2 Peter 2:14
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: | 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. | having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing; |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedTheir eyes are full of adultery and never stop sinning, and they lure unstable people. Their hearts are trained in greed, and they are "cursed children," under God's curse. 2 Peter 2:132 Peter 2:14
SpeakingSimon Peter, "a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ," who saw Christ's majesty on the holy mount. 2 Peter overview
To"Them that have obtained like precious faith"; traditionally the same believers as 1 Peter, in Asia Minor. 2 Peter overview
Also involvedThe false teachers, and the "unstable souls" they lure. 2 Peter 2:14
Peter continues describing the false teachers (2:10-22). 2 Peter 2:142 Peter overview
The letter names no place. If the readers are those of 1 Peter, they were in Asia Minor; tradition places Peter in Rome at the end of his life. 2 Peter overview
The eventsThe verse gives no date of its own. Peter writes near the end of his life. 2 Peter overview
WrittenTraditional: about AD 64-68, shortly before Peter's death. Scholarly: many hold a follower wrote it in Peter's name, perhaps AD 100-150; others accept that Peter wrote it near the end of his life. 2 Peter overview
HerePeter shows how these men work: "beguiling unstable souls." 2 Peter 2:14
In the whole of ScripturePaul warns believers not to be "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14). False teachers "deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:18). Peter says "unlearned and unstable" people twist the Scriptures (3:16). Ephesians 4:14Romans 16:182 Peter 3:16
For readersBelievers who are not grounded are easy targets. Growing steady in the truth protects them. 2 Peter 2:14Ephesians 4:14
- cannot ceaseἀκατάπαυστος
The word means unceasing. The lexicon lists this verse as its only New Testament use. Strong's G0180
- beguilingδελεάζω
The word means to bait or entice. The lexicon lists James 1:14 and 2 Peter 2:18 as its other uses. Strong's G1185
- unstableἀστήρικτος
The word means unstable, unsteady. Peter uses it again in 3:16. Strong's G07932 Peter 3:16
- exercisedγυμνάζω
The word means to train, as an athlete. The lexicon lists 1 Timothy 4:7 and Hebrews 5:14 among its uses. Strong's G1128
- cursedκατάρα
The word means a curse. The lexicon lists Galatians 3:10 and 3:13 among its uses. Strong's G2671
Takeaway
The false teachers have adulterous eyes, ceaseless sin, greedy hearts, and they lure the unstable. 2 Peter 2:14Romans 16:18
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eyes | ὀφθαλμοὺς | ophthalmous | G3788 | eyeὀφθαλμός (ophthalmos) ὀφθαλμός, -οῦ, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for עַיִן ;] the eye (as in cl., chiefly pl.): Mat.5:38, Mrk.9:47, Luk.6:41, Jhn.9:6, al.; τοὺς ὀ. ἐξορύθσσειν (figuratively), Gal.4:15; ἐπᾶραι, Luk.6:20, Jhn.6:5; ἀνοῖξα, Act.9:40; id., of restoring sight, Mat.20:33, Jhn.9:10, al.; ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ, 1Co.15:52; by anthropom., of God, Heb.4:13, 1Pe.3:12; pleonastically (cf. Thackeray, Gr., 42f.), εἶδον οἱ ὀ. μοθ, Luk.2:30 (similarly, ib. 4:20 10:23, Jhn.12:40, 1Co.2:9, 1Jn.1:1, Rev.1:7). Metaphorical (as otherwise in cl.; see LS, see word); … |
| having | ἔχοντες | echontes | G2192 | to have/beἔχω (echō) ἔχω, [in LXX for אָצֵל (ἐχόμενος), יֵשׁ,בַּעַל, etc., 59 words in all ;] (on the Aktionsart of the various tenses, see M, Pr., 110, 145, 150, 183), to have, as in cl., in various senses and constructions. I. Trans.; 1. 1. to have, hold, hold fast, etc.; (a) to hold, as, in the hand: Rev.5:8 14:6, al.; ἐν τ. χειρί, Rev.1:16 10:2, al.; (b) of arms and clothing, = φέρω, φορέω, to bear, wear: Mat.3:4 22:12, al.; so frequently present ptcp. (LS, see word, A, I, 6; Bl., 74, 2), Mrk.11:13, Jhn.18:10, Rev.9:17, al.; (with) of a woman, ἐν γαστρὶ ἔ, to be with child: Mrk.13:17, Rom.9:10; … |
| full | μεστοὺς | mestous | G3324 | fullμεστός (mestos) μεστός, -ή, -όν [in LXX: Nam.1:10, Eze.37:1 (מָלֵא), Est.5:2, Pro.6:34 * ;] full: with genitive of thing(s), Jhn.19:29 21:11, Jas.3:8; metaphorically, of thoughts and feelings, Mat.23:28, Rom.1:29 15:14, 2Pe.2:14, Jas.3:17 (cf. Pr, l.with).† (AS) |
| of adultery | μοιχαλίδος | moichalidos | G3428 | adulterousμοιχαλίς (moichalis) 1. an adulteress , (New Testament):as adjective adulterous , (New Testament) 2. as Substantive = μοιχεία, (New Testament) (ML) |
