2 Peter 1:20 (LSB)

Passage

Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation.

Nearby Context

2 Peter 1:18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

2 Peter 1:19 And we have as more sure the prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

2 Peter 1:20 Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation.

2 Peter 1:21 For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "first", "prophecy", "scripture", "comes", and "interpretation". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "first" and "prophecy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "And we have as more sure the..." into verse 21's "For no prophecy was ever made by...", so "first" and "prophecy" 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 "first" and "prophecy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.