2 Peter 3:5
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water.

English Standard Version
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,

Berean Standard Bible
But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

Berean Literal Bible
For this is concealed from them willingly, that heavens existed long ago and the earth, having been composed out of water and through water, by the word of God,

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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,

New American Standard Bible
For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

NASB 1995
For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

NASB 1977
For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

Legacy Standard Bible
For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

Amplified Bible
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,

Christian Standard Bible
They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They willfully ignore this: Long ago the heavens and the earth were brought about from water and through water by the word of God.

American Standard Version
For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For they disregard this when they please: That the Heavens which were from the first, and The Earth, from the water and by the water, arose by the word of God,

Contemporary English Version
They will say this because they want to forget that long ago the heavens and the earth were made at God's command. The earth came out of water and was made from water.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For this they are wilfully ignorant of, that the heavens were before, and the earth out of water, and through water, consisting by the word of God.

English Revised Version
For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They are deliberately ignoring one fact: Because of God's word, heaven and earth existed a long time ago. The earth [appeared] out of water and was kept alive by water.

Good News Translation
They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water,

International Standard Version
But they deliberately ignore the fact that long ago the heavens existed and the earth was formed by God's word out of water and with water,

Literal Standard Version
for this they willingly conceal, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth having been established by the word of God out of water and through water,

Majority Standard Bible
But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

New American Bible
They deliberately ignore the fact that the heavens existed of old and earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God;

NET Bible
For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water.

New Revised Standard Version
They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water,

New Heart English Bible
For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water, by the word of God;

Webster's Bible Translation
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:

Weymouth New Testament
For they are wilfully blind to the fact that there were heavens which existed of old, and an earth, the latter arising out of water and extending continuously through water, by the command of God;

World English Bible
For they willfully forget that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of God,

Young's Literal Translation
for this is unobserved by them willingly, that the heavens were of old, and the earth out of water and through water standing together by the word of God,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Coming Judgment
4“Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.” 5But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through which the world of that time perished in the flood.…

Cross References
Genesis 1:6
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters, to separate the waters from the waters."

Genesis 1:9
And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear." And it was so.

Psalm 24:2
For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 136:6
He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever.

Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.


Treasury of Scripture

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:

they willingly.

Proverbs 17:16
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

John 3:19,20
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil…

Romans 1:28
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

by the word.

Genesis 1:6,9
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters…

Psalm 24:2
For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

Psalm 33:6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

standing.

Colossians 1:17
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Jump to Previous
Ago Amid Amidst Arising Blind Circled Command Compacted Continuously Deliberately Earth Escapes Existed Extending Fact Forget Formed God's Heaven Heavens Hidden Ignorant Ignore Latter Maintain Memory Minds Notice Standing View Water Wilfully Wilfulness Willfully Willingly Word
Jump to Next
Ago Amid Amidst Arising Blind Circled Command Compacted Continuously Deliberately Earth Escapes Existed Extending Fact Forget Formed God's Heaven Heavens Hidden Ignorant Ignore Latter Maintain Memory Minds Notice Standing View Water Wilfully Wilfulness Willfully Willingly Word
2 Peter 3
1. He assures them of the certainty of Christ's coming to judgment;
8. warning the godly, for the long patience of God, to hasten their repentance.
10. He describes also the manner how the world shall be destroyed;
11. exhorting them to all holiness of life;
16. and again to think the patience of God to tend to their salvation, as Paul wrote to them in his epistles.














(5) For this they willingly are ignorant of.--Literally, For this escapes their notice of their own will. They voluntarily blind their eyes to this fact--at once an explanation of their argument, and first answer to it, drawn from the Mosaic account of the Creation.

