2 Peter 2:15

2 Peter 2:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
• New International Version (NIV)They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,
• New Living Translation (NLT)They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.

Context of 2 Peter 2:15

13and 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, 14having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet. 17These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

2 Peter 2:15 word by word

εὐθεῖαν ὁδὸν ἐπλανήθησαν, ἐξακολουθήσαντες τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ Βαλαὰμ τοῦ Βοσόρ, ὃς μισθὸν ἀδικίας ἠγάπησεν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Which have forsakenκαταλείπωkataleipō · to leave behindG2641
• the rightεὐθύςeuthus · StraightG2117
• wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
• and are gone astrayπλανάωplanaō · to lead astrayG4105
• followingἐξακολουθέωexakoloutheō · to followG1811
• of BalaamΒαλαάμBalaam · BalaamG903
• of BosorΒοσόρ, ΒεώρBosor · BeorG1007
• whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• lovedἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• the wagesμισθόςmisthos · wageG3408
• of unrighteousnessἀδικίαadikia · unrighteousnessG93

Cross-references for 2 Peter 2:15

• 1 Samuel 12:23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.
• 1 Kings 18:18And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.
• 1 Kings 19:10So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
• Ezekiel 9:10And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.”
• Proverbs 28:4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them.
• Hosea 14:8“Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me.”
• Acts 13:10and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
• Numbers 22:5Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me!
• Numbers 22:18Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.
• Numbers 31:16Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 23:4because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
• Micah 6:5O My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, From Acacia Grove to Gilgal, That you may know the righteousness of the Lord.”
• Jude 1:11Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
• Acts 1:18(Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.

Commentaries on 2 Peter 2:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Which have forsaken the right way - As Balaam did, who, although God showed him the right way, took one contrary to it, preferring the reward offered him by Balak to the approbation and blessing of God. The way of Balaam - Is the counsel of Balaam. He counselled the Moabites to give their most beautiful young women to the Israelitish youth, that they might be enticed by them to commit idolatry. See the notes on Numbers 22:5, etc., and Numbers 23:1…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Which have forsaken the right way - The straight path of honesty and integrity. Religion is often represented as a straight path, and to do wrong is to go out of that path in a crooked way. Following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor - See Numbers 22:5, following. In the Book of Numbers, Balaam is called the son of “Beor.” Perhaps the name Beor was corrupted into Bosor; or, as Rosenmuller suggests, the father of Balaam may have had two names. Schleusner…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. 15who loved the wages of wickedness: Balaam asked God for guidance, but he still wanted to go his own way so that he could receive Balak’s money (see Numbers 22–24). The Old Testament account suggests that Balaam was greedy. Jewish tradition later expanded this idea (see Numbers Rabbah 20:10; Mishnah Avot 5:22; Philo, Moses 1:266–268).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. have--Some of the seducers are spoken of as already come, others as yet to come. following--out: so the Greek. the way--(Nu 22:23, 32; Is 56:11). son of Bosor--the same as Beor (Nu 22:5). This word was adopted, perhaps, because the kindred word Basar means flesh; and Balaam is justly termed son of carnality, as covetous, and the enticer of Israel to lust. loved the wages of unrighteousness--and therefore wished (in order to gain them from Balak) to…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Peter 2:15

• Anarchy
• Apostasy
• Balaam
• Beor
• Covetousness
• Doctrines
• Minister, Christian
• Temptation
• Wicked (People)
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Balaam
• Beor
• Bosor
• Chain
• Damnable
• Midianite
• Nicolaitanes
• Perish
• Privily
• Railing

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