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

14Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed. 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others 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

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• he wasἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• rebukedἔλεγξιςelegxis · rebukeG1649
• for hisἴδιοςidios · one's own/privateG2398
• transgressionπαρανομίαparanomia · lawlessnessG3892
• by a donkeyὑποζύγιονhupozugion · donkeyG5268
• without speechἄφωνοςaphōnos · muteG880
• that spokeφθέγγομαιphtheggomai · to speakG5350
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• a man’sἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• restrainedκωλύωkōluō · to preventG2967
• theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• prophet’sπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
• madnessπαραφρονίαparaphronia · insanityG3913

Cross-references for 2 Peter 2:16

• Numbers 22:22Then God’s anger was kindled because Balaam was going along, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
• Ecclesiastes 7:25I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
• Ecclesiastes 9:3This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.
• Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived— let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.
• Luke 16:11So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
• Acts 26:11I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute 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