THE LORD IS NOT SLOW ABOUT HIS PROMISE AS SOME COUNT SLOWNESS: ou bradunei (3SPAInd) kurios tes epaggalias hos tines braduteta hegountai (3PPMI): (Isa 46:13; Hab 2:3; Lu 18:7,8; Heb 10:37)

Peter moves from the timelessness of God to the tenderness of God. 

Peter does not dispute the mocker's claim that the Second Coming had been delayed. He uses the delay as an opportunity to explain that another reason the Lord’s return seems to be so long in coming is that God wants as many people to be saved as possible.

Slow (1019) (braduno) means to tarry, loiter, delay, be tardy or delayed beyond the expected or proper time. Note what God is "slow" in regard to in [Ps 86:15 Is 30:18].

The KJV says God is not "slack" a state characterized by slowness, sluggishness, or lack of energy - none of those apply to God. 

God’s so-called “tardiness” as viewed by some people (as some count slowness) is only a delay with respect to their time schedules, not His!

Not is the Greek word "ou" which is the absolute form of negation, so what Peter is saying is that "slowness" or "slackness" is absolutely not part of God's actions. His delay is due neither to indifference or inability to perform. God waits but is never slow, never late for it is always within His power to fulfill His promise as He sees fit. As discussed in the preceding verse, God's "timepiece" is eternity so He sees things differently than man in regard to what is "slow".  God’s delay in fulfilling His promise is not, like men’s delays, owing to inability or fickleness in keeping His word, but is related to His attribute of longsuffering toward sinners.

Promise(1860)  (epaggelia from epaggello = to announce that one is about to do or furnish something from epi = upon, intensifies meaning + aggelos = messenger or aggello = to tell or declare) is a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified. It is also a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.

Epaggelia is used primarily of the promises of God. God has promised to end the history of ungodly men with judgment but the other truth about God is that He has always been longsuffering toward woeful, wicked sinners desiring their repentance. If there seems to be delay, it is not because God is unfaithful to His promise.

Some count slowness  indicates that delaying was being ascribed to the Lord by "some" (tines = "certain ones"), who in context could refer to the mockers or could include believers who had been "infected" by the skeptical propaganda of the scoffers. Clearly Peter desires that any of his readers who might be confused by the Lord's delay, should not succumb to the spirit of doubting.

Count (2233) (hegeomai) means to consider and give careful thought, not making a quick decision. It was a mathematical term conveying the idea of thinking about something and coming to a conclusion. In other words, one leads their mind through a reasoning process and arrives at a conclusion. Some had carefully considered the facts but "their math was bad" and they had come to an incorrect conclusion regarding the Lord's delay.

Peter undoubtedly recalls His Lord's parting words that...

It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority (Acts 1:7).

Jesus Himself had also said

But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only (Matt. 24:36)

BUT IS PATIENT TOWARD YOU: alla makrothumei (3SPAI) eis humas: (15; Ex 34:6; Ps 86:15; Is 30:18; Ro 9:22; 1 Ti 1:16; 1 Pe 3:20)

But (235) (alla) introduces contrast (see discussion on importance of terms of contrast in the observation phase of Inductive Bible Study) and when used after a negative statement ("not slow") marks a direct, even emphatic antithesis and can be translated "but, but rather, but on the contrary".

In short, in this verse but introduces the contrasting reality that God's deliberate delaying action has a wonderfully benevolent purpose.

Toward you reminds the readers that they (and we) themselves have experienced this fact of His loving patience.

Patient (3114) (makrothumeo from makrós = long + thumós = wrath, anger) (See also word study of noun makrothumia) (See God's attribute longsuffering) means to have "a long fuse", to be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish, to exhibit self-restraint in the face of provocation, not to retaliate, to bear the offenses and injuries of others, to be mild and slow in avenging.

Being slow to anger does not mean that God does not care but that He has His "emotions under control."

The present tense of makrothumeo characterizes God as continually exercising restraint in the face of provocation so that He does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish, but that He continues to show mercy toward the guilty.

Paul describes the related noun makrothumia as one of the aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life (Gal 5:22).

Chrysostom an early church father said makrothumeo

“is a word which is used of the man who is wronged and who has it easily in his power to avenge himself but will never do it.” (cf. Nu 14:18)

God waits for men to be saved and exhibits an immense capacity for patience before He breaks forth in judgment (Joel 2:13; Lu 15:20).