The earth standing out of the water and in the water.--The margin is nearer the true meaning with "consisting" for "standing," and the same word is translated "consist" in Colossians 1:17. The notion is that of coherence, solidarity, and order, as distinct from chaos. "Out of [the] water" indicates the material out of which the earth was made; not, as our version leads us to suppose, that out of which the earth rose, like an island from the ocean. "In the water" is wrong, and again the error is probably derived from Geneva, though Tyndale has it also. We should render rather, by means of [the] water. In both clauses the article should perhaps be omitted--the earth consisting out of water and through water. (Comp. Psalm 24:2; Psalm 136:6.) In the Clementine Homilies (XI. xxiv.) we have the idea of all things being made by water. In the Greek "by the word of God comes last, not first; emphasis is obtained either way. "By the word of God;" not by a fortuitous concourse of atoms, not by spontaneous generation. In the Shepherd of Hermas (I. Vis. I. iii. 4) we read, "Behold, the God of virtues (powers). . . . by His mighty word has fixed the heaven, and laid the foundation of the earth upon the waters." (See above on ii. 1, 3, 13, 15, 20.) In an Apology of Melito, Bishop of Sardis, addressed to Antoninus Caesar about A.D. 170, there is a passage bearing a considerable amount of resemblance to these verses (2Peter 3:5-7).

Verse 5. - For this they willingly are ignorant of; literally, for this escapes them of their own will. All things have not always been as they are; there have been great changes; there was once a great catastrophe; but this they willfully forget, Huther translates differently, "For, whilst they assert this, it is hidden from them that," etc. But this rendering seems forced and unsatisfactory, and gives a meaning to θέλω which it has nowhere in the New Testament. That by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. The Revised Version translates, That there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the Word of God. The mockers say that all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. That creation itself was a great, a stupendous change, a mighty effort of the power of God. St. Peter refers to it in words evidently derived from the Book of Genesis, not from any other sources, whether Greek, Egyptian, or Indian. There were heavens from of old (the word ἔκπαλαι occurs elsewhere only in 2 Peter 2:3). There was an earth formed or standing out of the water. The Greek participle here used is συνεστῶσα, literally, "standing together or consisting" (comp. Colossians 1:17); it may be taken closely with both prepositional Clauses, "earth consisting of water and by means of water." Thales had taught that water was the beginning of things, the original element (πάντα ἐξ ὕδατος συνεστάναι); the narrative in Genesis represents water as originally overspreading all things: "The earth was without form [ἀόρατος, Septuagint], and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." We may therefore understand St. Peter as meaning that the earth was formed or compacted out of water, or out of those substances which the water at first held in solution; and that it is kept together in coherence and solidity by means of water. If, on the other hand, we regard the participle as closely connected with the second preposition only, the meaning will be that the earth, held together and compacted by means of water, rose up out of the water, and appeared above it, when God said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear." It is possible, again, to understand the preposition διά locally, and to translate "amidst water." Comp. Psalm 136:6, "He stretched out the earth above the waters;" and Psalm 24:2, "He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods." Of course, neither St. Peter nor Moses is speaking in the language of science; their object was, not to teach scientific truth, but to present the great fact of creation in an aspect suitable to our poor capacities. For the clause, "by the Word of God (τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγῳ)," comp. Hebrews 11:3, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God (ῤήματι Θεοῦ)." St. Peter may be referring to the formula, "And God said," so constantly repeated in the account of the creation, or (what is really the same truth) to the fact that "all things were made by him [by God the Word], and without him was not anything made that was made."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[But]
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

they
αὐτοὺς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

deliberately
θέλοντας (thelontas)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2309: To will, wish, desire, be willing, intend, design.

overlook
Λανθάνει (Lanthanei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2990: A prolonged form of a primary verb, which is used only as an alternate in certain tenses; to lie hid; often used adverbially, unwittingly.

the fact that
τοῦτο (touto)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

long ago
ἔκπαλαι (ekpalai)
Adverb
Strong's 1597: From of old, long since. From ek and palai; long ago, for a long while.

by
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

God’s
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

word
λόγῳ (logō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

[the] heavens
οὐρανοὶ (ouranoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3772: Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.

existed
ἦσαν (ēsan)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[the] earth
γῆ (gē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1093: Contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.

was formed
συνεστῶσα (synestōsa)
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4921: To place together, commend, prove, exhibit; instrans: I stand with; To be composed of, cohere.

out of
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

water
ὕδατος (hydatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 5204: Water. And genitive case, hudatos, etc. From the base of huetos; water literally or figuratively.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

by
δι’ (di’)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

water,
ὕδατος (hydatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 5204: Water. And genitive case, hudatos, etc. From the base of huetos; water literally or figuratively.


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NT Letters: 2 Peter 3:5 For this they willfully forget that there (2 Pet. 2P iiP ii Pet)
2 Peter 3:4
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