Paragraph 1:10–12

Peter told his readers that they were privileged because they had heard the gospel. Peter’s readers understood the good news about how God saves people more clearly than did the prophets who lived before them. Peter’s readers were also privileged in that as Christians they knew from experience what it is like to have God save them. Even the angels do not know this.

1:10a

In many languages it may be best to make 1:10a a separate sentence. For example:

As for this salvation, the prophets foretold how God was going to be gracious to you.

See also the Display for 1:10a for additional examples.

See the General Comment on 1:10–11 at the end of 1:11c for an example of how you may be able to make your translation clearer and more natural by combining 1:10–11.

Concerning this salvation: The phrase Concerning this salvation introduces the topic of this paragraph. In this paragraph Peter wrote more Concerning the salvation that he had just mentioned (1:9). Some other ways to translate this phrase include:

This salvation was (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
It was about this salvation
-or-

⌊Now⌋ ⌊I want to talk⌋ about this salvation

the prophets who foretold the grace: Hundreds of years earlier, and over a long period of time, God’s prophets had foretold that God would send the Messiah/Christ to save people.

prophets: The prophets were men and women who spoke on behalf of God. They told people what God revealed to them. God gave some prophets power to work miracles. These miracles helped people realize that God had sent the prophets. Some ways to translate prophets are:

spokesmen for God
-or-
people who speak God’s words
-or-
God’s message-speakers

foretold: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as foretold is more literally “prophesied.” The prophets told the messages God had given them concerning events that were then in the distant future. Other ways to say this are:

prophesied (Good News Translation)
-or-
predicted (NET Bible)

the grace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grace means “kindness, favor.” In this context it refers to the salvation the prophets foretold that God in his kindness would provide. Other ways this has been translated include:

God’s kindness (God’s Word)
-or-
this gracious salvation (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
this gift (Good News Translation)

to come: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the words to come. These words are not in the Greek text. If your translation already makes it clear that the message is about the future (see notes above for “spoke”), you do not need to supply these words here.

to you: Peter wrote to you in order to make his letter personal. By the phrase to you, Peter did not mean that this grace/salvation was not for him too. If in your language to you implies that the grace/salvation did not extend to Peter (and other Christians), you may want to instead say:

to/for us

1:10b

searched and investigated carefully: The Greek text that the Berean Standard Bible translates as searched and investigated carefully has two verbs. These Greek verbs are similar in meaning. Because they are so similar, you may:

• Translate them together as one phrase. For example:

This salvation was the subject of intense search by the prophets (Revised English Bible)

• Translate them separately as two verbs. For example:

carefully researched and investigated (God’s Word)
-or-
inquired and searched diligently (King James Version)

Translate these two verbs in the way that is most natural in your language. Your translation should communicate that the prophets investigated the matter thoroughly.

searched: In some languages it may be necessary to say what the prophets searched and investigated. In those languages, you may need to supply the implied information that they searched the Old Testament Scriptures. For example:

searched ⌊the prophecies⌋
-or-
investigated ⌊the Scriptures/ Writings⌋
-or-
studied thoroughly ⌊the Jewish Holy Writings⌋

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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