| and | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| unceasing | ἀκαταπαύστους | akatapaustous | G0180 | unceasingἀκατάπαυστος (akatapaustos) ἀκατάπαυστος, -ον (καταπαύω), that cannot cease, not to be restrained: with genitive of thing(s), 2Pe.2:14, T, Tr. txt.† (AS) |
| from sin, | ἁμαρτίας, | hamartias | G0266 | sinἁμαρτία (hamartia) ἁμαρτία, -ας, ἡ (ἁμαρτάνω, which see), [in LXX chiefly for חַטָּאת and cogn. forms, also for פֶּשַׁע ,עָוֹן, etc. ;] prop. a missing the mark; in cl. (see reff. to CR in MM, VGT, see word); (a) guilt, sin (Plat., Arist., al.); (b) more freq., from Æsch. down, a fault, failure. In NT (as LXX) always in ethical sense; … |
| enticing | δελεάζοντες | deleazontes | G1185 | to enticeδελεάζω (deleazō) δελεάζω (δέλεαρ, a bait), to allure by a bait: metaphorically, to allure, entice: with accusative, 2Pe.2:14, 18; pass., Jas.1:14.† (AS) |
| souls | ψυχὰς | psuchas | G5590G | soulψυχή (psuchē) ψυχή, -ῆς, ἡ, [in LXX very frequently for נֶפֶשׁ, sometimes for לֵבַב ,לֵב, etc. ;] 1. breath (Lat. anima), breath of life, life (Hom., al.; in Arist., of the vital principle): Mat.6:25, Mrk.3:4 10:45, Luk.12:22, Jhn.10:11, Act.20:10, 24 2Co.1:23, Php.2:30, 1Th.2:8, al. 2. the soul, (a) as the seat of the will, desires and affections: Mat.26:38, Mrk.12:30" (LXX) 14:34, Luk.1:46, Jhn.10:24, Act.14:2, Php.1:27, al.; ἐκ ψυχῆς, from the heart, heartily: Eph.6:6, Col.3:23; … |
| unestablished, | ἀστηρίκτους, | astēriktous | G0793 | unstableἀστήρικτος (astēriktos) ἀ-στήρικτος, -ον (στηρίζω), unstable, unsettled: 2Pe.2:14 3:16.† (AS) |
| a heart | καρδίαν | kardian | G2588 | heartκαρδία (kardia) καρδία, -ας, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly for לֵבָב ,לֵב ;] the heart, 1. the bodily organ which is regarded as the seat of life ( 2Ki.18:14, 4Ki.9:24, al.). 2. In a psychological sense, the seat of man's collective energies, the focus of personal life, the seat of the rational as well as the emotional and volitional elements in human life, hence that wherein lies the moral and religious condition of the man (DB, ii, 317f.; DGG, ii, 344a); (a) of the seat of physical life ( Jdg.19:5, Psa.101 (102):5 103 (104):15): Act.14:17, Jas.5:5; … |
| exercised | γεγυμνασμένην | gegumnasmenēn | G1128 | to trainγυμνάζω (gumnazō) γυμνάζω (γυμνός), [in LXX: 2Ma.10:15 * ;] 1. properly, to exercise naked. 2. Generally, to exercise, train the body or mind: 1Ti.4:7, Heb.5:14 12:11, 2Pe.2:14. † (AS) |
| in craving | πλεονεξίας | pleonexias | G4124 | greedinessπλεονεξία (pleonexia) πλεονεξία, -ας, ἡ (πλεονέκτης), [in LXX for בֶּצַע ;] the character and conduct of a πλεονέκτης. 1. advantage. 2. desire for advantage, grasping, aggression, cupidity, covetousness: Luk.12:15, Rom.1:29, 2Co.9:5, Eph.4:19 (see ICC, in l) Eph.5:3, Col.3:5, 1Th.2:5, 2Pe.2:3 2:14; pl. (see Bl., § 32, 6), Mrk.7:22.† SYN.: φιλαργυρία, avarice (see Tr., Syn., § xxiv) (AS) |
| having — | ἔχοντες, | echontes | G2192 | to have/beἔχω (echō) ἔχω, [in LXX for אָצֵל (ἐχόμενος), יֵשׁ,בַּעַל, etc., 59 words in all ;] (on the Aktionsart of the various tenses, see M, Pr., 110, 145, 150, 183), to have, as in cl., in various senses and constructions. I. Trans.; 1. 1. to have, hold, hold fast, etc.; (a) to hold, as, in the hand: Rev.5:8 14:6, al.; ἐν τ. χειρί, Rev.1:16 10:2, al.; (b) of arms and clothing, = φέρω, φορέω, to bear, wear: Mat.3:4 22:12, al.; so frequently present ptcp. (LS, see word, A, I, 6; Bl., 74, 2), Mrk.11:13, Jhn.18:10, Rev.9:17, al.; (with) of a woman, ἐν γαστρὶ ἔ, to be with child: Mrk.13:17, Rom.9:10; … |
| of a curse | κατάρας | kataras | G2671 | curseκατάρα (katara) κατ-άρα, -ας, -ἡ [in LXX chiefly for קְלָלָה ;] a curse: Gal.3:10, 13 Heb.6:8, 2Pe.2:14; opposite to εὐλογία, Jas.3:10; concrete, of Christ, Gal.3:13 (see Lft. in l).† (AS) |
| children! | τέκνα. | tekna | G5043 | childτέκνον (teknon) τέκνον, -ου, τό (τίκτω), [in LXX chiefly for בֵּן, also for יֶלֶד, etc. ;] that which is begotten, born (cf. Scottish bairn), a child of either sex: Mrk.13:12, Luk.1:7, Act.7:5; pl., Mat.7:11, Mrk.7:27, Luk.1:17, Eph.6:1, al.; τέκνα ἐπαγγελίας, Rom.9:8; τ. τῆς σαρκός, ib.; in a wider sense (as Heb. בָּנִים), of posterity, Mat.2:18, Luk.3:8, al.; specif., of a male child, Mat.21:28, Act.21:21, a,l.; in voc. as a form of kindly address from an elder to a junior or from a teacher to a disciple, Mat.9:2 21:28, Mrk.2:5, Luk.2:48; τ. μου (= cl. τ. μοι; see Bl., §37, 5), Gal.4:19 (τεκνία, WH, txt.) … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.