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2Pe_3:9. Explanation of the seeming delay in the fulfilment of the promise.
οὐ βραδύνει κύριος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ] The genitive does not depend on κύριος (Steinfass), but on the verb, which here is not intransitive, as if περί (Hornejus), or ἕνεκα (Pott), or some such word were to be supplied, but transitive; although elsewhere it governs the accusative (Isa_46:13, LXX.: τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν παρʼ ἐμοῦ οὐ βραδυνῶ ), it can, in the idea of it, be likewise construed with the genitive.[97]
βραδύνει means not simply: “differre, to put off,” for the author admits a delay, but it contains in it the idea of tardiness (Gen_43:10), which even holds out the prospect of a non-fulfilment; Gerhard: discrimen est inter tardare et differre; is demum tardat, qui ultra debitum tempus, quod agendum est, differt. Cf. with this passage, Hab_2:3 (Heb_10:37) and Sir_32:22 (in Luther’s translation, 35:22), LXX.: καὶ ὁ κύριος οὐ μὴ βραδύνῃ , οὐδὲ μὴ μακροθυμήσει .
κύριος here, as in 2Pe_3:8, is God, not Christ, as Schott vainly tries to prove.
ὡς τινές βραδύτητα ἡγοῦνται ] “as some consider it tardiness;” that is, that, contrary to expectation, the promise has not yet been fulfilled; Grotius: et propterea ipsam quoque rem promissam in dubium trahunt. τίνες denotes not the scoffers, but members of the church weak in the faith.
ἀλλὰ μυκροθυμεῖ εἰς ὑμᾶς ] μακροθυμεῖν c. ἐπί : Mat_18:26; Mat_18:29; Luk_18:7, etc.; c. πρός : 1Th_5:14; c. εἰς only here: “with reference to you.”
εἰς ὑμᾶς ] not: “towards mankind called of free grace” (Dietlein), nor towards the heathen (Schott), but in ὑμᾶς the readers are addressed to whom the epistle is written, the more general reference to the others being understood as a matter of course. The reason of the non-fulfilment hitherto lies in the long-suffering love of God; the nearer definition lies in the words which follow.
μὴ βουλόμενος ] The participle in an explanatory sense: “in that he is not willing.”[98]
τινὰς ἀπολέσθαι ] τινάς , namely, such as still lead a sensual life.
ἀλλὰ πάντας εἰς μετάνοιαν χωρῆσαι ] χωρεῖν here similarly as in Mat_15:17 (Aeschyl. Pers. v. 385: εἰς ναῦν ; cf. Wahl, s.v.), “but come to repentance,” or perhaps more correctly: “enter into repentance;” not as Dietlein thinks: “take the decisive step to repentance;” Calvin would, quite incorrectly, take χωρεῖν either as equivalent to recipere, so that κύριος would be the subject, or as an intrans. verb equal to colligi, aggregari.
With the thought, cf. 1Ti_2:4; Eze_18:23; Eze_33:11.[99]
[97] To combine τῆς ἐπαγγελίας with the subsequent ὥς τινες βραδύτητα ἡγοῦνται , so as to make the genitive dependent on βραδύτητα (Hofmann), produces a very clumsy and artificial construction.
[98] According to Dietlein, βούλεσθαι expresses a “determination of the will;” θέλειν , “willing as a self-determination;” this is incorrect, βούλεσθαι rather means willing, arising with and from conscious reflection; θέλειν , on the other hand, is willing in general, arising also from direct inclination.
[99] In order to deprive this passage of all force against the doctrine of predestination, Calvin remarks: sed hic quaeri potest: si neminem Deus perire vult, cur tam multi pereunt? Respondeo, non de arcano Dei consilio hic fieri mentionem, quo destinati sunt reprobi in suum exitum: sed tantum de voluntate, quae nobis in evangelio patent. Omnibus enim promiscue manunmillic porrigit Deus, sed eos tantum apprehendit, ut ad se ducat, quos ante conditum mundum elegit; Beza, Piscator, etc., also apply this passage to the electi only.