2 Peter 2:16

2 Peter 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
• New International Version (NIV)But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

Context of 2 Peter 2:16

14They have eyes full of adultery, constantly looking for sin, enticing and luring away unstable souls. Having hearts trained in greed, [they are] children of a curse. 15Abandoning the straight road [that is, the right way to live], they have gone astray; they have followed the way of [the false teacher] Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness; but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a mute donkey spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17These [false teachers] are springs without water and mists driven by a tempest, for whom is reserved the gloom of black darkness. 18For uttering arrogant words of vanity [pompous words disguised to sound scholarly or profound, but meaning nothing and containing no spiritual truth], they beguile and lure using lustful desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error.

2 Peter 2:16 word by word

ἔλεγξιν δὲ ἔσχεν ἰδίας παρανομίας· ὑποζύγιον ἄφωνον ἐν ἀνθρώπου φωνῇ φθεγξάμενον ἐκώλυσεν τὴν τοῦ προφήτου παραφρονίαν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• wasἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• rebukedἔλεγξιςelegxis · rebukeG1649
• forπαρανομίαparanomia · lawlessnessG3892
• hisἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• theὑποζύγιονhupozugion · donkeyG5268
• dumbἄφωνοςaphōnos · muteG880
• speakingφθέγγομαιphtheggomai · to speakG5350
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• man’sἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• forbadκωλύωkōluō · to preventG2967
• the madnessπαραφρονίαparaphronia · insanityG3913
• of the prophetπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396

Cross-references for 2 Peter 2:16

• Numbers 22:22But God’s anger was kindled because he was going, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
• Ecclesiastes 7:25I turned around and directed my heart to know, to investigate and to seek [skillful and godly] wisdom and the reason for things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness [leading to stupidity and recklessness].
• Ecclesiastes 9:3This evil is in all that is done under the sun, that one fate comes to all. Also, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and afterwards they go to the dead.
• Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come; The days of retribution are at hand; Let Israel know this! The prophet is [considered] a fool; The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented, Because of the abundance of your wickedness and guilt, And because your deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great.
• Luke 16:11Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of earthly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
• Acts 26:11And I often punished them [making them suffer] in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme; and in my extreme rage at them, I kept hunting them even to foreign cities [harassing and persecuting them].

Commentaries on 2 Peter 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The dumb ass, speaking with man's voice - See the note on Numbers 22:28. The madness of the prophet - Is not this a reference to the speech of the ass, as represented in the Targums of Jonathan ben Uzziel and Jerusalem? "Wo to thee, Balaam, thou sinner, thou madman: there is no wisdom found in thee." These words contain nearly the same expressions as those in St. Peter.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16But was rebuked for his iniquity - The object of Peter in this seems to be to show that God employed the very extraordinary means of causing the ass on which he rode to speak, because his iniquity was so monstrous. The guilt of thus debasing his high office, and going forth to curse the people of God - a people who had done him no wrong, and given no occasion for his malediction - was so extraordinary, that means as extraordinary were proper to express…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 Impure seducers and their abandoned followers, give themselves up to their own fleshly minds. Refusing to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ, they act against God's righteous precepts. They walk after the flesh, they go on in sinful courses, and increase to greater degrees of impurity and wickedness. They also despise those whom God has set in authority over them, and requires them to honour. Outward temporal good things are the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-16This description of the false teachers focuses more on how they were living than on what they were teaching.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. was rebuked--Greek, "had a rebuke," or conviction; an exposure of his specious wickedness on his being tested (the root verb of the Greek noun means to "convict on testing"). his--Greek, "his own": his own beast convicted him of his own iniquity. ass--literally, "beast of burden"; the ass was the ordinary animal used in riding in Palestine. dumb--Greek, "voiceless-speaking in man's voice"; marking the marvellous nature of the miracle…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Peter 2:16

• Anarchy
• Balaam
• Covetousness
• Doctrines
• Minister, Christian
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Balaam
• Chain
• Damnable
• Madness
• Nicolaitanes
• Perish
• Privily
• Railing
• Reserve
• Riot

Commentaries on 2 Peter 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings