2 Peter 3:5–6
The difficult expression in 3:5 about “land being created out of water
and by water” (γη
εξ υδατος και δι υδατος συνεστωσα) prompted a few interesting textual
changes. Some scribes (C P 0156) clarified that it was “the earth” (η γη) so spoken of, not just “land”
(generically speaking). Nonetheless, both readings interpret Gen 1:6–10 as
describing the creation of land/earth as that which came out of the water (εξ υδατος) and as that which came about as the
result of God separating the waters (= “by the waters”—δι υδατος). A few other scribes (431 1241)
superimposed their reading of the Genesis account on the text, for they changed
εξ υδατος και δι υδατος (“out of water and by water”) to εξ υδατος και πνευματος (“out of water and Spirit”). They saw the
land as coming out of the water over which the Spirit was brooding (Gen 1:2).
An equally difficult expression begins 3:6 because it cannot be
immediately determined what the reference is. The short prepositional phrase δι ὧν, meaning “through which things,” can
refer to (1) heaven and earth, (2) the heavens, (3) the two kinds of water (see
above), or (4) the water and the word of God. Many commentators (see Bauckham
1983, 298–299) favor the fourth view because God’s word is then seen to
accompany the water of creation (3:5), the flood (3:6) and the ultimate
destruction by fire (3:7). Nonetheless, the plural ὧν is still ambiguous; so it was changed to δι ον (“through which”) in a few witnesses (P
69vid 945) to make it a clear reference to “the word”: “by the word
the world at that time was flooded with water and perished.” (Philip
W. Comfort, New Testament Text and Translation Commentary: Commentary on the
Variant Readings of the Ancient New Testament Manuscripts and How They Relate
to the Major English Translations [Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc., 2008], 766-67)
