2 Peter 3:5
Context3:5 For they deliberately suppress this fact, 1 that by the word of God 2 heavens existed long ago and an earth 3 was formed out of water and by means of water.
2 Peter 3:7
Context3:7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 4
2 Peter 3:12
Context3:12 while waiting for and hastening 5 the coming of the day of God? 6 Because of this day, 7 the heavens will be burned up and 8 dissolve, and the celestial bodies 9 will melt away in a blaze! 10


[3:5] 1 tn The Greek is difficult at this point. An alternative is “Even though they maintain this, it escapes them that…” Literally the idea seems to be: “For this escapes these [men] who wish [it to be so].”
[3:5] 2 tn The word order in Greek places “the word of God” at the end of the sentence. See discussion in the note on “these things” in v. 6.
[3:5] 3 tn Or “land,” “the earth.”
[3:7] 4 tn Grk “the ungodly people.”
[3:12] 7 tn Or possibly, “striving for,” but the meaning “hasten” for σπουδάζω (spoudazw) is normative in Jewish apocalyptic literature (in which the coming of the Messiah/the end is anticipated). Such a hastening is not an arm-twisting of the divine volition, but a response by believers that has been decreed by God.
[3:12] 8 sn The coming of the day of God. Peter elsewhere describes the coming or parousia as the coming of Christ (cf. 2 Pet 1:16; 3:4). The almost casual exchange between “God” and “Christ” in this little book, and elsewhere in the NT, argues strongly for the deity of Christ (see esp. 1:1).
[3:12] 9 tn Grk “on account of which” (a subordinate relative clause in Greek).
[3:12] 10 tn Grk “being burned up, will dissolve.”