Focused Passage

2 Peter 2:10-16

False Teachers, Corruption, and the Certainty of Judgment

Peter moves from the certainty that false teachers will arise, to the certainty that God judges the wicked and rescues the godly, then to the moral anatomy and final ruin of those who promise freedom while remaining slaves of corruption.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

10 Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.

11 Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.

12 These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed.

13 The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you.

14 Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.

15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

16 But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 10

Original words

[ Such punishment is ] δὲ G1161 Conjunction specially [reserved] μάλιστα G3122 Adverb for those who τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural indulge πορευομένους G4198 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural . . . ἐν G1722 Preposition [the] corrupt μιασμοῦ G3394 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular desires ἐπιθυμίᾳ G1939 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular of ὀπίσω G3694 Preposition [the] flesh σαρκὸς G4561 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction despise καταφρονοῦντας G2706 Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural authority κυριότητος G2963 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Bold τολμηταὶ G5113 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural [and] self-willed αὐθάδεις G829 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural vvv οὐ G3756 Adverb they are unafraid τρέμουσιν G5141 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural to slander βλασφημοῦντες G987 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural glorious beings δόξας G1391 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural

BSB notes

  • Or to blaspheme angelic majesties
Verse 11

Original words

Yet not even ὅπου G3699 Adverb . . . οὐ G3756 Adverb angels ἄγγελοι G32 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural [though] ὄντες G1510 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural greater μείζονες G3173 Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural - Comparative in strength ἰσχύϊ G2479 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction power δυνάμει G1411 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular dare to bring φέρουσιν G5342 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural such slanderous βλάσφημον G989 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular charges κρίσιν G2920 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular against κατ’ G2596 Preposition them αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural before παρὰ G3844 Preposition [the] Lord Κυρίῳ G2962 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 12

Original words

- δέ G1161 Conjunction These [men] Οὗτοι G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural [are] like ὡς G5613 Adverb irrational ἄλογα G249 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural animals ζῷα G2226 Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural creatures of instinct φυσικὰ G5446 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural born γεγεννημένα G1080 Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Neuter Plural - εἰς G1519 Preposition to be captured ἅλωσιν G259 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction destroyed φθοράν G5356 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular They blaspheme βλασφημοῦντες G987 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition [matters] οἷς G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Plural they do not understand ἀγνοοῦσιν G50 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural [and like such creatures] ἐν G1722 Preposition . . . αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural . . . τῇ G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Singular . . . φθορᾷ G5356 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular vvv καὶ G2532 Conjunction they too will be destroyed φθαρήσονται G5351 Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Verse 13

Original words

The harm they will suffer ἀδικούμενοι G91 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural [is the] wages μισθὸν G3408 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular of [their] wickedness ἀδικίας G93 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular They consider it ἡγούμενοι G2233 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural a pleasure ἡδονὴν G2237 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular to carouse τρυφήν G5172 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular in ἐν G1722 Preposition broad daylight ἡμέρᾳ G2250 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular [They are] blots σπίλοι G4696 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction blemishes μῶμοι G3470 Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural reveling ἐντρυφῶντες G1792 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural in ἐν G1722 Preposition their αὐτῶν G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural - ταῖς G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Plural deception ἀπάταις G539 Noun - Dative Feminine Plural as they feast with συνευωχούμενοι G4910 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural you ὑμῖν G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Verse 14

Original words

[Their] eyes ὀφθαλμοὺς G3788 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural are ἔχοντες G2192 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural full μεστοὺς G3324 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural of adultery μοιχαλίδος G3428 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular - καὶ G2532 Conjunction their desire for sin is never satisfied ἀκαταπαύστους G180 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural . . . ἁμαρτίας G266 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular they seduce δελεάζοντες G1185 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural [the] unstable ἀστηρίκτους G793 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural . . . ψυχὰς G5590 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural [They are] accursed κατάρας G2671 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular children τέκνα G5043 Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural with ἔχοντες G2192 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural hearts καρδίαν G2588 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular trained γεγυμνασμένην G1128 Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular in greed πλεονεξίας G4124 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 15

Original words

They have left Καταλιπόντες G2641 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural [the] straight εὐθεῖαν G2117 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular way ὁδὸν G3598 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular and wandered off ἐπλανήθησαν G4105 Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural to follow ἐξακολουθήσαντες G1811 Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural the τῇ G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Singular way ὁδῷ G3598 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular of Balaam Βαλαὰμ G903 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular - τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular [son] of Beor Βεώρ G1007 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular who ὃς G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular loved ἠγάπησεν G25 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular [the] wages μισθὸν G3408 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular of wickedness ἀδικίας G93 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • NA, SBL, BYZ, and TR Bosor
Verse 16

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction he was ἔσχεν G2192 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular rebuked ἔλεγξιν G1649 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular for his ἰδίας G2398 Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular transgression παρανομίας G3892 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular by a donkey ὑποζύγιον G5268 Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular [ otherwise ] without speech ἄφωνον G880 Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular that spoke φθεγξάμενον G5350 Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Neuter Singular with ἐν G1722 Preposition a man’s ἀνθρώπου G444 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular voice φωνῇ G5456 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular [and] restrained ἐκώλυσεν G2967 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular the τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular prophet’s προφήτου G4396 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular madness παραφρονίαν G3913 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.