Lexical Summary exerama: Vomit Original Word: ἐξέραμα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance vomit. From a comparative of ek and a presumed erao (to spue); vomit, i.e. Food disgorged -- vomit. see GREEK ek NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom exeraó (to evacuate) Definition vomit (noun) NASB Translation vomit (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1829: ἐξέραμαἐξέραμα, ἐξεραματος, τό (from ἐξεράω to eject, cast forth, vomit forth; cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 64), vomit; what is cast out by vomiting: 2 Peter 2:22, cf. Proverbs 26:11. (Dioscor. de venenis c. 19 (p. 29, Spreng. edition) (an example of the verb. Cf. Wetstein (1752) on Peter, the passage cited, and especially Gataker, Advers. misc. col. 853f).) Topical Lexicon Biblical Setting and Occurrence2 Peter 2:22 uses the graphic noun translated “vomit” to portray those who, after a superficial cleansing by exposure to the gospel, return to the very corruption they once seemed to abandon: “A dog returns to its vomit, and a sow that is washed returns to wallow in the mud”. This is the sole New Testament occurrence, but it deliberately echoes Proverbs 26:11, weaving apostolic warning together with Old Testament wisdom. Connection to Old Testament Imagery Proverbs 26:11 declares, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly”. By invoking the proverb, Peter unites both covenants in a single moral principle: sin’s cyclical pull reveals an unchanged nature. Dogs were ceremonially unclean (Exodus 22:31) and despised scavengers; pairing them with vomit heightens the revulsion. Similar rhetoric appears in Leviticus 18:28 and Isaiah 19:14, where moral defilement is depicted with emetic language, underscoring God’s intolerance of impurity. Historical and Cultural Background Greco-Roman literature harnessed the image of vomit to condemn excess and moral decay; Stoic writers such as Seneca employed it against gluttony. First-century Jewish and Gentile readers alike would have grasped its force. The dog, roaming streets as a carrion-eater, symbolized uncleanness in Judaism and shamelessness in Hellenism, making Peter’s metaphor a cross-cultural indictment of false teachers. Theological Significance • Apostasy: The term unmasked the grotesque nature of turning back from revealed truth (Hebrews 10:38–39). Practical Application in Discipleship and Ministry 1. Counseling: Diagnose superficial conversions; call for heart regeneration, not behaviour modification. Homiletical and Pastoral Insights • Contrast 2 Peter 1:3-4 (partakers of the divine nature) with 2 Peter 2:22 (return to corruption). Related Scriptures Proverbs 26:11; Luke 11:24-26; John 6:66; 2 Peter 1:9; Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26-31; Revelation 3:16. Summary The lone use of Strong’s Greek 1829 furnishes a lasting, Spirit-inspired picture of sin’s repulsiveness and the peril of apostasy. By likening false teachers and their followers to a dog consuming its own vomit, Peter summons the church to steadfast holiness and underscores the gospel’s call to a transformed, persevering life. Forms and Transliterations εξειργάσατο εξειργάσω εξεραμα εξέραμα ἐξέραμα εξερευγόμενα εξερεύξαιντο εξερεύξεται εξερεύξονται εξηρεύξατο exerama exéramaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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