2 Peter 3:5

2 Peter 3:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
• New International Version (NIV)But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,
• New King James Version (NKJV)For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,

Context of 2 Peter 3:5

3First of all, know [without any doubt] that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following after their own human desires 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming [what has become of it]? For ever since the fathers fell asleep [in death], all things have continued [exactly] as they did from the beginning of creation.” For they willingly forget [the fact] that the heavens existed long ago by the word of God, and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. 7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.

2 Peter 3:5 word by word

λανθάνει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦτο θέλοντας ὅτι οὐρανοὶ ἦσαν ἔκπαλαι καὶ γῆ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ δι᾽ ὕδατος συνεστῶσα τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγῳ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• theyαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• willinglyθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• are ignorant ofλανθάνωlanthanō · be hiddenG2990
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• by the wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• the heavensοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• of oldἔκπαλαιekpalai · of oldG1597
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• standingσυνίστημι, συνιστάωsunistaō sunistanō sunistēmi · to commendG4921
• out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• inδιάdia · through/because ofG1223

Cross-references for 2 Peter 3:5

• Proverbs 17:16Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no common sense or even a heart for it?
• John 3:19This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
• Romans 1:28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,
• 2 Thessalonians 2:10and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all the deception of wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not welcome the love of the truth [of the gospel] so as to be saved [they were spiritually blind, and rejected the truth that would have saved them].
• Genesis 1:6And God said, “Let there be an expanse [of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters [below the expanse] from the waters [above the expanse].”
• Psalms 24:2For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the streams and the rivers.
• Psalms 33:6By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, And all their host by the breath of His mouth.
• Psalms 136:6To Him who stretched out the earth upon the waters, For His lovingkindness endures forever;
• Hebrews 11:3By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
• Colossians 1:17And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]

Commentaries on 2 Peter 3:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5For this they willingly are ignorant of - They shut their eyes against the light, and refuse all evidence; what does not answer their purpose they will not know. And the apostle refers to a fact that militates against their hypothesis, with which they refused to acquaint themselves; and their ignorance he attributes to their unwillingness to learn the true state of the case. By the word of God the heavens were of old - I shall set down the Greek text of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5For this they willingly are ignorant of - ́ ̀ ̓̀ ͂ ́ Laithanei gar autous touto thelontasThere is some considerable variety in the translation of this passage. In our common version the Greek word ( ́ thelontas) is rendered as if it were an adverb, or as if it referred to their “ignorance” in regard to the event; meaning, that while they might have known this fact, they took no pains to do it, or that they preferred to have its recollection far from their…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 Had these scoffers considered the dreadful vengeance with which God swept away a whole world of ungodly men at once, surely they would not have scoffed at his threatening an equally terrible judgment. The heavens and the earth which now are, by the same word, it is declared, will be destroyed by fire. This is as sure to come, as the truth and the power of God can make it. Christians are here taught and established in the truth of the coming of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Creation is the first evidence that the false teachers were wrong. Change does happen. If God made the world, then he is also able to destroy it. the earth was formed out of water and by water: See Genesis 1:2, 6–10.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Refutation of their scoffing from Scripture history. willingly--wilfully; they do not wish to know. Their ignorance is voluntary. they ... are ignorant of--in contrast to 2Pe 3:8, "Be not ignorant of this." Literally, in both verses, "This escapes THEIR notice (sagacious philosophers though they think themselves)"; "let this not escape YOUR notice." They obstinately shut their eyes to the Scripture record of the creation and the deluge; the latter is…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Peter 3:5

• Earth
• Geology
• Infidelity

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Word of God
• Asleep
• Dissolve
• Hard
• Promise
• Wrest
• Compact; Compacted
• Forget; Forgetful

Commentaries on 2 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
• 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