Jude 1:10 (DBY)

Passage

But these, whatever things they know not, they speak railingly against; but what even, as the irrational animals, they understand by mere nature, in these things they corrupt themselves.

Nearby Context

Jude 1:8 Yet in like manner these dreamers also defile [the] flesh, and despise lordship, and speak railingly against dignities.

Jude 1:9 But Michael the archangel, when disputing with the devil he reasoned about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a railing judgment against [him], but said, [The] Lord rebuke thee.

Jude 1:10 But these, whatever things they know not, they speak railingly against; but what even, as the irrational animals, they understand by mere nature, in these things they corrupt themselves.

Jude 1:11 Woe to them! because they have gone in the way of Cain, and given themselves up to the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Jude 1:12 These are spots in your love-feasts, feasting together [with you] without fear, pasturing themselves; clouds without water, carried along by [the] winds; autumnal trees, without fruit, twice dead, rooted up;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whatever", "things", "speak", "railingly", "against", "even", "irrational", and "animals". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whatever" and "things", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "But Michael the archangel when disputing with..." into verse 11's "Woe to them because they have gone...", so "whatever" and "things" belong inside that flow. In Jude context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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