God endures endless blasphemies against His name, along with rebellion, murders, and the ongoing breaking of His law, waiting patiently while He is calling and redeeming His own. It is not impotence or slackness that delays final judgment but it is His attribute of patience. This attribute of God is reflected in His ability to be inconvenienced or taken advantage of by a person over and over again and yet not manifest anger! Amazing love and grace from an amazing God.

God's "longsuffering" was behind His delaying the Genesis Flood for 120 years,

"when the patience [makrothumia] of God kept waiting in the days of Noah during the construction of the ark in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through the water" (see note 1 Peter 3:20)

God was not blind to the violence and wickedness of man (Gen 6:5-6) which justifiably would have warranted His immediate judgment and yet He held back His wrath, instead sending the evildoers Noah a “preacher of righteousness.” (see note 2 Peter 2:5).

In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, God patiently waited while Abraham interceded for the cities and He would have spared them had He found ten righteous people in Sodom (Gen 18:23-33).

This same longsuffering that manifested itself in the days before the world's cataclysmic destruction by water and the local destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone, is still manifest today as God holds off the coming destruction of the universe by an all consuming conflagration.

It is worth noting that God revealed this same long-suffering in the years before the Flood (notes 1 Peter 3:20 cf Ge 15:16). He saw the violence and wickedness of man and could have judged the world immediately; yet He held back.

The day of the Lord is a familiar Old Testament image for the ultimate day of God’s judgment, His final day in court when He settles the injustices of the world. From the above Scriptural references (and others) one can piece together the following portrait of the Day of the Lord. 

Even a cursory study indicates that this day is not a reference to a single 24 day but to an extended period of time as will be explained below.

When does this "day" begin?

You will read descriptions in some commentaries that state the Day of the Lord begins with the rapture of the church  (so-called "pre-trib rapture")  (see notes 1Thessalonians 4:13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18), the event which most evangelicals feel immediately precedes the last seven years of Seventy Weeks of Daniel, and is popularly known as the "Tribulation", although nowhere in Scripture is this seventieth week of 7 years actually specifically designated "the tribulation" (let me know if you find a passage that contradicts this conclusion - remember that "the Great Tribulation" only refers to the last three and one-half years of this seven year period).

According to Paul the "Day of the LORD" begins after the man of lawlessness (antichrist) (2Th 2:2,2:3, 2:4) takes his seat and desecrates the rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Jesus referred to this dramatic event as the "Abomination of Desolation" (cf Daniel 9:27 see Daniel's Seventieth Week) which marks the beginning of the last 3.5 years of Daniel's Seventieth Week (see notes Daniel 9:27), a period Jesus called the Great Tribulation (Mt 24:15,21) which is synonymous with  the "Time of Jacob's Distress" (Jer 30:7). For more in depth study of this last 7 year period see the links below...

Verse by Verse commentary - Daniel 9:24 9:25 9:26 9:27
Daniel 9:24-27: Introductory Comments
Daniel 9:24-27: Part 1: Notes on verses 24-25
Daniel 9:24-27: Part 2: Notes on verses 26-27
Summary Chart of Daniel's Seventieth Week
See also lectures on Da 9:24-27: 14, 15, 16
See related discussion on the Day of the Lord

So if the Day of the Lord does not begin with the rapture of the church, when does it begin? A more likely beginning for the Day of the Lord is at the midpoint of the 7 Year period of Daniel (compare Daniel 9:27 and Mt 24:15,21).

The events that take place during this 7 year period ("Tribulation") are described in great detail in Revelation (especially chapters Rev 6-21 click for over 25 lectures on Revelation).

Peter describes the Day of the Lord as a fiery conflagration of the heavens and earth, an event has to follow the 1000 year reign of Christ ("the Millennium").

NOT WISHING FOR ANY TO PERISH: me boulomenos (PPPMSN) tiapolesthai (AMN): (cf. Isa 55:1; Eze 18:23. 32; 33:11, Mt 11:28; Lu 13:3; Rev 22:17)

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.

Wishing (1014) (boulomai) expresses more strongly than thelo the deliberate exercise of one's will. (present tense)

Scofield has an interesting thought on the will of God (but be a Berean) that...

