The Greek adjective dysnoētos means 'hard to understand' — combining dys- (difficulty prefix) and noeō (to understand/perceive). It appears only once in the New Testament, in 2 Peter 3:16, where Peter acknowledges the complexity of Paul's writings.
Peter's comment that Paul's letters contain 'some things that are hard to understand (dysnoētos), which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction' is remarkably candid and historically significant. It acknowledges the depth of Pauline theology while warning against superficial or distorted readings. The antidote to twisted interpretation is growth in grace and knowledge — 2 Peter's final exhortation (3:18). Scripture's depth is a feature, not a flaw, calling readers to earnest study.