Tartaroo or Tartarus in 2 Pet 2.4?

We are going to look at a controversial verse in 2 Pet 2.4, and compare it with a similar passage in Jude 6, to try and get a clearer picture of what Peter is really saying here. Hopefully we will free it from its Greek, mythological, replacement theology mindset, and put it back into its proper Hebraic mindset.

2 Pet 2.4 says, “For if God did not spare (had no mercy on) the angels when they sinned, but degraded them (the Greek word here is “tartaroo” which is a verb, and means degraded) to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” Many interpreters say that tartaroo means the lowest condition of abasement or a state of deep mental darkness rather than a physical place.  This means that these angels are restricted, rather than in a literal place. It is mistranslated as “cast them to hell,” and the noun “hell” or “Tartarus” is not found in the Greek for this verse, but many translations have it. Even Thayer’s Greek Lexicon and other commentators fall into the Greek, mythological meaning because they are coming from a Greek, replacement theology mindset, and not from a Hebraic mindset. This is exactly what we have been saying, and this verse is a prime example. In Greek mythology, Tartarus is a place of the dead, where immoral spirits go. Tartarus, the place, is never found in the New Testament. The verb of action “tartaroo” appears in our verse, so translators who were adopting Greek philosophy decided to use the meaning of Tartarus of the pagans to apply to Peter’s “tartaroo” thus coming up with “casting down to hell” in our verse. Tartaroo does not mean Tartarus, it means “the act of imprisoning, restraining, and degradation.” Peter was not applying pagan Greek concepts here. The noun Tartarus is not even present in “tartaroo” the verb. Peter uses “tartaroo” here to tell us that God degraded and restrained the angels that sinned, and these angels are the “power of the air” (Eph 2.2; 6.12) and it is reasonable to assume that these angels “demonize” people by appearing in occult practices and deception. Their “prison” is the earth’s atmosphere (Matt 8.28-32; 12.22-28). Their fall was from honor and dignity to dishonor and condemnation. The meaning of the verse is that “God spared not the angels who sinned, but degraded (or “tartaroo” them, degraded) them…”-see the article, “Tartaroo-Bad Angel Lockdown”, Christianityoriginal.com; “Tartaroo” Rendered Hell, Chicagobible.org) and committed them to chains of darkness (the darkness of this present world in the Olam Ha Zeh; the guilt of sin, no forgiveness, no redeemer, full of unbelief and black despair, driven from the realms of light and joy in heaven, their previous abode), reserved for judgment (at the appointed time-Matt 8.29).” A similar verse can be found in Jude 6 where it says, “And the angels who did keep their proper domain, but left their own abode (their peaceful abode in heaven) he has reserved in everlasting chains of darkness (of this present world) for the judgment of the great day (Matt 8.29).”