Three aspects of the will of God may be observed in Scripture:

(1) the sovereign will of God (Isa 46:9-11; Dan 4:17,35; Heb 2:4; Rev 17:17);

(2) the moral will of God, i.e. His moral law (Mark 3:35; Eph 6:6; Heb 13:21); and

(3) the desires of God coming from His heart of love (Ezek 33:11; Mat 23:37; 2 Pet 3:9).

The sovereign will of God is certain of complete fulfillment, but the moral law is disobeyed by men, and the desires of God are fulfilled only to the extent that they are included in His sovereign will. God does not desire that any should perish, but it is clear that many will not be saved (Rev 21:8).

Boulomai expresses also the inward predisposition and bent from which active volition proceeds; hence it is never used of evil people.

Boulomai denotes the unconscious willing or an inner decision or thinking while thelo indicates conscious willing and denotes a more active resolution urging on to action.

The scoffers did not understand God’s eternality nor did they understand His undeserved mercy. 

God's "wish" for mankind is the motive for His longsuffering.

Note that not wishing does not refer to the ultimate determining will of God but rather to His standing wish or desire for mankind. In other words (but it still might seem confusing) boulomai has reference to God's disposition or His nature rather than to a specific act or plan.  It is not God’s considered will that any should perish. On one side we have the clear teaching of the sovereignty of God and on the other hand, the indisputable truth concerning the free will of man. God will not violate man’s free will. While it is His considered will (standing wish or desire) that no one should be lost, yet in making man in His image He necessarily had to make him a free moral agent, with a will which is able to say “yes” and “no” to Him. While God is always willing to save man, man is not always willing to be saved.  Don't be confused by this section -- God's "wishing" here does not express a decree (determining will), as if God has willed everyone to be saved. Universal salvation is not taught in the Bible. Instead those words describe God’s standing wish or desire which is that He longs that all would be saved (1Ti 2:4) but knows that many reject Him, again leaving open the possibility of human freedom of choice.

Perish (622) (apollumi from apo = away from + olethros = state of utter ruin) (Click word study on apollumi) means destruction but not annihilation and has to do with that which is ruined and is no longer usable for its intended purpose.

Apollumi is not the loss of being, but of well-being and in the present context indicates eternal separation from God Himself. To perish spiritually is to be forever lost.

Note the little word "any" (Greek word tis = someone, certain one & in the plural here = "certain ones") which is the so-called "individualizing plural" which speaks of God's desire for men individually (to not perish), and is not a generalization about certain groups or classes of people. Clearly God is personally intimately concerned for every individual person, whether they accept or refuse His gracious offer of salvation by grace and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ's propitiatory (Propitiation that which satisfied the wrath of Holy God) death in their place. Peter knew as we today also know all too painfully, that many individuals will perish into a Christ-less eternity, but Peter's point is that this egregious end is not God's personal desire for them. The cause of their perishing lies not in God but in each individual's stubborn and rebellious rejection of redemption offered by faith in Christ.

God's heart on this issue is clearly revealed by the prophet Ezekiel who quoted Jehovah as follows:

'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, BUT RATHER that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways!" (Ezekiel 33:11 see also Ezekiel 18:23)

In (Ezekiel 33:32) God says

I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, REPENT and live.

Finally Paul unveils the Father's heart as the One

Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ()

And so contrary to popular opinion of many who are misinformed concerning the character of God, His heart in both the Old and New Testaments is that not one man would perish but that all would come to repentance. And so He holds back His had of righteous judgment.

John Calvin comments on Not willing that any should perish writing that

So wonderful is His love towards mankind, that He would have them all to be saved, and is of His own self prepared to bestow salvation on the lost

He Was Not Willing
“He was not willing that any should perish”;
Jesus enthroned in the glory above,
Saw our poor fallen world, pitied our sorrows,
Poured out His life for us, wonderful love!

Perishing, perishing! Thronging our pathway,
Hearts break with burdens too heavy to bear:
Jesus would save, but there’s no one to tell them,
No one to lift them from sin and despair.

“He was not willing that any should perish”;
Clothed in our flesh with its sorrow and pain,
Came He to seek the lost, comfort the mourner,
Heal the heart broken by sorrow and shame.

