Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Peter 1:10

"Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that [should come] unto you:" — 1 Peter 1:10 (ASV)

This salvation was the subject of the OT prophecies of the messianic sufferings and glories. The prophets not only spoke to the situation of their contemporaries, but they also spoke of the longed-for messianic times. In predicting the future, they did not always understand their utterances (the clearest example is Daniel and his visions [8:27; 12:8] and his study of other prophets [9:2ff.]). The prophets longed to see the messianic time and so searched into what they could know of it (cf. Lk 10:24).

The motivating force in prophecy is not the human will but the Holy Spirit of God (cf. 2 Samuel 23:2; 2 Peter 1:21). The content of the prophecies embraced both the “sufferings” (GK 4077) and the “glories” (GK 1518) of Christ (cf. Lk 24:26). Both words are plural. The gospels list various aspects of the predicted sufferings of Christ—e.g., hatred by his people, betrayal by his friend, being forsaken by his flock, his scourging and crucifixion, etc. His glories include his transfiguration (2 Peter 1:17), his resurrection (1:21), his glorious return, and his final reign.