* **Whoever escapes the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ** - Any person that has accepted the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and turned from unclean and unholy living.
* **it has become for them worse than at the first** - They are worse off because they have knowledge of holy living and have chosen to return to a life of sin.
* **have known the way of righteousness** - Living a life pleasing to God.
* **holy commandment delivered to them** - God's rules and laws given to them so they would know how to live for God.
* **This proverb...a dog returns to its own vomit. A washed pig returns to the mud.** - A wise saying that is comparing how those that know the truth but returns to ungodly living. "A dog returns to its own vomit" refers to Proverbs 26:11. In either case the meaning is "the animal is unable to be trained not to defile itself."