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Selected Verse: 2 Peter 3:11 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| 2Pe 3:11 |
King James |
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Your duty, seeing that this is so, is to be ever eagerly expecting the day of God.
then--Some oldest manuscripts substitute "thus" for "then": a happy refutation of the "thus" of the scoffers, Pe2 3:4 (English Version, "As they were," Greek, "thus").
shall be--Greek, "are being (in God's appointment, soon to be fulfilled) dissolved"; the present tense implying the certainty as though it were actually present.
what manner of men--exclamatory. How watchful, prayerful, zealous!
to be--not the mere Greek substantive verb of existence (einai), but (huparchein) denoting a state or condition in which one is supposed to be [TITTMANN]. What holy men ye ought to be found to be, when the event comes! This is "the holy commandment" mentioned in Pe2 3:2.
conversation . . . godliness--Greek, plural: behaviors (towards men), godlinesses (or pieties towards God) in their manifold modes of manifestation. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved - Since this is an undoubted truth.
What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness - In holy conduct and piety. That is, this fact ought to be allowed to exert a deep and abiding influence on us, to induce us to lead holy lives. We should feel that there is nothing permanent on the earth that this is not our abiding home; and that our great interests are in another world. We should be serious, humble, and prayerful; and should make it our great object to be prepared for the solemn scenes through which we are soon to pass. An habitual contemplation of the truth, that all that we see is soon to pass away, would produce a most salutary effect on the mind. It would make us serious. It would repress ambition. It would lead us not to desire to accumulate what must so soon be destroyed. It would prompt us to lay up our treasures in heaven. It would cause us to ask with deep earnestness whether we are prepared for these amazing scenes, should they suddenly burst upon us. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
To be dissolved (λυομένων)
So Rev. But the participle is present; and the idea is rather, are in process of dissolution. The world and all therein is essentially transitory.
Ought ye to be (ὑπάρχειν)
See on Pe2 1:8.
Conversation (ἀναστροφαῖς)
See on Pe1 1:15. Rev., living.
Godliness (εὐσεβείαις)
See on Pe2 1:3. Both words are plural; holy livings and godlinesses. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Seeing then that all these things are dissolved - To the eye of faith it appears as done already. All these things - Mentioned before; all that are included in that scriptural expression, "the heavens and the earth;" that is, the universe. On the fourth day God made the stars, Gen 1:16, which will be dissolved together with the earth. They are deceived, therefore, who restrain either the history of the creation, or this description of the destruction, of the world to the earth and lower heavens; imagining the stars to be more ancient than the earth, and to survive it. Both the dissolution and renovation are ascribed, not to the one heaven which surrounds the earth, but to the heavens in general, Pe2 3:10, Pe2 3:13, without any restriction or limitation. What persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation - With men. And godliness - Toward your Creator. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
All these things shall be dissolved - They will all be separated, all decomposed; but none of them destroyed. And as they are the original matter out of which God formed the terraqueous globe, consequently they may enter again into the composition of a new system; and therefore the apostle says, Pe2 3:13 : we look for new heavens and a new earth - the others being decomposed, a new system is to be formed out of their materials. There is a wonderful philosophic propriety in the words of the apostle in describing this most awful event.
What manner of persons ought ye to be - Some put the note of interrogation at the end of this clause, and join the remaining part with the 12th verse, thus: Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be? By holy conversation and godliness, expecting and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, etc. Only those who walk in holiness, who live a godly and useful life, can contemplate this most awful time with joy.
The word σπευδοντας, which we translate hasting unto, should be tendered earnestly desiring, or wishing for; which is a frequent meaning of the word in the best Greek writers. |
2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.