Hi Jeremy. Thank you for this. I do not think 2 Peter is based on Jude for a couple of reasons. In my judgement, 2 Peter’s polemic against false teachers is 100% integrated and coherent within the rest of the letter and it’s message. A peripheral reason for my current conviction lies in the answer to your puzzle about 2 Peter 2:15 '...of Bosor'. The connection between Balaam and the city of Bosor is perhaps to be found in Isaiah 63.1 LXX, connected via Jeremiah 48.24-26. In Jeremiah 48.24 two cities of Moab (the Kingdom of Balak, who wanted Balaam to curse Israel) conclude a list of cities that will be judged: Καριωθ (perhaps coincidentally as in Judas is-Karioth - ‘man from Kerioth’, as suggested by the late Maurice Casey), and Βοσορ. Verse 26 overtly connects this judgement on Moab with the fable about Balaam in Numbers chapter 22-24 (‘and Balaam continued his parable’ is mentioned 7 times. The word ‘way’ is mentioned 7 times, and only in the section about the donkey…) Numbers 24.9-10 has: “And Balac was angry with Balaam, and clapped his hands together; and Balac said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my enemy, and behold thou hast decidedly blessed him this third time. Now therefore flee to thy place …(Brenton) Jeremiah 48.26 reads: "and Moab shall clap with his hand, and shall be also himself a laughing-stock." (Brenton) Numbers 24:22 may support this: The Greek text of Numbers that Peter used may have read Bosor instead of Beor: Bosor was a city of refuge for evildoers, who wanted to escape death penalty, and Balak tells Balaam to flee to his place …. “and though Beor should have a skillfully contrived hiding-place…,” 2 Peter 2.15 they imitate/wander-into/follow-out the path of Balaam of Bosor’ Isaiah 63.1-6 graphically depicts God's judgement on Βοσορ. If Numbers 24:22 had a variant that read ‘Bosor’ instead of ‘Beor’ (of if were interchangeable names for the same city) it is certainly conceivable that the author of 2nd Peter would interpret Isaiah 63:1-6 as the ultimate 'wage of unrighteousness' at the parousia of the Lord, because of the sure prophetic word about the destruction on Moab/Edom, as predicted in Jeremiah 48 and Isaiah 63. In Isaiah 62-64 we see the ‘coming’ (παραγίνεται ~ parousia) of the Lord in fearful glory to save and to judge being predicted: Quoting from Isaiah 62.11b (Brenton): ... Behold, thy Saviour has come (παραγίνεται) to thee, having his reward and his work before his face. And one shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called a city sought out, and not forsaken. (63.1) Who is this that is come (παραγενόμενος) from Edom, with red garments from Bosor (Βοσόρ)? thus fair in his apparel, with mighty strength? I speak of righteousness and saving judgment. Wherefore are thy garments red, and thy raiment as if fresh from a trodden winepress? I am full of trodden grape, and of the nations there is not a man with me; and I trampled them in my fury, and dashed them to pieces as earth, and brought down their blood to the earth. For the day of recompence has come upon them, and the year of redemption is at hand...
Keep these teachings coming!
Hi Jeremy. Thank you for this. I do not think 2 Peter is based on Jude for a couple of reasons. In my judgement, 2 Peter’s polemic against false teachers is 100% integrated and coherent within the rest of the letter and it’s message.
A peripheral reason for my current conviction lies in the answer to your puzzle about 2 Peter 2:15 '...of Bosor'.
The connection between Balaam and the city of Bosor is perhaps to be found in Isaiah 63.1 LXX, connected via Jeremiah 48.24-26.
In Jeremiah 48.24 two cities of Moab (the Kingdom of Balak, who wanted Balaam to curse Israel) conclude a list of cities that will be judged: Καριωθ (perhaps coincidentally as in Judas is-Karioth - ‘man from Kerioth’, as suggested by the late Maurice Casey), and Βοσορ. Verse 26 overtly connects this judgement on Moab with the fable about Balaam in Numbers chapter 22-24 (‘and Balaam continued his parable’ is mentioned 7 times. The word ‘way’ is mentioned 7 times, and only in the section about the donkey…)
Numbers 24.9-10 has:
“And Balac was angry with Balaam, and clapped his hands together;
and Balac said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my enemy, and behold thou hast decidedly blessed him this third time. Now therefore flee to thy place …(Brenton)
Jeremiah 48.26 reads: "and Moab shall clap with his hand, and shall be also himself a laughing-stock."
(Brenton)
Numbers 24:22 may support this:
The Greek text of Numbers that Peter used may have read Bosor instead of Beor:
Bosor was a city of refuge for evildoers, who wanted to escape death penalty, and Balak tells Balaam to flee to his place ….
“and though Beor should have a skillfully contrived hiding-place…,”
2 Peter 2.15 they imitate/wander-into/follow-out the path of Balaam of Bosor’
Isaiah 63.1-6 graphically depicts God's judgement on Βοσορ. If Numbers 24:22 had a variant that read ‘Bosor’ instead of ‘Beor’ (of if were interchangeable names for the same city) it is certainly conceivable that the author of 2nd Peter would interpret Isaiah 63:1-6 as the ultimate 'wage of unrighteousness' at the parousia of the Lord, because of the sure prophetic word about the destruction on Moab/Edom, as predicted in Jeremiah 48 and Isaiah 63.
In Isaiah 62-64 we see the ‘coming’ (παραγίνεται ~ parousia) of the Lord in fearful glory to save and to judge being predicted:
Quoting from Isaiah 62.11b (Brenton):
... Behold, thy Saviour has come (παραγίνεται) to thee, having his reward and his work before his face. And one shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called a city sought out, and not forsaken. (63.1) Who is this that is come (παραγενόμενος) from Edom, with red garments from Bosor (Βοσόρ)?
thus fair in his apparel, with mighty strength? I speak of righteousness and saving judgment. Wherefore are thy garments red, and thy raiment as if fresh from a trodden winepress? I am full of trodden grape, and of the nations there is not a man with me; and I trampled them in my fury, and dashed them to pieces as earth, and brought down their blood to the earth. For the day of recompence has come upon them, and the year of redemption is at hand...
Judas ish-Karioth - Yes, some Greek lexica say that it may mean that he came from the town Kariyoth.