2nd Peter Chapter 3 verse 8 Holy Bible

2nd Peter 3 : 8 Bible Verse Songs

• A Million Years by Paul Baloche

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 8. - But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing; literally, let not this one thing escape you, as especially important. That one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. "With the Lord" means in his sight, in his estimate of things (comp. Psalm 90:4, "A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday"). Bengel finely says, "Dei aeoniologium (sic appellare liceat) differt ab horologic mortalium. Illius gnomon omnes homis simul indicat in summa actione et in summa quiete. Ei nec tardius nec celerius labuntur tempera quam ipsi et oeconomiae ejus aptum sit. Nulls causa est cur finem rerum aut protelare aut accelerare necessum habeat. Qui hoc comprehendemus? Si comprehendere possemus, non opus foret a Mose et Petro addi, apud Dominum." God is eternal: his thought is not, like ours, subject to the law of time; and even we can understand that one day, as the day of the Saviour's death, may have far more of intense action compressed into it, and far more influence upon the spiritual destiny of mankind, than any period of a thousand years. This passage seems to be quoted by Justin Martyr, the 'Epistle of Barnabas,' Irenaeus, and Hippolytus; but they may be referring to Psalm 90, though the quotations resemble the words of St. Peter more closely than those of the psalm.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) Second Answer to the sceptical argument: Time is the condition of man's thought and action, but not of God's. His thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor His ways as our ways; what seems delay to us is none to Him.But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing.--Although these scoffers are willingly ignorant of what refutes their error, do not you be ignorant of what will lead you to the truth.One day is with the Lord as a thousand years.--This half of the saying is quite original, and has no equivalent in Psalm 90:4. The second half is only partially parallel to "a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday, when it is past." Consequently, we cannot be sure that the Apostle had this passage from the Psalms in his mind, though it is probable enough that he had. That God Can punish in one day the sins of a thousand years is a thought which is neither in the text nor in the context. What is insisted on is simply this--that distinctions of long and short time are nothing in the sight of God; delay is a purely human conception. Justin Martyr, about A.D. 145 (Trypho, lxxxi.), gives "the day of the Lord is as a thousand years" as a quotation, and in this form it is closer to 2Peter 3:8 than to Psalm 90:4. As another possible reference to our Epistle follows in the next chapter, it may be regarded as not improbable that Justin knew the Epistle. (See above, second Note on 2Peter 2:1.) But the saying may have been a favourite one, especially with those who held Millenarian views. In the Epistle of Barnabas (xv. 4) we read," For a day means with Him a thousand years, and He Himself witnesseth, saying, Behold, to-day shall be as a thousand years," where for "to-day" the Codex Sinaiticus reads "the day of the Lord." Irenaeus has "The day of the Lord is as a thousand years" twice--(V. xxiii. 2; xxviii. 3); Hippolytus has it once (Comm. on Daniel, Lagarde, p. 153); Methodius once (in Photius' Bibliotheca, cod. 235). In no case, however, is the context at all similar to the verses before us.