Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Timothy 4:2

2 Speaking lyes in hypocrisie , having their consciences seared with an hot iron .

The words, as Translated by us, are very difficult; for the word which we Tran[illegible: 1 letter]late speaking lyes, being the Genitive case, will neither agree with Spirits nor D[illegible: 1 letter]ctrines, in the former verse they being both the Dative: But neither is our Translation agreeable to the Greek, which is thus, In or through the hypocrisie of such as speak lyes, and of such as have a Conscience seared with an hot iron, which doubtless is the sense, so the words explain the manner how they were seduced to Apostasie, viz. Through the hypocrisie, or dissimulation of men that speak lyes, and had consciences benummed, and mortified, as it were cauterized and sear'd with an hot iron By their hypocrisie he characterizes seducers, incertain, false men, that regarded not what they said, but made a shew and appearance of piety, when indeed they had no sense of piety in them.

By men, whose consciences were seared with an hot iron; he means persons so far from any sense of piety, that they were hardened to any degree of iniquity, and indeed by both terms he excellently expresseth such persons as generally they are, who seduce others to false Doctrine, they could not do it without some shew or pretence of piety, they would not do it if they had any true sense of it, and by both terms he too well expresseth those that in our dayes seduce men to the Doctrine concerning D[illegible: 2 letters] mons: and abstaining from marriage and meats, which are those Doctrines he alone instanceth in.