2 Peter 1:9 (ASV)

Passage

For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.

Nearby Context

2 Peter 1:7 and in [your] godliness brotherly kindness; and in [your] brotherly kindness love.

2 Peter 1:8 For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:9 For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.

2 Peter 1:10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble:

2 Peter 1:11 for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lacketh", "things", "blind", "seeing", "only", "near", "having", and "forgotten". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lacketh" and "things", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "For if these things are yours and..." into verse 10's "Wherefore brethren give the more diligence to...", so "lacketh" and "things" belong inside that flow. In 2 Peter context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lacketh" and "things" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.