John Calvin Commentary 2 Peter 3:9

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." — 2 Peter 3:9 (ASV)

But the Lord is not slack, or, delays not. He checks extreme and unreasonable haste with another reason: that is, that the Lord defers His coming so that He might invite all mankind to repentance. For our minds are always restless, and a doubt often creeps in as to why He does not come sooner.

But when we hear that the Lord, in delaying, shows a concern for our salvation, and that He defers the time because He cares for us, there is no reason why we should any longer complain of slowness. One is slow who allows an opportunity to pass by through laziness; there is nothing like this in God, who in the best manner regulates time to promote our salvation.

And concerning the duration of the whole world, we must think in exactly the same way as we do about the life of every individual; for God, by prolonging time for each person, sustains them so that they may repent. In the same way, He does not hasten the end of the world, in order to give all people time to repent.

This is a very necessary warning, so that we may learn to use time rightly, as we shall otherwise suffer a just punishment for our idleness.

Not willing that any should perish. So wonderful is His love towards mankind, that He would have them all to be saved, and is Himself prepared to grant salvation to the lost. But the order is to be noted: God is ready to receive all to repentance, so that none may perish, for in these words the way and manner of obtaining salvation is pointed out. Every one of us, therefore, who desires salvation, must learn to enter in by this way.

But it may be asked, if God wishes none to perish, why do so many perish? To this my answer is, that no mention is made here of the hidden purpose of God, according to which the reprobate are doomed to their own ruin, but only of His will as made known to us in the gospel. For God there stretches forth His hand to all without distinction, but lays hold only of those, to lead them to Himself, whom He has chosen before the foundation of the world.

But as the verb χωρὢσαι is often taken passively in Greek, the verb I have noted in the margin is no less suitable for this passage: that God would have all, who had previously been wandering and scattered, to be gathered or to come together to repentance.