Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Timothy 2:17

17 And their word will eat as doth a canker , of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus .

In the Greek it is, And their word will have pasture, [or place to feed upon] as a Gangrene, we have ill translated the word a Cancer, for it signifieth a Gangrene; both our English word Gangrene, and the Latin word or derived from the Greek. There is a great difference between a Cancer and a Gangrene, in the causes of those two Diseases, and the nature of them, and the time in which they destroy the body of a man; only they both agree in their infecting the parts contiguous, the Cancer [illegible: 1 letter]ating them, the Gangrene mortifying them, and for this, the words of erroneous persons are here compared to this Disease, because either of them will have something to feed upon; (so [non-Latin text not transcribed] signifieth, Ioh. 10.9.) most errours in matters of Faith are contagious and infectious; the reason is, because ordinarily an error is broached by some, and entertained by others in satisfaction to some Lust, as favouring some evil desire and inclination of our minds, and so naturally pleaseth those who have the same evil propensions.

Of Hymeneus we read before, 1 Tim. 1.20. there he is joyned with Alexander, but not of Philetus, nor do we find him further mentioned in Holy Writ.

Marginal references: Or, gangrene.