Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Peter 2:15

"forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;" — 2 Peter 2:15 (ASV)

The false teachers resemble Balaam, the son of Beor, in that Balaam loved money and was willing to pursue it instead of obeying God (Numbers 22:5– 24:25). Balaam also taught immorality (Numbers 31:16; Revelation 2:14). So the false teachers have left the biblical way and have gone into Balaam’s error— mercenary greed and sexual impurity. As Balaam went to curse the children of Israel for money (if he could), “he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey —a beast without speech.” Actually, according to the account in Nu 22:27–35, the rebuke is twofold: first from the donkey, then from the angel of the Lord. Ironically the mute animal had more spiritual perception than the prophet! The utterance “restrained” the prophet’s insanity.