2 Peter 3:7
in 2 Peter 3And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
KJV
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
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This verse in 2 Peter 3
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThen further concerning Him, that He alone is powerful, both to institute judgment on the deeds performed in life, and on the ignorance of the Deity [displayed by men], I can adduce witnesses from your own ranks; and first Sophocles, who speaks as follows: "That time of times shall come, shall surely come, When from the golden ether down shall fall Fire's teeming treasure, and in burning flames All things of earth and heaven shall be consumed; And then, when all creation is dissolved, The sea's last wave shall die upon the shore, The bald earth stript of trees, the burning air No winged thing upon its breast shall bear.
This site's exposition
But they deliberately overlook the fact
on 2 Peter 3:5-7
They deliberately overlook the fact that the word which formed the earth out of water and by water also flooded the world of that time. By that same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, tethesaurismenoi, stored up.
This site's exposition
reserved for fire
The same word that sent the flood now holds the present world for fire. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the verb as treasured up, and they hold that only God's watchful providence keeps the present order until its end. Justin Martyr hears the same fire in Sophocles.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Many people think that these words refer to changes and revolutions which will take place here on earth. They say that heaven and earth were once both water and that they were formed out of water by the Word of God. What had been the …
For they willingly do not know that the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water by the word of God: by which the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens and …
The Medieval Church3 voices
Fire will precede the face of the Judge, by which the face of the earth will be burned up, so that the figure of this world will perish by the conflagration of worldly fires, just as the flood came about by the inundation of waters. …
But the heavens and the earth which are now, etc. Therefore it is clear from the view of blessed Peter that the earth and those heavens which perished in the flood, and were restored after the flood, are affirmed to be destroyed by final fire.
That the destruction of the present world will be by means of fire is a thought not of Christians alone, but also of pagan sages. But someone will say: why create the world if it must again turn to corruption? To such a person we …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
But the heavens and the earth, that are now - Since the flood. Are reserved unto fire at the day wherein God will judge the world, and punish the ungodly with everlasting destruction.
But the heavens and the earth which are now,....
Let therefore the scoffers, who laugh at the coming of our Lord to judgment, at least consider that it may be. There is nothing said of it in the word of God but what is within reach of the power of God, and, though they still should laugh, they shall not put us out of countenance; we are well assured that it will be, because he has said it, and we can depend upon his promise.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
But the heavens and the earth which are now - As they now exist. There is no difficulty here respecting what is meant by the word “earth,” but it is not so easy to determine precisely how much is included in the word “heavens.” It cannot be supposed to mean “heaven” as the place where God dwells; nor is it necessary to suppose that Peter understood by the word all that would now be implied in it, as used by a modern astronomer.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
(Compare Job 28:5, end). which are now--"the postdiluvian visible world." In contrast to "that then was," 2Pe 3:6. the same--Other oldest manuscripts read, "His" (God's). kept in store--Greek, "treasured up." reserved--"kept." It is only God's constantly watchful providence which holds together the present state of things till His time for ending it.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now - The present earth and its atmosphere, which are liable to the same destruction, because the same means still exist, (for there is still water enough to drown the earth, and there is iniquity enough to induce God to destroy it and its inhabitants), are nevertheless kept in store, τεθησαυρισμενοι, treasured up, kept in God’s storehouse, to be destroyed, not by water, but by fire at the day of judgment. From all this it appears that those mockers affected to be ignorant of the Mosaic account of the formation of the earth, and of its destruction by the waters of the deluge; and indeed this is implied in their stating that all things continued as they were from the creation. But St. Peter calls them back to the Mosaic account, to prove that this was false; for the earth, etc., which were then formed, had perished by the flood; and that the present earth, etc., which were formed out of the preceding, should, at the day of judgment, perish by the fire of God’s wrath.
The words behind it
22 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | But | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| νῦν | nun | now | G3568 → | |
| οὐρανοὶ | ouranoi | [the] heavens | G3772 → | 272 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆ | ge | earth | G1093 → | 248 times |
| τῷ | to | by the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | same | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λόγῳ | logo | word | G3056 → | 329 times |
| τεθησαυρισμένοι | tethesaurismenoi | stored up | G2343 → | |
| εἰσὶν | eisin | they are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| πυρὶ | puri | for fire | G4442 → | |
| τηρούμενοι | teroumenoi | being kept | G5083 → | 70 times |
| εἰς | eis | unto | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| ἡμέραν | hemeran | [the] day | G2250 → | 389 times |
| κρίσεως | kriseos | of judgment | G2920 → | 47 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀπωλείας | apoleias | destruction | G684 → | 18 times |
| τῶν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀσεβῶν | asebon | of ungodly | G765 → | 9 times |
| ἀνθρώπων.¶ | anthropon | men. | G444 → | 549 times |
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲBut
deG1161 →2765 times
νῦνnow
nunG3568 →
οὐρανοὶ[the] heavens
ouranoiG3772 →272 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
γῆearth
geG1093 →248 times
τῷby the
toG3588 →19766 times
αὐτῷsame
autoG846 →5565 times
λόγῳword
logoG3056 →329 times
τεθησαυρισμένοιstored up
tethesaurismenoiG2343 →
εἰσὶνthey are
eisinG1510 →2333 times
πυρὶfor fire
puriG4442 →
τηρούμενοιbeing kept
teroumenoiG5083 →70 times
εἰςunto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ἡμέραν[the] day
hemeranG2250 →389 times
κρίσεωςof judgment
kriseosG2920 →47 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀπωλείαςdestruction
apoleiasG684 →18 times
τῶν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀσεβῶνof ungodly
asebonG765 →9 times
ἀνθρώπων.¶men.
anthroponG444 →549 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
it leads to
- Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
- 1 Peter 1:25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
- Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
- Isaiah 55:11
so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.
- Matthew 5:18
For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
- Isaiah 40:8
Through
Isaiah 51:6Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth below; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its people will die like…
it leads to
- Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 34:4
All the stars of heaven will be dissolved. The skies will be rolled up like a scroll, and all their stars will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like foliage from the fig…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 24:35
Through
Revelation 21:1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
it leads to
- Isaiah 65:17–19
For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
- Isaiah 65:17–19
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Peter
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Bonaventure, Breviloquium, Part 7; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Justin Martyr, On the Sovereignty of God, Chapter III; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 Peter and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Peter.