Jude 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Study Note
Study Note
The threefold 'woe unto them' — going the way of Cain, running after Balaam's error for reward, perishing in Korah's rebellion — presents three Old Testament types of deviant religious leadership as the paradigm for the false teachers Jude opposes. Cain represents murderous rejection of proper worship; Balaam represents the corruption of prophetic ministry for financial gain; Korah represents rebellion against divinely appointed authority. The prophetic perfect 'perished' (apolonto) for Korah's future fate indicates such certainty of judgment that it speaks of it as already accomplished — a feature of Hebrew prophetic rhetoric applied to the new covenant crisis. Together the three types create a comprehensive profile of dangerous religious leadership: doctrinal corruption, financial exploitation, and institutional subversion.
Other Translations
Woe unto them! for they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.
woe to them! because in the way of Cain they did go on, and to the deceit of Balaam for reward they did rush, and in the gainsaying of Korah they did perish.
A curse on them! They have gone in the way of Cain, running uncontrolled into the error of Balaam for reward, and have come to destruction by saying evil against the Lord, like Korah.
Cross References
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering …
Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I …
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons …
And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and …
And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in …
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the …
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the …
Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; …