2 Peter 1:21
οὐ γὰρ θελήματι ἀνθρώπου ἠνέχθη ποτὲ προφητεία, ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου φερόμενοι ἐλάλησαν ἅγιοι Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι.
Focus Topic: Passive Voice and Dative of Agency vs. ὑπό + Genitive
This verse contrasts human will with divine agency using distinct grammatical structures. It provides a compelling example of passive voice, prepositional agency, and subject placement to support theological claims about prophecy’s origin.
Passive Verb: ἠνέχθη
ἠνέχθη is the aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular of φέρω (“to bring, carry, bear”). Here it means “was brought forth” or “was made.” This passive construction shows that prophecy did not originate by its own effort or human cause.
| Greek Verb | Tense | Voice | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἠνέχθη | Aorist | Passive | “was brought” / “was produced” |
Agency: ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου
The preposition ὑπό with the genitive indicates personal agency in passive constructions. It clarifies that the Holy Spirit, not man, is the source and driver of prophetic speech:
- ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου — “by the Holy Spirit” (agent of the action)
Participial Phrase: φερόμενοι
φερόμενοι is a present passive participle, nominative masculine plural, agreeing with ἅγιοι Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι. It means “being carried” or “being moved.” This suggests an ongoing state of divine propulsion or influence during the act of speaking.
Main Verb: ἐλάλησαν
ἐλάλησαν is the aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural, meaning “they spoke.” The subject is ἅγιοι Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι (“holy men of God”). This shows the actual speech was theirs, but under the Spirit’s movement.
Negation with οὐ and Emphatic Adverb ποτέ
- οὐ…ποτέ — “never” (strong denial)
- θελήματι ἀνθρώπου — dative of cause or instrument, “by the will of man”
Thus, the verse denies human origin for prophecy using strong negative structure and reinforces divine origin through passive + agency expressions.
Syntactic-Theological Insight
This verse reveals that the origin of prophecy is not human volition but divine initiation. The use of passive verbs with divine agency (ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου) and the image of men being carried by the Spirit (φερόμενοι) supports the doctrine of inspiration — that the prophets were instruments moved by God, not authors acting on their own initiative.
