Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us (wv hmin thv qeiav dunamewv autou dedwrhmenhv). Genitive absolute with the causal particle wv and the perfect middle participle of dwrew, old verb, to bestow (dwrea, gift), usually middle as here, in N.T. elsewhere only Mark 15:45. Autou refers to Christ, who has "divine power" (thv qeiav dunamewv), since he is qeov (II Peter 1:1). Qeiov (from qeov) is an old adjective in N.T. here and verse II Peter 1:4 only, except Acts 17:29, where Paul uses to qeion for deity, thus adapting his language to his audience as the papyri and inscriptions show. The use of qeiov with an imperial connotation is very common in the papyri and the inscriptions. Deissmann (Bible Studies, pp. 360-368) has shown the singular linguistic likeness between II Peter 1:3-11 and a remarkable inscription of the inhabitants of Stratonicea in Caria to Zeus Panhemerios and Hecate dated AD 22 (in full in C I H ii No. 2715 a b). One of the likenesses is the use of thv qeiav dunamewv. Peter may have read this inscription (cf. Paul in Athens) or he may have used "the familiar forms and formulae of religious emotion" (Deissmann), "the official liturgical language of Asia Minor." Peter is fond of dunamiv in this Epistle, and the dunamiv of Christ "is the sword which St. Peter holds over the head of the False Teachers" (Bigg).
All things that pertain unto life and godliness (panta ta prov zwhn kai eusebeian). "All the things for life and godliness." The new life in Christ who is the mystery of godliness (I Timothy 3:16). Eusebeia with its cognates (eusebhs, eusebws, eusebew) occurs only in this Epistle, Acts, and the Pastoral Epistles (from eu, well, and sebomai, to worship).
Of him that called us (tou kalesantov). Genitive of the articular first aorist active participle of kalew. Christ called Peter and all other Christians.
By his own glory and virtue (dia dochv kai arethv). So B K L, but Aleph A C P read idiai doch kai areth (either instrumental case "by" or dative "to"). Peter is fond of idiov (own, I Peter 3:1, I Peter 3:5; II Peter 2:16, II Peter 2:22, etc.). "Glory" here is the manifestation of the Divine Character in Christ. For areth see on I Peter 2:9 and Philippians 4:8; II Peter 1:5.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing 2 Peter 1:3:
Philippians 4:8
1 Peter 2:9
2 Peter 1:2
2 Peter 1:3
2 Peter 1:4
2 Peter 1:5
2 Peter 1:6
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