2 Peter 2:15
in 2 Peter 2They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;
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;
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This verse in 2 Peter 2
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Which 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 Num 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 (Lexicon) supposes that it was changed by the Greeks because it was more easily pronounced.
This site's exposition
eyes full of adultery
on 2 Peter 2:14-16
Eyes full of adultery, moichalidos, and that cannot cease from sin, beguiling, deleazontes, baiting like a fisherman's hook, unstable souls, and an heart exercised, gegymnasmenen, literally trained like an athlete's, in covetous practices, the false teachers' whole discipline runs toward greed rather than godliness. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, misthon adikias, a thread this letter shares with Jude 11 and Revelation 2:14, the same warning against ministry sold for reward run through three New Testament books. The dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness, paraphronian, of the prophet, an animal given a rational rebuke while the prophet himself, gifted with reason, refused to hear it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Having hearts exercised with covetous practices, accursed children, who have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but was rebuked for his iniquity [Num. 22:6]: the dumb beast speaking with …
The right way is the way of Christ, who said: "I am the way, the truth and the life."
The Medieval Church3 voices
As we know from the Old Testament, Balaam was hindered by God for his greed in trying to obtain a living off his prophetic spirit. He obstinately tried to run to Balak a second time, and only after he was corrected by the fear of …
They followed the way of Balaam from Bosor, etc. Often, heretics propose such foolish doctrines and abominable sacraments that even the most dull-witted, the pagans, and those who completely lack understanding of divine knowledge, detest their madness. They refute their twisted paths and those contrary …
For their heart is trained in nothing other than covetousness, that is, in debauchery or in greed, and through both the one and the other, having forsaken the way that could have led them to salvation, they strayed from it and became subject to the …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The way of Balaam the son of Bosor - So the Chaldeans pronounced what the Jews termed Beor; namely, the way of covetousness. Who loved - Earnestly desired, though he did not dare to take, the reward of unrighteousness - The money which Balak would have given him for cursing Israel.
Which have forsaken the right way,....
(1.) That is a way of unrighteousness into which men are led by the wages of unrighteousness. (2.) Outward temporal good things are the wages sinners expect and promise themselves, though they are often disappointed.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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; Isa 56:11). son of Bosor--the same as Beor (Nu 22:5).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Which 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 Num 22:5, etc., and Num 23:1 (note), etc. The son of Bosor - Instead of Βοσορ, Bosor two ancient MSS. and some of the versions have Βεωρ, Beor, to accommodate the word to the Hebrew text and the Septuagint. The difference in this name seems to have arisen from mistaking one letter for another in the Hebrew name, בעור Beor, for בצור Betsor or Bosor; tsaddi צ and ain ע, which are very like each other, being interchanged.
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καταλείποντες | kataleipontes | leaving | G2641 → | |
| εὐθεῖαν | eutheian | straight | G2117 → | |
| ὁδὸν | hodon | way | G3598 → | 101 times |
| ἐπλανήθησαν, | eplanethesan | they have gone astray, | G4105 → | |
| ἐξακολουθήσαντες | exakolouthesantes | having followed | G1811 → | 3 times |
| τῇ | tea | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὁδῷ | hodo | way | G3598 → | 101 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Βαλαὰμ | balaam | of Balaam | G903 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Βοσόρ, | bosor | [son] of Bosor, | G1007 → | |
| ὃς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| μισθὸν | misthon | [the] wage | G3408 → | |
| ἀδικίας | adikias | of unrighteousness | G93 → | |
| ἠγάπησεν, | egapesen | loved, | G25 → |
καταλείποντεςleaving
kataleipontesG2641 →
εὐθεῖανstraight
eutheianG2117 →
ὁδὸνway
hodonG3598 →101 times
ἐπλανήθησαν,they have gone astray,
eplanethesanG4105 →
ἐξακολουθήσαντεςhaving followed
exakolouthesantesG1811 →3 times
τῇin the
teaG3588 →19766 times
ὁδῷway
hodoG3598 →101 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
Βαλαὰμof Balaam
balaamG903 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
Βοσόρ,[son] of Bosor,
bosorG1007 →
ὃςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
μισθὸν[the] wage
misthonG3408 →
ἀδικίαςof unrighteousness
adikiasG93 →
ἠγάπησεν,loved,
egapesenG25 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jude 1:11Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
it leads to
- Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 John 3:12
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- Genesis 4:3–14
So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,
- Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he…
- Revelation 2:14
Through
Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food…
it leads to
- Numbers 31:16
“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
- Revelation 2:20
But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
- Numbers 25:1–3
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,
- Numbers 31:16
Through
Numbers 31:16“Look, these women caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to turn unfaithfully against the LORD at Peor, so that the plague struck the congregation of the LORD.
it leads to
- Numbers 25:1–9
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,
- Numbers 25:1–9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About 2 Peter
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 Peter and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Peter.