1 Peter 3:20

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

18This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit. 19In it he also went to proclaim his victory to the spirits kept in prison. They are like those who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah when God waited patiently while Noah built the ship. In this ship a few people—eight in all—were saved by water. 21Baptism, which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn’t save by removing dirt from the body. Rather, baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience. It saves you through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life. 22Now Christ has gone to heaven where he holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the throne. Angels, rulers, and powers have been placed under his authority.

1 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 will not struggle with humans forever, because they are flesh and blood. They will live 120 years.”
• Isaiah 30:18The Lord is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. The Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.
• Romans 2:4Do you have contempt for God, who is very kind to you, puts up with you, and deals patiently with you? Don’t you realize that it is God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to him and change the way you think and act?
• Romans 9:22If God wants to demonstrate his anger and reveal his power, he can do it. But can’t he be extremely patient with people who are objects of his anger because they are headed for destruction?
• 2 Peter 3:15Think of our Lord’s patience as an opportunity ⌞for us⌟ to be saved. This is what our dear brother Paul wrote to you about, using the wisdom God gave him.
• Matthew 24:37“When the Son of Man comes again, it will be exactly like the days of Noah.
• Luke 17:26“When the Son of Man comes again, the situation will be like the time of Noah.
• Genesis 6:14Make yourself a ship of cypress wood. Make rooms in the ship and coat it inside and out with tar.
• Hebrews 11:7Faith led Noah to listen when God warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God’s approval that comes through faith.
• Genesis 7:1The Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ship with your whole family because I have seen that you alone are righteous among the people of today.
• Genesis 8:1God remembered Noah and all the wild and domestic animals with him in the ship. So God made a wind blow over the earth, and the water started to go down.
• Matthew 7:14But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.
• Luke 12:32Don’t be afraid, little flock. Your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
• Luke 13:24“Try hard to enter through the narrow door. I can guarantee that many will try to enter, but they won’t succeed.
• 2 Peter 2:5God didn’t spare the ancient world either. He brought the flood on the world of ungodly people, but he protected Noah and seven other people. Noah was his messenger who told people about the kind of life that has God’s approval.
• Genesis 7:17The flood continued for 40 days on the earth. The water increased and lifted the ship so that it rose high above the ground.

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

• Antediluvians
• Ark
• Baptism
• Flood
• God Continued...
• Noah
• Sin
• Types

In the dictionaries

• God
• Noah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Adorning
• Chaste
• Contrariwise
• Deluge
• Japheth
• Ornament
• Pitiful

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