Hasting unto. — There is no “unto” in the Greek. The margin is probably right, hasting the coming — i.e., hastening Christ’s coming by holy lives, by helping to make the Gospel known to all nations (Matthew 24:14), so as to “accomplish the number of the elect,” and by praying “Thy kingdom come.” (Comp. 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 22:20.) The thought is singularly parallel to St. Peter’s speech in Solomon’s Porch (Acts 3:19-21, where see Notes); and as the thought is striking and unusual — perhaps nowhere else in the New Testament distinctly — this coincidence may fairly be admitted as a note of genuineness.
The coming of the day of God. — A phrase which occurs here only. It is doubly remarkable: (1) “coming,” in the special sense indicated by the particular word used in the Greek, is elsewhere used of Christ Himself, not of the day; (2) “the day of God” is a very unusual expression.
Wherein. — Rather, by reason of which, either “the day” or “the coming” being meant.
Shall melt. — “Melt” is here correct, being quite a different word from that rendered “melt” in 2 Peter 3:10, which is the same as that here translated “be dissolved.” In the so-called Second Epistle of Clement (chap. 16) we have a somewhat similar passage — “The day of judgment cometh even now as a burning oven (Malachi 4:1), and [the powers] of the heavens shall melt, and all the earth as lead melting on the fire.”