I Peter 3:20 · Bible study
1 Peter 3:20 Commentary: Disobedient Spirits and God’s Longsuffering in Noah’s Day
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine 1 Pet 3:20: the disobedient of Noah’s day, God’s patience, and salvation through water. Scholarly analysis on Christ’s preaching and the flood.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Identifies the spirits to whom Christ preached as the disobedient of Noah’s day; highlights God’s patience and salvation through water.
- Key words: apeithō (disobey, refuse persuasion), makrothumia (longsuffering), kibotos (ark), diasōzō (bring safely through), di’ hudatos (through water).
- Main debate: Was Christ’s preaching to the imprisoned spirits an offer of salvation or a proclamation of victory? Did Christ preach personally or through Noah?
- Theological theme: God’s patient mercy and judgment; salvation involves both being carried through judgment and being separated from the condemned.
- Best use: To explore God’s character in delaying judgment and to show that deliverance often comes through, not around, trials.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.
WEB World English Bible 2000
who before were disobedient when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ship was being built. In it, few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
KJV King James Version 1769
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
who sometime disbelieved, when once the long-suffering of God did wait, in days of Noah--an ark being preparing--in which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
heretofore disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in [the] days of Noah while the ark was preparing, into which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Los cuales en otro tiempo fueron desobedientes, cuando una vez esperaba la paciencia de Dios en los días de Noé, cuando se aparejaba el arca; en la cual pocas, es|strong="G5123, G2076" á saber, ocho personas fueron salvas por agua.
Estes são os que antigamente foram rebeldes, quando a paciência de Deus aguardava nos dias de Noé, enquanto era preparada a arca. Nela, poucas almas (isto é, oito) foram salvas por meio da água.
qui autrefois avaient été incrédules, lorsque la patience de Dieu se prolongeait, aux jours de Noé, pendant la construction de l’ arche, dans laquelle un petit nombre de personnes, c’est-à-dire, huit, furent sauvées à travers l’ eau.
die vorzeiten nicht glaubten, da Gott harrte und Geduld hatte zu den Zeiten Noahs, da man die Arche zurüstete, in welcher wenige, das ist acht Seelen, gerettet wurden durchs Wasser;
Die eertijds ongehoorzaam waren, wanneer de lankmoedigheid Gods eenmaal verwachtte, in de dagen van Noach, als de ark toebereid werd; waarin weinige (dat is acht) zielen behouden werden door het water.
i quali un tempo furon ribelli, quando la pazienza di Dio aspettava, ai giorni di Noè, mentre si preparava l’arca; nella quale poche anime, cioè otto, furon salvate tra mezzo all’acqua.
Którzy niekiedy nieposłuszni byli, gdy raz oczekiwała Boża cierpliwość za dni Noego, kiedy korab gotowano, w którym mało (to jest ośm) dusz zachowane są w wodzie.
некогда непокорным ожидавшему их Божию долготерпению, во дни Ноя, во время строения ковчега, в котором немногие, то есть восемь душ, спаслись от воды.
就是那 從前 在 挪亞 預備 方舟、 神 容忍 等待 的時候，不信從的人。當時進入方舟，藉著 水 得救 的不多， 只有 八個 人。
Who, in the days of Noah, went against God's orders; but God in his mercy kept back the punishment, while Noah got ready the ark, in which a small number, that is to say eight persons, got salvation through water:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Peter 3:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators generally agree that verse 20 identifies the “spirits in prison” from verse 19. They are the people of Noah’s generation who refused to believe. God’s patience appears in the 120-year period while the ark was being built (Gen 6:3). Gill notes the ark took that full time, giving constant opportunity to repent. The verb apexedecheto (imperfect middle of apekdechomai) means “was patiently waiting”, God kept expecting a change that never came. The few who were saved, eight souls, entered the ark and were brought safely through the water. On the phrase “through water” (di’ hudatos), Vincent observes a pregnant construction: into the ark they entered, and through the floodwaters they were preserved.
Most commentators agree that the floodwaters did two things at once: they judged the unbelieving and lifted up the ark to safety. The main debate concerns who did the preaching in verse 19 and what that preaching accomplished. Was it Christ himself proclaiming to the dead in Hades, or Christ by his Spirit speaking through Noah to the living? And did that preaching offer salvation or announce victory? These questions divide equally careful readers.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Second chance in Hades: Christ preached to the dead, offering salvation; supported by early fathers (Clement, Origen) and the Apostles’ Creed’s descent clause.
- Proclamation of victory to fallen angels/human dead: Christ announced his triumph to imprisoned spirits (demons or human souls); emphasizes judgment rather than new opportunity (Calvin, many Reformed).
