Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Peter 2:14

"having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing;" — 2 Peter 2:14 (ASV)

Of adultery.—Literally, of an adulteress. This verse has no counterpart in Jude.

That cannot cease from sin.—Literally, that cannot be made to cease from sin. (Compare attentively to 1 Peter 4:1.) It was precisely because these men refused to suffer in the flesh, but, on the contrary, gave the flesh all possible license on principle, that they could not cease from sin.

Beguiling.—Strictly, enticing with bait. We have the same word in 2 Peter 2:18, James 1:14, and nowhere else. If “deceits” is the right reading in 2 Peter 2:13, this clause throws some light on it. In any case, the metaphor from fishing, twice in this Epistle and only once elsewhere, may point to a fisherman of Galilee. (Compare to Matthew 17:27.)

With covetous practices.—Better, in covetousness. The word is singular, as in 2 Peter 2:3, according to all the best manuscripts and versions.

Cursed children.—Rather, children of malediction. So Rheims; Wiclif has “sons of cursing.” They are devoted to execration; malediction has adopted them as its own. (Compare to son of perdition, John 17:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:3.)