2 Peter 3 · Verse 12

2 Peter 3:12

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

2 Peter 3:12, King James Version

2 Peter 3:12 in other translations

BSB	as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.
WEB	looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
ASV	looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
YLT	waiting for and hasting to the presence of the day of God, by which the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements with burning heat shall melt;
DARBY	waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements, burning with heat, shall melt?
BBE	Looking for and truly desiring the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will come to an end through fire, and the substance of the earth will be changed by the great heat?
Webster	Looking for and hasting to the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

What does 2 Peter 3:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

12. hasting unto--with the utmost eagerness desiring [Wahl], praying for, and contemplating, the coming Saviour as at hand. The Greek may mean "hastening (that is, urging onward [Alford]) the day of God"; not that God's eternal appointment of the time is changeable, but God appoints us as instruments of accomplishing those events which must be first before the day of God can come. By praying for His coming, furthering the preaching of the Gospel for a witness to all nations, and bringing in those whom "the long-suffering of God" waits to save, we hasten the coming of the day of God. The Greek verb is always in New Testament used as neuter (as English Version here), not active; but the Septuagint uses it actively. Christ says, "Surely I come quickly. Amen." Our part is to speed forward this consummation by praying, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Re 22:20). the coming--Greek, "presence" of a person: usually, of the Saviour. the day of God--God has given many myriads of days to men: one shall be the great "day of God" Himself. wherein--rather as Greek, "on account of (or owing to) which" day. heavens--the upper and lower regions of the sky. melt--Our igneous rocks show that they were once in a liquid state.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 12. Looking for. Not knowing when this may occur, the mind should be in that state which constitutes expectation; that is, a belief that it will occur, and a condition of mind in which we would not be taken by surprise should it happen at any moment. Tit 2:13.

And hasting unto the coming. Marg., as in Greek, "hasting the coming." The Greek word rendered hasting, (σπευδω,) means to urge on, to hasten; and then to hasten after anything, to await with eager desire. This is evidently the sense here.--Wetstein and Robinson. The state of mind which is indicated by the word is that when we are anxiously desirous that anything should occur, and when we would hasten or accelerate it if we could. The true Christian does not dread the coming of that day. He looks forward to it as the period of his redemption, and would welcome, at any time, the return of his Lord and Saviour. While he is willing to wait as long as it shall please God for the advent of his Redeemer, yet to him the brightest prospect in the future is that hour when he shall come to take him to himself.

The coming of the day of God. Called "the day of God," because God will then be manifested in his power and glory.

(a) "Looking for" Tit 2:13 (1) "hasting" "hasting the coming" (b) "melt" Isa 35:4, Mic 1:4 (+) "fervent" "great"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 12 The heavens being on fire - See on 2Pet 3:10. (note). It was an ancient opinion among the heathens that the earth should be burnt up with fire; so Ovid, Met., lib. i. v. 256. Esse quoque in fatis reminiscitur, adfore tempus, Quo mare, quo tellus, correptaque regia coeli Ardeat; et mundi moles operosa laboret. "Remembering in the fates a time when fire Should to the battlements of heaven aspire, And all his blazing world above should burn, And all the inferior globe to cinders turn." Dryden. Minucius Felix tells us, xxxiv. 2, that it was a common opinion of the Stoics that, the moisture of the earth being consumed, the whole world would catch fire. The Epicureans held the same sentiment; and indeed it appears in various authors, which proves that a tradition of this kind has pretty generally prevailed in the world. But it is remarkable that none have fancied that it will be destroyed by water. The tradition, founded on the declaration of God, was against this; therefore it was not received.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Peter 3:11-18

From the doctrine of Christ's second coming, we are exhorted to purity and godliness. This is the effect of real knowledge. Very exact and universal holiness is enjoined, not resting in any low measure or degree. True Christians look for new heavens and a new earth; freed from the vanity to which things present are subject, and the sin they are polluted with. Those only who are clothed with the righteousness of…

Read the full comment on 2 Peter 3:11-18 →

2 Peter 3:12 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

προσδοκῶνταςprosdokōntasexpectingG4328

καὶkaiandG2532

σπεύδονταςspeudontashasteningG4692

τὴνtēntheG3588

παρουσίανparousiancomingG3952

τῆςtēsof theG3588

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θεοῦtheouof GodG2316

ἡμέρας,hēmerasday,G2250

δι᾽di᾽throughG1223

ἣνhēnwhichG3739

οὐρανοὶouranoi[the] heavensG3772

πυρούμενοιpuroumenoibeing set on fireG4448

λυθήσονταιluthēsontaiwill be dissolvedG3089

καὶkaiandG2532

στοιχεῖαstoicheia[the] elementsG4747

καυσούμεναkausoumenaburning with heatG2741

τήκεται;tēketaiare melting?G5080

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Peter 3:12

2 Peter 3:10
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.
Isaiah 34:4
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
Micah 1:4
And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.
Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Psalms 50:3
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
2 Peter 3:7
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Isaiah 64:1-12
Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. …
1 Corinthians 1:7-8
So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 6:13-14
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Isaiah 2:1-22
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. …
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Jude 1:21
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Looking.
1Co 1:7; Tit 2:13; Jude 1:21
hasting unto the coming. or, hasting the coming.
10; 1Co 1:8; Php 1:6
the heavens.
10; Ps 50:3; Isa 34:4; Re 6:13,14
melt.
10; Isa 2:1-22; 64:1-12; Mic 1:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Peter 3:11
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2 Peter 3:12
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2 Peter 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Read all of 2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3:12 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Esperando y apresurándoos para la venida del día de Dios, en el cual los cielos siendo encendidos serán deshechos, y los elementos siendo abrasados, se fundirán?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	attendant et hâtant la venue du jour de Dieu, à cause duquel les cieux en feu seront dissous et les éléments embrasés se fondront.
German Elberfelder 1871	Indem ihr erwartet und beschleuniget die Ankunft des Tages Gottes, dessentwegen die Himmel, in Feuer geraten, werden aufgelöst und die Elemente im Brande zerschmelzen werden.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	exspectantes, et properantes in adventum diei Domini, per quem cæli ardentes solventur, et elementa ignis ardore tabescent?