Bible Strands
1 Peter 3:20
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Peter addresses early Christians, anchoring his argument in the historical era of Noah to explain the timeline of divine judgment and deliverance. He positions the flood narrative as the direct backdrop for his readers’ current experience.
The words — ἀπειθὴσιν (apeithēsin) translates literally to "having disobeyed," describing the persistent refusal of the antediluvian generation. μακροθυμία (makrothymia) denotes God’s deliberate patience during the ark’s construction.
The thread — The flood narrative and Noah’s faith appear in Hebrews 11:7 and 2 Peter 2:5, while Genesis 6:3 records God’s declaration regarding human mortality. Peter explicitly connects these accounts to his readers’ experience in 1 Peter 3:21.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that divine patience precedes judgment, requiring readers to trust God’s timing rather than demand immediate resolution. It frames present suffering as a context for enduring faith, not a sign of abandonment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
- 2 Peter 2:5 if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;
- Genesis 6:3 So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”
- Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
- Genesis 8:18 So Noah came out, along with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.
- Genesis 6:13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth.
- Romans 2:4 Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- Genesis 7:13 On that very day Noah entered the ark, along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife, and the three wives of his sons—
- Genesis 7:17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth.
- Matthew 7:14 But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.