Amplified Bible
1 Peter 3:20
20who once were disobedient, when the great patience of God was waiting in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons [Noah’s family], were brought safely through the water.
1 Peter 3:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
- New International Version (NIV)to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
- English Standard Version (ESV)because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.
- New King James Version (NKJV)who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
Context of 1 Peter 3:20
18For indeed Christ died for sins once for all, the Just and Righteous for the unjust and unrighteous [the Innocent for the guilty] so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; 19in which He also went and preached to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the great patience of God was waiting in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons [Noah’s family], were brought safely through the water. 21Corresponding to that [rescue through the flood], baptism [which is an expression of a believer’s new life in Christ] now saves you, not by removing dirt from the body, but by an appeal to God for a good (clear) conscience, [demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God [that is, the place of honor and authority], with [all] angels and authorities and powers made subservient to Him.
Read all of 1 Peter 31 Peter 3:20 word by word
ἀπειθήσασίν ποτε, ὅτε ἀπεξεδέχετο ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ μακροθυμία ἐν ἡμέραις Νῶε κατασκευαζομένης κιβωτοῦ, εἰς ἣν ὀλίγοι, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ὀκτὼ ψυχαί, διεσώθησαν δι᾽ ὕδατος·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Which sometimeποτέpote · once/whenG4218
- were disobedientἀπειθέωapeitheō · to disobeyG544
- whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
- onceἅπαξhapax · onceG530
- the longsufferingμακροθυμίαmakrothumia · patienceG3115
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- waitedἐκδέχομαιekdechomai · to wait forG1551
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- of NoahΝῶεNōe · NoahG3575
- while the arkκιβωτόςkibōtos · ark: NoahG2787
- was a preparingκατασκευάζωkataskeuazō · to prepareG2680
- whereinεἰςeis · towardG1519
- ·ὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- fewὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
- thatοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- eightὀκτώoktō · eightG3638
- soulsψυχήpsuchē · soul: personG5590
- were savedδιασῴζωdiasōzō · to saveG1295
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
Cross-references for 1 Peter 3:20
- Genesis 6:3Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive and remain with man forever, because he is indeed flesh [sinful, corrupt—given over to sensual appetites]; nevertheless his days shall yet be a hundred and twenty years.”
- Isaiah 30:18Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them].
- Romans 2:4Or do you have no regard for the wealth of His kindness and tolerance and patience [in withholding His wrath]? Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]?
- Romans 9:22What if God, although willing to show His [terrible] wrath and to make His power known, has tolerated with great patience the objects of His wrath [which are] prepared for destruction?
- 2 Peter 3:15And consider the patience of our Lord [His delay in judging and avenging wrongs] as salvation [that is, allowing time for more to be saved]; just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him [by God],
- Matthew 24:37For the coming of the Son of Man (the Messiah) will be just like the days of Noah.
- Luke 17:26And just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the time of [the second coming of] the Son of Man:
- Genesis 6:14Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make in it rooms (stalls, pens, coops, nests, cages, compartments) and coat it inside and out with pitch (bitumen).
- Hebrews 11:7By faith [with confidence in God and His word] Noah, being warned by God about events not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his family. By this [act of obedience] he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith.
- Genesis 7:1Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you with all your household, for you [alone] I have seen as righteous (doing what is right) before Me in this generation.
- Genesis 8:1And God remembered and thought kindly of Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark; and God made a wind blow over the land, and the waters receded.
- Matthew 7:14But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it.
- Luke 12:32Do not be afraid and anxious, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
- Luke 13:24“Strive to enter through the narrow door [force aside unbelief and the attractions of sin]; for many, I tell you, will try to enter [by their own works] and will not be able.
- 2 Peter 2:5and if He did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought [the judgment of] a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
- Genesis 7:17The flood [the great downpour of rain] was forty days and nights on the earth; and the waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it floated [high] above the land.
Commentaries on 1 Peter 3:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20When once the long-suffering of God waited - In Pirkey Aboth, cap. v. 2, we have these words: "There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, that the long-suffering of God might appear; for each of these generations provoked him to anger, and went on in their iniquity, till at last the deluge came." Were saved by water - While the ark was preparing, only Noah's family believed; these amounted to eight persons; and these only were saved from the deluge '…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Which sometime were disobedient - Which were “once,” or “formerly,” ( potedisobedient or rebellious. The language here does not imply that they had ceased to be disobedient, or that they had become obedient at the time when the apostle wrote; but the object is to direct the attention to a former race of people characterized by disobedience, and to show the patience evinced under their provocations, in endeavoring to do them good. To say that people were…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 We sanctify God before others, when our conduct invites and encourages them to glorify and honour him. What was the ground and reason of their hope? We should be able to defend our religion with meekness, in the fear of God. There is no room for any other fears where this great fear is; it disturbs not. The conscience is good, when it does its office well. That person is in a sad condition on whom sin and suffering meet: sin makes suffering…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20only eight souls: These were Noah, his wife, their three sons, and the sons’ wives (Genesis 6:18; 8:18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. once--not in the oldest manuscripts. when ... the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah--Oldest manuscripts. Greek, "was continuing to wait on" (if haply men in the hundred twenty years of grace would repent) until the end of His waiting came in their death by the flood. This refutes Alford's idea of a second day of grace having been given in Hades. Noah's days are selected, as the ark and the destroying flood answer respectively to…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Peter 3:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Peter 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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