2 Peter 2:15

15 They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong ¹

2 Peter 2:15 Meaning and Commentary

2 Peter 2:15

Which have forsaken the right way
The right way of the Lord, the way of truth, the Gospel of truth; or Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life; the true way to eternal life, and which is the right way to eternal happiness; the way of life, righteousness, and salvation by Christ, the Christian faith, and the doctrine of it, which they once professed, but now relinquished:

and are gone astray;
from the right way, the way of truth and holiness, into the paths of error and profaneness:

following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor;
which Jude calls his error, ( Jude 1:11 ) , and is the path of covetousness, uncleanness, and idolatry, sins which he was either guilty of himself, or taught, advised, and seduced others to; see ( Revelation 2:14 ) . The Vulgate Latin version reads "Balaam [out of] Bosor", taking "Bosor" for the name of a place, of which "Balaam" was; but not "Bosor", but "Pethor", was the place of Balaam's residence, ( Numbers 22:5 ) . The Arabic and Ethiopic versions supply, as we do, "the son of Bosor"; and the Syriac version reads, "the son of Beor", as in ( Numbers 22:5 ) ; for Beor and "Bosor" are the same names; the "sheva" being pronounced by "o", as it is by "oa" in "Boanerges", and the "ain" by "s". Moreover, the letters (u) and (e) are sometimes used for one another, as in (Nau) and (Nae) , (Ura) and (era) , and so (e) and (v) , especially in the Chaldean dialect; and Peter now being at Babylon in Chaldea, see ( 1 Peter 5:13 ) ; it is no wonder that he so pronounced.

Who loved the wages of unrighteousness:
which were the rewards of divination, ( Numbers 22:7 ) ; which were brought him for his divining or soothsaying, and may well be called unrighteous wages, since it was for doing unrighteous things, or things in an unrighteous manner; and these he loved, desired, and greedily coveted, and fain would he have taken Balak's gold and silver, and have cursed Israel, but was restrained by the Lord: he showed a good will to it, in going along with the messengers, and in building altars, and offering sacrifice in one place after another, in which there was a great resemblance between him and the men here spoken of.

2 Peter 2:15 In-Context

13 and they will be paid with suffering for the suffering they have caused. Pleasure for them is to do anything in broad daylight that will satisfy their bodily appetites; they are a shame and a disgrace as they join you in your meals, all the while enjoying their deceitful ways!

14 They want to look for nothing but the chance to commit adultery; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. They are under God's curse!

15 They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong

16 and was rebuked for his sin. His donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet's insane action.

17 These people are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness.

Cross References

• 1. 2.15, 16Numbers 22.4-35.