2 Peter 3:5 Meaning: Why Willful Forgetting Can't Stop What's Coming
For they willfully forget that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of God,
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;
for this is unobserved by them willingly, that the heavens were of old, and the earth out of water and through water standing together by the word of God,
For this is hidden from them through their own wilfulness, that heavens were of old, and an earth, having its subsistence out of water and in water, by the word of God,
Meaning in one sentence
Peter refutes scoffers by showing they deliberately ignore that God's word created the world through water, and that same word brought the flood.
Context
Peter is nearing the end of his short second letter, and he is worried. Scoffers have been saying that Jesus will never return. They point out that ever since the first generation of believers died, everything keeps going just as it always has. Peter pulls them back to the beginning. He reminds his readers that the world was not always the way it is now. It was created by God's word out of water and through water. And that same word once flooded the entire earth. So the argument that nothing ever changes is false. The same God who spoke creation into being can speak judgment into history. Peter names the problem: the scoffers are not ignorant because they lack information. Their ignorance is deliberate. They choose not to see.
Key Words
The Greek behind they willfully forget is a striking phrase. The verb lanthanei means it is hidden or it escapes notice. Combine it with thelontas, meaning willingly or by choice, and you get a picture of someone who actively lets a fact slip out of their mind. They look the other way. They do not want to know. That is what Peter sees in the scoffers: they have read Genesis. They know the story. But they refuse to let it change how they think.
Then there is the word sunestōsa, used for the earth being formed or compacted. It carries the idea of something that is held together. The earth did not just happen. It was composed out of water and through water, by the word of God. Creation was an act, not an accident. And if it was an act, then the Creator can act again.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse in different ways while agreeing on the main point: God created the world. Some see a direct link to Genesis 1, where the Spirit hovered over the waters and God spoke the dry land into being. They understand out of water and through water as a reference to the original watery chaos that God formed into an ordered world. Others emphasize the flood itself as the key example, the same water that once supported life became the instrument of judgment. A number of early commentators, including Calvin, pointed out that the scoffers closed their eyes to this clear historical precedent. Whether the focus is on creation, the flood, or both, all traditions affirm that God's word is not a passive force. It creates, it judges, and it promises.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that the scoffers are simply uneducated or confused about the past. In fact, the Greek grammar shows something harder: they deliberately let the truth escape their notice. It is not that they cannot learn. It is that they will not. Their ignorance is an act of the will. Peter is not offering them information they never had. He is telling them that they already know, and they choose to forget.
Living This Out
You might not be a scoffer, but you have probably felt the same temptation. When life drags on and nothing seems to change, it is easy to assume things will always be the way they are now. You stop expecting God to move. You forget that the same word that spoke the universe into being is still active. This week, try something small: when you open your Bible, pause at the word said in Genesis 1 and remember that this is the same God who is not finished yet. Let that reminder break the spell of sameness.
Main takeaway: God spoke the world into being through water, and the same word that created still holds the power to judge and to save.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God made the whole world with His words. He made the water and the land. Some people forgot that God made everything. But we can remember: God is strong and His words are still powerful.
For ages 9, 12
Peter is writing about people who made fun of the idea that Jesus would come back. They said, “Nothing has ever changed, so nothing ever will.” But Peter points out that they are ignoring history. God created the world out of water by speaking. He also used water to flood the earth once. So if God could create the world and flood it, He can certainly come back like He promised. Don't let the world talk you out of trusting God's word.
Questions People Ask
What does 'willfully ignorant' mean in 2 Peter 3:5?
The Greek word lanthanei means 'it is hidden' or 'escapes notice,' and thelon tas means 'willingly' or 'by choice.' So they actively choose to let the truth slip out of their minds. It is not a lack of knowledge but a refusal to remember.
What does 'out of water and through water' refer to?
It refers to the creation account in Genesis 1, where God separated the waters and formed the dry land from them. Some commentators also see a link to the flood, since water was the means of both creation and judgment. The earth was originally composed out of water and held together by God's word.
How does this verse refute the scoffers' argument?
The scoffers claimed that all things continue unchanged from the beginning (verse 4). Peter says they are willfully forgetting that the world was created by God's word, and that the same word once flooded the earth. So history is not static; God has intervened before and will do so again.
Is 2 Peter 3:5 about creation or the flood?
Primarily creation. Peter references the original formation of the earth 'out of water and through water.' Then in verse 6 he adds that the world of that time perished in the flood. So creation is the foundation, and the flood is the follow up example.
Who are the scoffers in 2 Peter 3?
They are people within the Christian community or on its edges who mock the promise of Christ's return. They follow their own selfish desires (verse 3) and point to the apparent stability of the natural world as proof that nothing will ever change. Peter calls them out for deliberately ignoring biblical history.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study