- Preaching through Noah: Christ by his Spirit spoke through Noah to the pre-flood generation while they were alive; the spirits are now in prison because they refused (Augustine, Wesley, Matthew Henry).
What is clear: The verse identifies the recipients as the disobedient of Noah’s day, shows God’s patience during the ark’s construction, and underscores that only a few — eight persons — were brought safely through the flood.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the spirits in prison | They are the disobedient of Noah’s generation who were alive when the ark was built. | Some traditions, citing 2 Peter 2:4, 5 and Jude 6, argue these spirits are the fallen angels who intermarried with humans; most Protestant and Catholic scholars see them as human souls now in Hades. |
| Nature of Christ’s preaching | Christ (either personally or through Noah) made a proclamation to those spirits. | One view says Christ offered a post-mortem opportunity for repentance (early fathers, some modern); another says he announced his victory and judgment; a third says he preached through Noah to the living, and the spirits are now in prison because they rejected that message. |
| Meaning of “saved through water” | The water was the medium that accomplished both judgment and rescue. | Some understand <em>di’ hudatos</em> as instrumental: the water saved by buoying the ark (Barnes, Calvin). Others read it as local: the eight were brought safely through the water into the ark (Vincent, Wesley). The difference affects how baptism is seen to “save” in verse 21. |
| Link to baptism | Peter explicitly calls the flood a “symbol” of baptism (verse 21). | Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant traditions see baptism as saving through God’s work; some evangelical traditions emphasize that the water itself does not save but represents a response of faith. Both sides affirm that the real saving power is the resurrection of Christ. |
| The number eight | Eight people entered the ark; the number underscores that only a remnant was saved. | Some see symbolic significance: eight is the number of new beginnings (circumcision on the eighth day, Christ’s resurrection on the eighth day), pointing to the new creation after the flood. Others treat it as simply historical. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Noah’s world stands behind everything in this verse. Genesis 6:5 says every intention of the human heart was only evil continually. Yet God did not act immediately. He gave a 120-year window (Gen 6:3). During that time Noah built an enormous ship far from any sea, an act that itself preached judgment and mercy. The rabbis cited in Pirkey Aboth noted that ten generations passed from Adam to Noah, letting God’s long-suffering show itself before the flood came (Clarke, quoting this tradition).
The ark (kibotos, used also for the covenant chest in the tabernacle) was both a refuge and a vessel of judgment. By entering it the eight, Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives, declared their trust in God’s word. Everyone else stayed outside. When the waters came, the same element that destroyed the disobedient bore up the ark. Jewish literature sometimes adds legends about how the giant Og survived by clinging to the ark (Gill), but Peter stays close to the biblical text: eight souls, no more.
Peter draws on this history to encourage believers who faced hostility. Just as God’s patience ran a long course before the flood, so the present time allows for repentance. And just as a small number was saved then, so a faithful remnant can be preserved now through suffering.
Textual Notes
The earliest Greek manuscripts (such as Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus) do not include the word pote (once) in verse 20. Later manuscripts add it, likely to smooth the connection to verse 19. Either way, the sense is unchanged, the reference is clearly to a past generation. The main verb apexedecheto (was waiting) is well-attested across all major manuscript families. There are no textual variants that significantly alter the meaning of the verse.
Reception History
Early church fathers like Clement of Alexandria and Origen read this passage as evidence that Christ descended to Hades to offer salvation to the righteous dead of the Old Testament, and even to the disobedient of Noah’s day. This interpretation shaped the “harrowing of hell” tradition found in the Apostles’ Creed (“He descended into hell”). Augustine took a different line, arguing that Christ preached through Noah to the living, and that the spirits are now in prison only because they rejected that preaching. The medieval church largely followed the harrowing motif. During the Reformation, Calvin and others insisted that Christ’s preaching in verse 19 was a proclamation of victory, not an offer of a second chance, and that it took place in the Spirit through Noah. Modern study continues to divide along similar lines, some emphasizing the mercy of a post-mortem proclamation, others the once-for-all nature of this life’s decision.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God waits. The verb apexedecheto shows patient expectation, not passive delay. God held back judgment for 120 years while the ark took shape.
- God saves through judgment. The water that drowned the world also lifted Noah to safety. Salvation and judgment are two sides of the same event.
- God works with a remnant. Only eight were saved. Small numbers do not mean small power, God can keep his people safe in any circumstance.
Five-point outline
- Disobedience defined. Those who “disobeyed” (apeitheō) refused to be persuaded. They heard the warning through Noah but did not believe.
