2 Peter 2:15-19

2:15 By forsaking the right path they have gone astray, because they followed the way of Balaam son of Bosor, ¹  who loved the wages of unrighteousness, ²  2:16 yet was rebuked ³  for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, ⁴  speaking with a human voice, ⁵  restrained the prophet’s madness). ⁶ 

2:17 These men ⁷  are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm, for whom the utter depths of darkness ⁸  have been reserved. 2:18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words ⁹  they are able to entice, ¹⁰  with fleshly desires and with debauchery, ¹¹  people ¹²  who have just escaped ¹³  from those who reside in error. ¹⁴  2:19 Although these false teachers promise ¹⁵  such people ¹⁶  freedom, they themselves are enslaved to ¹⁷  immorality. ¹⁸  For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved. ¹⁹ 

[2:15]  ¹ tn Although many modern translations (e.g., NASB, TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT) read “Beor” here, this is due to harmonization with the OT rather than following a variant textual reading. The Greek text of NA²⁷ reads “Bosor,” an otherwise unattested form of the name of Balaam’s father.

[2:15]  ² tn “Wages of unrighteousness” in Greek is the same expression found in v. 13, “wages for harmful ways.” The repetition makes the link between the false teachers and Balaam more concrete.

[2:16]  ³ tn Grk “but he had a rebuke.”

[2:16]  ⁴ tn The Greek word ἄφωνος (afwno") means “mute, silent” or “incapable of speech.” For reasons of English style the word “dumb” was used in the translation. Despite the potential for misunderstanding (since “dumb” can refer to a lack of intellectual capability) more dynamic glosses were judged to be inelegant.

[2:16]  ⁵ tn Grk “a voice of a (man/person).”

[2:16]  ⁶ sn Balaam’s activities are detailed in Num 22—24 (see also Num 31:8, 16).

[2:17]  ⁷ tn Although some translations have simply “these” or “these people,” since in v. 14 they are described as having eyes “full of an adulteress,” men are in view.

[2:17]  ⁸ tn Grk “utter darkness of darkness.” Verse 4 speaks of wicked angels presently in “chains of utter darkness,” while the final fate of the false teachers is a darker place still.

[2:18]  ⁹ tn Grk “high-sounding words of futility.”

[2:18]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “they entice.”

[2:18]  ¹¹ tn Grk “with the lusts of the flesh, with debauchery.”

[2:18]  ¹² tn Grk “those.”

[2:18]  ¹³ tn Or “those who are barely escaping.”

[2:18]  ¹⁴ tn Or “deceit.”

[2:19]  ¹⁵ tn Verse 19 is a subordinate clause in Greek. The masculine nominative participle “promising” (ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, epangellomenoi) refers back to the subject of vv. 17-18. At the same time, it functions subordinately to the following participle, ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte", “while being”).

[2:19]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “them.”

[2:19]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “slaves of.” See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.

[2:19]  ¹⁸ tn Or “corruption,” “depravity.” Verse 19 constitutes a subordinate clause to v. 18 in Greek. The main verbal components of these two verses are: “uttering…they entice…promising…being (enslaved).” The main verb is (they) entice. The three participles are adverbial and seem to indicate an instrumental relation (by uttering), a concessive relation (although promising), and a temporal relation (while being [enslaved]). For the sake of English usage, in the translation of the text this is broken down into two sentences.

[2:19]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “for by what someone is overcome, to this he is enslaved.”