.
  • The word "forgotten" is λήθην (lēthēn), meaning to forget or lose sight of something. Peter uses it to show that the person has lost awareness of the forgiveness they received.

Why 2 Peter 1:9 matters

  • 2 Peter 1:9 clears up the idea that spiritual growth is optional; Peter treats it as a necessary response to God’s forgiveness.
  • The verse emphasizes that remembering what God has done—cleansing from old sins—should motivate ongoing growth, not complacency.
  • This verse connects to the larger passage by showing that spiritual qualities are evidence of a living, grateful faith, not just a checklist.

Where else these words appear

“old” Greek G3819 · used in 6 verses

  • Matthew 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
  • Mark 15:44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
  • Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

“from” Greek G2512 · used in 7 verses

  • Mark 1:44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
  • Luke 5:14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
  • John 3:25 Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

“lacketh” Greek G3918 · used in 22 verses

  • Matthew 26:50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
  • Acts 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
  • 2 Corinthians 13:10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.

“blind” Greek G5185 · used in 48 verses

  • Matthew 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
  • Mark 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
  • John 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.