God’s Word Translation
2 Peter 2:16
16But he was convicted for his evil. A donkey, which normally can’t talk, spoke with a human voice and wouldn’t allow the prophet to continue his insanity.
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’re always looking for an adulterous woman. They can’t stop looking for sin as they seduce people who aren’t sure of what they believe. Their minds are focused on their greed. They are cursed. 15These false teachers have left the straight path and wandered off to follow the path of Balaam, son of Beor. Balaam loved what his wrongdoing earned him. But he was convicted for his evil. A donkey, which normally can’t talk, spoke with a human voice and wouldn’t allow the prophet to continue his insanity. 17These false teachers are dried-up springs. They are a mist blown around by a storm. Gloomy darkness has been kept for them. 18They arrogantly use nonsense to seduce people by appealing to their sexual desires, especially to sexual freedom. They seduce people who have just escaped from those who live in error.
Read all of 2 Peter 22 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 22:22God became angry that he was going. So the Messenger of the Lord stood in the road to stop him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, accompanied by his two servants.
- Ecclesiastes 7:25I turned my attention to study, to explore, and to seek out wisdom and the reason for things. I learned that wickedness is stupid and foolishness is madness.
- Ecclesiastes 9:3This is the tragedy of everything that happens under the sun: Everyone shares the same destiny. Moreover, the hearts of mortals are full of evil. Madness is in their hearts while they are still alive. After that, they join the dead.
- Hosea 9:7The time for them to be punished will come. The time for them to pay for their sins will come. ⌞When this happens,⌟ Israel will know it. ⌞They think that⌟ prophets are fools and that spiritual people are crazy. They have sinned a lot, and they are very hostile.
- Luke 16:11Therefore, if you can’t be trusted with wealth that is often used dishonestly, who will trust you with wealth that is real?
- Acts 26:11I even went to each synagogue, punished believers, and forced them to curse ⌞the name of Jesus⌟. In my furious rage against them, I hunted them down in cities outside ⌞Jerusalem⌟.
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
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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