2 Peter 3:5 (YLT)

Passage

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,

Nearby Context

2 Peter 3:3 this first knowing, that there shall come in the latter end of the days scoffers, according to their own desires going on,

2 Peter 3:4 and saying, `Where is the promise of his presence? for since the fathers did fall asleep, all things so remain from the beginning of the creation;'

2 Peter 3:5 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,

2 Peter 3:6 through which the then world, by water having been deluged, was destroyed;

2 Peter 3:7 and the present heavens and the earth, by the same word are treasured, for fire being kept to a day of judgment and destruction of the impious men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "unobserved", "willingly", "heavens", "earth", "water", "through", and "standing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "unobserved" and "willingly", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "and saying Where is the promise of..." into verse 6's "through which the then world by water...", so "unobserved" and "willingly" belong inside that flow. In 2 Peter context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "unobserved" and "willingly" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.