1:9 nearsighted . . . blind. Lit. “blind, being nearsighted.” The combination of terms here is strange, since the two physical conditions are mutually exclusive. Some suggest on the basis of the etymology of the Greek word for “nearsighted” that Peter is alluding to the squinting or narrowing of the eyes, and that a deliberate rejection of the truth is in view. However, because the nearsighted person squints in order to see better, it is possible that Peter is simply multiplying related terms for effect.