Perishing, perishing! Harvest is passing,
Reapers are few and the night draweth near:
Jesus is calling thee, haste to the reaping,
Thou shalt have souls, precious souls for thy hire.

Plenty for pleasure, but little for Jesus;
Time for the world with its troubles and toys,
No time for Jesus’ work, feeding the hungry,
Lifting lost souls to eternity’s joys.

Perishing, perishing! Hark, how they call us;
Bring us your Savior, oh, tell us of Him!
We are so weary, so heavily laden,
And with long weeping our eyes have grown dim.

“He was not willing that any should perish”;
Am I His follower, and can I live
Longer at ease with a soul going downward,
Lost for the lack of the help I might give!

Perishing, perishing! Thou wast not willing;
Master, forgive, and inspire us anew;
Banish our worldliness, help us to ever
Live with eternity’s values in view.

BUT FOR ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE: alla pantas eis metanoian choesai (AAN) eis metanoian choesai (AAN): (See Torrey's Topic "Repentance") (Ro 2:4; 1 Ti 2:4; Rev 2:21)

All (3956) (pas, plural = pantas) means all with no exceptions.

How good to have an answer for those who ridicule the idea of a coming Judgment Day. “God’s just waiting for you to be saved!” Delay is another evidence of God’s love.

As Hiebert notes

The fact that this is God's desire for all (pantas) individuals, underscores mankind's fundamental need for such a moral reformation.

I am including the following comment from William Barclay so that you might be wary (see another critique) when using his popular commentaries (which I do quote elsewhere on this website) which, although often providing unique insights into the Greco-Roman culture, history and word meanings, are subtly laced with the arsenic of half-truth which calls for caveat emptor ("let the buyer beware" so to speak). Now with this forewarning read Barclay's comment on 2Peter 3:9...

Ever and again there shines in Scripture the glint of the larger hope. We are not forbidden to believe that somehow and some time the God Who loves the world will bring the whole world to Himself.

Do you understand what Barclay is implying?  Read it one more time like a good Berean (Acts 17:11). Clearly Barclay affirms the possibility of universalism (all men will be saved) and yet look back at evidence to the contrary even in the context of this book (notes on 2 Peter 2:7). Furthermore, the plain thrust of Peter's teaching in this section is that after the second coming, ushering in the judgment of conflagration, there will be no further opportunity for repentance. You must also note what is clearly NOT being taught in passages like this --

There is absolutely no indication
of a "secret decree" by God
which predestinates certain ones
unto eternal damnation.

That specious (having deceptive attraction, having a false look of truth) argument is not substantiated in the current text nor anywhere else in Holy Writ! Keep in mind that the best commentary is to compare Scripture with Scripture (far better than these "Verse by Verse" notes!)

To come (5562) (choreo) means to “make room for something” and so to give place to or receive it.

In context choreo means to make room for (receive) repentance in one's heart by putting away stubborn pride and welcoming the Word of God which "births" forth a brand new life (notes on 1 Peter 1:23-25).

Repentance is the gift of God as shown by the following passages

"Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life" = Acts 11:18, 16:14;

"God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth" = (see notes 2 Timothy 2:25)

"the kindness of God leads you to repentance"= (see notes Romans 2:4)

Yes repentance is a gift but In the divine mystery of the transaction that results in the new birth, the unbeliever has personal responsibility to make room for God's gift. Salvation is of God but He will not force us to be born again as if we were "puppets". Peter describes salvation as...

according to His great mercy He caused us to be born again to a living hope, thru the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (see notes 1 Peter 1:3).

God may cause us but He will not coerce us (against our will) to be saved. All who are not saved have made a free will choice to not "make room for" His precious gift of repentance.

Repentance (3341) (metanoia from meta = after + noéo = to understand) literally means "afterthought" or "to think after" and implies a change of mind.

From the NT uses, it is clear that metanoia means however much more than merely a change of one's mind but also includes a complete change of heart, attitude, interest, and direction. Metanoia is a conversion in every sense of the word. Jesus' teaching would support this conclusion for our Lord declared...

I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (metanoeo), than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance (metanoia).   (Luke 15:7)

Metanoia is used 22 times in the NT - see verses below (Matthew 2x; Mark; Luke 5x; Acts 6x; Romans