2 Peter 2:15 Meaning: Following the Way of Balaam
Forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing;
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;
forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;
having forsaken a right way, they did go astray, having followed in the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who a reward of unrighteousness did love,
having left [the] straight way they have gone astray, having followed in the path of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved [the] reward of unrighteousness;
Meaning in one sentence
Understand II Peter 2:15 meaning: why Peter compares false teachers to Balaam and what it means to love the wages of unrighteousness.
Context
Peter has been warning about false teachers who have slipped into the church. In chapter 2, he sketches their character: they are bold, self-willed, greedy, driven by lust. When he says they have “forsaken the right way,” he means they once knew the straight path of obeying Christ, but they have abandoned it. To explain what they became, he reaches back to Balaam. Balaam was a prophet hired by King Balak to curse Israel, but God blocked him. His real problem was that he wanted the reward so badly that he kept looking for a way to get it. Eventually, he advised the Moabites to lead Israel into sexual sin and idolatry instead. Peter’s point: the false teachers share that same heart. They love the payment that comes from doing wrong, and like Balaam, they entice others into sin.
Key Words
Two Greek words open the verse. “Forsaking” (kataleipontes) means to leave behind deliberately. It is not drifting off the path; it is walking away from a path you knew to be right. That makes the guilt clear. “Straight way” (eutheian hodon) uses a word for something level and direct. In the Old Testament, God’s commands are often called a straight path. Leaving it is not just a mistake; it is a moral departure. The third key word is “loved” (ēgapēsen). It is the same verb used for God’s love, but here it is aimed at “the wages of unrighteousness”, the payment you get for doing wrong. Balaam did not just want the money; he cherished the prospect of it, even when he knew God had said no. Peter wants us to see that the heart of the false teachers is shaped by this kind of love: a deep attachment to what is wrong, for what it can give them.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse with slightly different emphases. Some, like Wesley, focus on covetousness: “the way of Balaam” is fundamentally the way of loving money more than God. Clarke and others point out that Balaam’s way also included actively leading God’s people into sexual sin, so the false teachers imitate him in both greed and promoting license. Calvin stresses that Balaam used his tongue for hire, selling his prophetic gift. The Cambridge Bible notes that Peter’s choice of “Bosor” over “Beor” may reflect his Galilean dialect, adding a personal touch. Across these readings, there is agreement that the false teachers share Balaam’s core failure: they value personal gain over obedience to God, and that corruption spills over into how they treat others.
A common misunderstanding
It is easy to think that Balaam’s way is simply about loving money. But the Old Testament story shows that when Balaam could not get the reward by cursing Israel, he found another way: he counseled the Moabites to seduce Israel into sexual sin and idolatry (Numbers 31:16). In fact, Peter’s whole passage connects the false teachers’ greed with their sensual enticements (verse 18). Their love of wrongful gain and their promotion of license are two sides of the same way. The warning is not just about what you value, but where that value leads you to lead others.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention to what you truly want. Is there a reward you are tempted to love more than staying on the straight path? Maybe it is money, approval, a shortcut that bends your integrity. Balaam’s story shows that what we love shapes where we go. If you love the wage of wrong, you will find ways to justify the wrong. And your choice does not end with you, like Balaam, what you love can lead others away from God too. Ask yourself: is there any love in your heart that is pulling you off the straight way? You can bring that to God today, and trust that His way is worth more than any reward you would have to leave the path to get.
Main takeaway: Loving the reward of wrongdoing more than God's approval leads you off the straight path and can lead others into sin.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Do you know what it means to follow someone’s way? Balaam followed his love for money instead of following God. That made him go the wrong way. We can choose to follow God’s way even when something else looks fun or easy.
For ages 9, 12
Balaam knew God, but he wanted the money that King Balak offered him so much that he kept trying to get it, even after God said no. Peter compares false teachers to Balaam because they also love getting paid for doing wrong, and they encourage others to do wrong too. The test for us is whether we will follow God’s straight path even when a different path seems to offer more rewards. Balaam’s story shows that loving the wrong reward can blind you to what God wants.
Questions People Ask
Who was Balaam and why does Peter compare false teachers to him?
Balaam was a prophet from the Old Testament book of Numbers. King Balak of Moab hired him to curse Israel, but God stopped him. Balaam loved the money he was offered so much that he kept trying to find a way to get it, eventually advising the Moabites to lead Israel into sexual sin and idolatry. Peter compares false teachers to Balaam because they share that same love of gain and that same willingness to lead others into sin for profit.
What does it mean to 'love the wages of unrighteousness'?
It means to desire deeply the payment or reward that comes from doing wrong. In Balaam’s case, he wanted the money Balak promised him for cursing Israel, even though God had forbidden it. The false teachers Peter warns about have that same longing: they value the profit they can get from their teaching or influence more than they value obeying God. The love itself is the root of the problem, not just the act of taking the payment.
What is the 'straight way' that the false teachers forsook?
The straight way is the path of righteousness, truth, and obedience to God. In the Old Testament, God’s commands are often described as a straight path. In the New Testament, 'the Way' became a name for the Christian life. Forsaking it means deliberately turning away from the truth and the moral direction you once followed. It is not about ignorance; it is about choosing a different path.
Did Balaam actually receive the wages of unrighteousness?
The Bible does not say clearly whether Balaam received the full payment from Balak. He was prevented from cursing Israel, so he did not earn the reward for that specific act. But he did love the wages; he wanted them badly. And he found another way to earn them by advising Balak on how to make Israel sin. So in a broader sense, he received the reward of unrighteousness by leading God's people into compromise.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study