What does the Bible mean when it says, “They count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime”?

Let’s read the passage in context:

2 Peter 2:12–13 (NKJV)
“But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you.”

In this passage, the apostle Peter is warning about corrupt individuals—false teachers and immoral people—whose behavior resembles that of the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah (2 Peter 2:6–10). He compares them to irrational animals, driven by instinct rather than reason, who will ultimately be destroyed. One of the most telling signs of their moral decay is this: they consider it pleasurable to indulge in drunkenness and wild partying even in broad daylight.

What’s the significance of this phrase?

Typically, indulgence in debauchery—such as drunkenness, lust, and reckless partying—occurs under the cover of night. It’s in darkness that sin often seeks to hide, as even sinners feel some sense of shame. The apostle Paul alludes to this in:

1 Thessalonians 5:7 (NKJV)
“For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.”

But Peter points out that these individuals have become so morally perverse that they no longer feel the need to hide their sin. They openly flaunt it, drinking and partying during the day as if there’s nothing shameful about it. This kind of behavior represents a complete loss of restraint—a hardened conscience that delights in evil without fear or shame.

This is echoed in the account of Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit descended and filled the apostles, some bystanders mocked them, accusing them of being drunk. Peter responded:

Acts 2:15 (NKJV)
“For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day [about 9 a.m.].”

Peter’s point was that no one in their right mind gets drunk so early in the day. It was culturally and morally unacceptable. Therefore, when someone does choose to live this way, it shows they have abandoned all moral sensitivity.

Modern Parallel:
This kind of moral collapse is increasingly evident today. What once was done in darkness is now publicly celebrated. Perversion, violence, and sin are broadcast on television, spread through social media, normalized in music and movies, and even celebrated in public events. Just like in Sodom, people today flaunt sin without shame.

Jesus warned about the days of Noah and Lot as being reflective of the days just before His return:

Luke 17:28–30 (NKJV)
“Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”

A Call to Holiness and Watchfulness:
This is not the time to compromise our faith or become numb to the immorality around us. Just as Lot was tormented in his soul by the lawless deeds he saw in Sodom (2 Peter 2:7–8), we too must remain spiritually alert and separate ourselves from the corruption of the world.

The apostle Peter continues in:

2 Peter 3:10–12 (NKJV)
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God…”

Conclusion:
The phrase “they count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime” is a sobering warning. It reveals the depth of depravity humanity can fall into when God is removed from the picture. But it is also a call for believers to live differently—to shine as lights in a dark world, to walk in holiness, and to eagerly await the return of Jesus Christ.

Are you ready for His return?
If the trumpet sounded today, would you be found in Him? Salvation is freely offered, but the time is short. Let us watch, pray, and walk in righteousness.