John Bengel Commentary - 1 Peter 3:20 - 3:20

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John Bengel Commentary - 1 Peter 3:20 - 3:20


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1Pe 3:20. Ἀπειθήσασι, who had been unbelieving) who in their life had not believed the patriarchs, when they admonished them in the name of God.-ποτὲ, sometime) This sometime (used in 1Pe 3:5 also with reference to a long time [ago]), and this long-suffering, of which he speaks immediately after, have reference to all ages of the Old Testament previously to the death of Christ. It is called forbearance, Rom 3:26. Long-suffering preceded the first coming of Christ, as here shown, and His second coming, 2Pe 3:9, note.-ὅτε, when) The weak reading, ὅτι, is rightly refuted by Wolf. A certain edition, which has ὂτι, is very corrupt, even in this very word. Some copies have ὂτι, according to Erasmus, even in his first edition; but the Basileensis II. is the only one which is found, from which Erasmus rarely deviated, though he did in this instance, and with reason.-ἀπεξεδέχετο[32]) Other copies have ἅπαξ ἐδέχετο; but very few have this reading, ε being first corrupted into α, as is often the case; nor does the simple verb δέχεσθαι agree with the passage. See App. Crit. on this place. Ἀπεξεδέχετο, that is, God continued waiting, that men might believe. But there is greater force in the Greek double compound: He continued waiting on, until there was an end of His waiting, in the death of the men.-ἐν, in) Understand οἷον: that is, for instance [to wit], in the days of Noah. The most remarkable species is subjoined to the genus, for these reasons: 1) On no occasion did a greater number perish together than at the deluge. 2) By mention of water, Peter conveniently passes to the subject of baptism. 3) The destruction of the world by water is a prelude to its destruction by fire, 2Pe 3:6-7, in conjunction with the last judgment, ch. 1Pe 4:5. Nor is it matter of surprise that the word sometime is used in a wider meaning than the days of Noah; since also the days of Noah altogether were many more than the days of the building of the ark; but these, however, are immediately added. Compare with this the definite marking of time, which gradually becomes more particular, in Mar 14:30; Luk 4:25; Deu 31:10. O what ample (noble) preaching!-κατασκευαζομένης κιβωτοῦ, while an [not the] ark was in preparation) Κιβωτοῦ without the article: Heb 11:7. The expression is adapted to the mind of the unbelieving spectators. This building occupied a long season, for it is not probable that many assisted Noah in his work. During the whole of that time especially the long-suffering of God waited.-εἰς ἣν, into which) Having entered into the ark by faith, they sought and found safety.-ὀλίγοι, a few) It is the more probable that some out of so great a multitude repented, when the rain came; and though they had not believed while God was waiting, and while the ark was building, afterwards, when the ark was completed, and punishment assailed them, began to believe; and to these, and to all like them, Christ afterwards presented Himself as a preacher of grace. Luther attributed less weight to this interpretation in his homilies on 1st Peter, published in A.D. 1523; but shortly before his death he more decidedly embraced it. There is a well-known passage in his Comm. on Gen 7:1, and his Exposition of Hosea agrees with it, published in the year 1545, in which, ch. 1Pe 4:2, he referred the two days (spoken of by the prophet) to the descent into hell; and quoting this passage of Peter, he says; Here Peter plainly says, not only that Christ appeared to the fathers and patriarchs who were dead, some of whom undoubtedly Christ, on His resurrection, raised with Himself to eternal life, but also preached to some who in the time of Noah did not believe, and waited for the patience of God, that is, who hoped that God would not deal so severely with all flesh, in order that they might recognise that THEIR sins were FORGIVEN through the sacrifice of Christ. In accordance with this are the comments of L. Osiander on this passage, of Hutter, in Expl. Concordiæ, p. 993; and also of Peter Martyr, T. I. LL. CC., col. 783.-ὀκτὼ, eight) Ham, who was about to incur the curse, being taken from this number, there were seven, a sacred number.-διʼ ὕδατος, through water) διὰ, through; an appropriate particle, denoting passage, without consideration either of the peril which threatened from the waters in themselves, or of the safety afforded in their being borne above them in the ark. Thus the following verse accords with this.

[32] So ABC Vulg. Orig. 2,553d and 4,135a. Rec. Text has ἅπαξ ἐξεδέχετο, with no authority except Orig. 4,135a in a MS.