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2Pe_3:11-12. τούτων οὖν πάντων λυομένων ] τούτων πάντων refers to all the things before mentioned, and not only, as Hofmann thinks, to the immediately preceding ἔργα . As regards the reading οὕτως , instead of the Rec. οὖν , it is indeed not supported by the preponderance of authorities; it deserves, however, the preference because it (equivalent to: “as has before been stated”) is more significant than the reading οὖν . The present λυομένων is explained by Winer, p. 321 [E. T. 430]: “since all this is in its nature destined to dissolution; the lot of dissolution is, as it were, already inherent in those things” (thus also Dietlein, de Wette-Brückner, Wiesinger); but it is more correct to find expressed in the present the certainty of the event, which is, no doubt, as yet future (similarly Schott), especially as the passing away of all things, as it is formerly described, is in consequence not of their nature, but of the will of God as Judge. Hofmann denies, indeed, any reference to the future, remarking: the present participial clause brings out that this is the fate of the subject; but this fate is one which is realized only in the future.
ποταποὺς δεῖ κ . τ . λ .] As regards its arrangement, this period, as far as the end of 2Pe_3:12, is divided by many into two portions, of which the first closes either with ὑμᾶς (Pott, Meyer in his translation) or with εὐσεβείαις (Griesbach, Fronmüller), and forms a question to which the second half supplies the answer. But opposed to this construction is the word: ποταπούς , which in the N. T. is never used as indirect interrogation, but always in exclamation. Consequently the whole forms one clause, which has a hortative sense (so, too, Hofmann),[100] and before which may be supplied for the sake of clearness: “consider therefore.” The sense is: “since all that passes away, consider what manner of persons you ought to be;” Gerhard: quam pie, quam prudenter vos oportet conservari; yet ΠΟΤΑΠΌς (in classical writers generally ΠΟΔΑΠΌς ) is not equivalent to quantus (Bretschneider, de Wette-Brückner), but to qualis.
ἘΝ ἉΓΊΑΙς ἈΝΑΣΤΡΟΦΑῖς ΚΑῚ ΕὐΣΕΒΕΊΑΙς ] The plural marks the holy behaviour and the piety in their different tendencies and forms of manifestation. These words may be taken either with what precedes (so most commentators) or with what follows (thus Steinfass); the latter is to be preferred, since the force of ΠΟΤΑΠΟΎς would only be weakened by this adjunct.
ΠΡΟΣΔΟΚῶΝΤΑς ΚΑῚ ΣΠΕΥΔΟΝΤΑς ΤῊΝ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΊΑΝ Τῆς ΤΟῦ ΘΕΟῦ ἩΜΈΡΑς ] not: “so that,” but: “since ye … in holy walk … look for.”
Most of the earlier interpreters arbitrarily supply εἰς to ΣΠΕΎΔΟΝΤΑς ; Vulg.: exspectantes et properantes in adventum; Luther: “hasten to the day.” Others attribute to the word the meaning: “to expect with longing,” but this force it never has; in the passages quoted in support of it the word rather means: “to prosecute anything with zeal,” e.g. Pind. Isthm. v. 22: σπεύδειν ἀρετάν ; Isa_16:5, LXX.: ΣΠ . ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΎΝΗΝ ; but then the object is always something which is effected by the action of the ΣΠΕΎΔΟΝΤΟς ; the original signification of hastening, hurrying, is to be kept hold of here. That by which this hastening is to be accomplished is to be gathered from 2Pe_3:11, namely, by an holy walk and piety. The context nowhere hints that it is to be accomplished only by prayer[101] (Hofmann, following Bengel).
The expression: τὴν παρουσίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμέρας , occurs nowhere else; with ἡ τ . Θεοῦ ἡμ ., cf. 2Pe_3:10 and Tit_2:13; to παρουσίαν Steinfass arbitrarily supplies “ τοῦ Χριστοῦ .”
διʼ ἣν οὐρανοὶ κ . τ . λ .] A resumption of what is said in 2Pe_3:10.
διʼ ἥν may be referred either to τὴν παρουσίαν (Steinfass, Hofmann) or to τῆς τ . Θ . ἡμέρας ; in both cases the sense remains substantially the same. It is to be taken neither as equivalent to per (like διά , c. gen.), nor in a temporal sense (Luther: “in which”); but it denotes here, as it always does, the occasioning cause, equal to “on account of” (Brückner, Wiesinger, Schott; cf. Winer, p. 373 [E. T. 498]). Dietlein translates correctly, but arbitrarily explains the phrase by: “in whose honour as it were.”
πυρούμενοι ] cf. Eph_6:16; Dietlein falsely: “in that they will burn;” the part. is present, not future.
τήκεται ] de Wette: “ τήκεται must not be taken strictly as meaning to be melted, as if στοιχ . were to be conceived of as a solid mass, it can be regarded as synonymous with λύεσθαι ;” the reference to Isa_34:4, LXX.: καὶ τακήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν (cf. Mic_1:4), cannot fail to be recognised.[102] Gerhard: cum tota mundi machina, coelum, terra et omnia quae sunt in ea sint aliquando peritura, ideo ab inordinata mundi dilectione cor nostrum abstrahentes coelestium bonorum desiderio et amore flagremus.
[100] Hofmann, however, does not urge the N. T. usage of ποταπούς in favour of this construction, but “the want of purpose and coldness of dividing the thought into question and answer.”
[101] De Wette gives substantially the correct interpretation: “They hasten the coming of the day, in that by repentance and holiness they accomplish the work of salvation, and render the μακροθυμία , ver. 9, unnecessary;” and Wiesinger further adds: “and positively bring it on by their prayers” (Rev_22:17).
[102] Although this passage does not finally settle the dispute, whether an entire destruction, an annihilation, or only a transformation of the state of the world is to be looked for, whether the world is to be destroyed by fire, quoad substantiam suam, or quoad qualitates suas, still it gives more support to the second than the first idea, since, in spite of the strong expressions which the writer makes use of, it is not decidedly stated that the world will be dissolved into nothing.