Lexical Summary tékó: To bear, bring forth, give birth Original Word: τίκτω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance melt. Apparently a primary verb; to liquefy -- melt. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a root tak- Definition to melt (down), to melt away NASB Translation melt (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5080: τήκωτήκω: from Homer down; to make liquid; passive, to become liquid, to melt; to perish or be destroyed by melting: 2 Peter 3:12, where for the present 3 person singular τήκεται Lachmann gives the future τακήσεται (see WH on the passage and in their Appendix, p. 171), cf. Isaiah 34:4 τακήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν. (Cf. Veitch, under the word.) Topical Lexicon Overview The verb behind Strong’s Greek number 5080 appears only once in the Greek New Testament, in 2 Peter 3:12, describing the heavens “melting” in the intense heat of divine judgment. Though rare in the New Testament, the concept it expresses—complete dissolution under fiery heat—echoes a rich Old Testament and Second Temple background in which mountains, wax, idols, and even human courage “melt” before the presence of God. Old Testament Background 1. Physical creation dissolving before God These texts prepare the way for Peter’s climactic vision of the present heavens and earth being reduced to nothing in order to introduce the “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Peter 3:13). Use in Second Temple and Apocalyptic Literature Jewish apocalyptic writings often adopted melting imagery to describe the cosmic upheaval preceding the age to come. The idea of the firmament being “rolled up” (Isaiah 34:4) or “passing away” (1 Enoch 1:6) parallels the Petrine language, reinforcing that the melting is not annihilation of matter but radical transformation by purifying fire. New Testament Context (2 Peter 3:12) “as you look forward to the day of God and hasten its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” Peter uses the verb to connect three realities: 1. The certainty of final judgment—God’s word is as sure in ending the present order as it was in creating it (2 Peter 3:5–7). Theological Significance Purification: The same fiery heat that dissolves the old purges it of impurity, a cosmic analogue to personal sanctification. Permanence versus impermanence: All that is merely created can be melted; only God’s promises remain unshaken (Hebrews 12:27–28). Hope: The melting is transitional, not terminal. It clears the stage for the promised renewed creation where righteousness dwells. Historical and Ministerial Implications Early Christian preaching employed this imagery to call for moral earnestness (Didache 16). The church’s eschatological hope fueled missionary zeal: if the present order is destined to melt, eternal realities become paramount. Pastoral counsel still draws on this truth, encouraging believers to hold possessions lightly, steward creation responsibly, and invest in what survives the final fire—faith, hope, and love. Practical Application for Believers • Holiness: Knowing that every earthly security can dissolve prompts separation from sin (2 Peter 3:14). Conclusion Strong’s Greek 5080 serves as a vivid, singular reminder that creation’s present form is temporary. Its melting is both judgment upon sin and a divine clearing of the canvas for the masterpiece of the new heavens and new earth. Believers therefore live expectantly, pursuing purity and proclaiming salvation while there is time. Forms and Transliterations ετάκη ετάκην ετάκησαν ετήκετο τακείς τακείσα τακή τακήσεται τακήσονται τήκει τηκεται τήκεται τηκόμεθα τηκομένη τηκομένην τηκόμενοι τηκόμενος τήκω τηλαυγές τηλαύγημα τηλαυγής τηλαυγήσεως τήξει teketai tēketai tḗketaiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Peter 3:12 V-PIM/P-3SGRK: στοιχεῖα καυσούμενα τήκεται NAS: and the elements will melt with intense heat! KJV: the elements shall melt with fervent heat? INT: [the] elements burning with heat shall melt |
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