- Divine patience measured. The 120 years were not a failure to act; they proved God’s reluctance to give up on sinners.
- Visible preparation. The ark under construction was a daily object lesson. The same ship that would save Noah was a constant reminder of coming judgment.
- Few but preserved. Eight souls. The number underlines that salvation is never a majority decision.
- Water as the means. Di’ hudatos, the floodwaters did not merely coexist with the ark; they were the channel through which Noah’s family came safely to a new world.
Illustration hooks
- A contractor builds a fire escape while no one sees smoke. Neighbors mock the project until the fire comes.
- A parent gives a teenager rule after rule, each time hoping they will listen, pushing back the consequences as long as possible.
- During a flood in a small town, one house sits on high ground designed by an engineer everyone laughed at. The water rises, and the house becomes the shelter.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did the people who drowned have a chance to repent after death? This verse often raises that question.
- Why would God wait so long if he knew they would not change?
- Does “through water” mean baptism saves people today in the same way?
Leading a Discussion
This passage occurs in a section about Christ’s victory through suffering. Peter uses Noah’s story to show that even when God’s patience runs long, he does not abandon the righteous. Small groups can use these questions to move from what the text says to how it shapes faith.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 18, 22 together. Who are the “spirits in prison” in verse 19, and how does verse 20 identify them?
- Why does Peter mention that the ark was “being prepared” (verse 20)? What does that detail add to the picture of God’s patience?
- Noah preached for years with no response except from his own family. How does that pattern encourage or challenge believers who see little fruit from their witness?
- The same water drowned the disobedient and saved Noah. In what ways can a single event bring both judgment and deliverance?
- Verse 21 calls baptism a “symbol” of that salvation. What does the flood show us about what baptism means? (Consider what water does: wash, drown, lift up.)
- If you had been living in Noah’s day, what might have kept you from entering the ark? What keeps people from trusting God today?
- God’s patience lasted 120 years. Where in your own life do you need to trust his timing instead of demanding immediate action?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 6:3 | Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.” |
| Genesis 6:5 | Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil. |
| Genesis 6:13 | God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. |
| Genesis 6:14 | Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. |
| Genesis 7:1 | Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation. |
| Genesis 7:7 | Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters. |
| Genesis 7:13 | In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth—the sons of Noah—and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship— |
| Genesis 7:17 | The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes a subtle distinction in the Greek: the eight souls were saved on the water, not by it, since the water destroyed everyone else. He adds that many of those who perished physically may have repented and received mercy for their souls.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the water which destroyed the wicked was the very element that preserved Noah and his family. He sees a deliberate parallel to Christian baptism, yet carefully avoids claiming the two are identical in mode or spiritual effect: water is employed in both cases, but not with the same manner or power.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin acknowledges the grammatical difficulty that Peter seems to speak only of the unbelieving dead. He argues that the faithful were mixed among them and nearly hidden by their small number, so Peter uses "unbelieving" broadly to refer to the whole generation, not to exclude the godly.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary defends the literal reading that Christ, after His death, went in spirit to preach to the spirits of those disobedient in Noah's day. This is taken as the natural sense of the passage, supported by early church tradition and the Apostles' Creed. The few saved through water prefigure baptism and God's patient desire that none perish.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the striking contrast between God's patient waiting and the small number who were saved—only eight souls. The emphasis falls on both the longsuffering of God while the ark was being built and the terrible fewness of those who responded.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a sharp parallel between the flood and the gospel: the same water that drowned the ungodly lifted the ark to safety. In his view, this mirrors Christ, who is a stumbling block to some and salvation to others. He also stresses that God's longsuffering waited 120 years while the ark was built.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
After His death, Christ went in His spirit to the prison of Hades and preached the Gospel to the spirits who were disobedient in Noah's day. This shows that the reach of His atoning work extends even to the dead, encouraging believers that suffering leads to glory.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the several points packed into this one verse, each building a case for patience under suffering: Christ, though innocent, suffered as a substitute for the guilty, once for all, and with the specific purpose of restoring our access to God. The sufficiency of that single sacrifice, unlike repeated old-covenant offerings, is the heart of his argument.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek phrase for "in which" carries a double sense: Noah's family entered the ark and were then preserved inside it. He also highlights two possible meanings of "by water" — either water was the means of judgment that saved them by destroying the wicked, or they were brought safely through the water itself into the ark.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses the specific length of God's patience: one hundred and twenty years, the entire time Noah built the ark. During that period Noah warned everyone to escape the coming judgment, showing that divine longsuffering actively gave people time to repent before the flood arrived.