Inquiry (1830) (exereunao from ek = an intensifier and ereunao = to search into, investigate, explore) means to search diligently for something, especially for something hidden like miners engaged in digging for precious metals in the bowels of the earth. This word was first used to tell of a dog sniffing out something with his nose. The Septuagint (Lxx), Greek translation of the OT Hebrew, uses this verb Solomon recording that "If you seek her as silver, and search (exereunao) for her (referring to wisdom) as for hidden treasures (it was the custom to bury valuables in the ground or in holes in the rocks)." (Pr 2:4) See a good description of the effort spent in searching the earth for precious metals in Job 28:1-28) What is emphasized is the diligent effort that must be made to obtain wisdom. The tragedy is that too often men show more zeal in acquiring material wealth than spiritual treasures. The two verbs taken together give emphatic expressing to the earnestness with which enlightenment was sought. And so we see Peter encouraged his readers by reminding them that the prophets of old eagerly anticipated the great salvation that his readers were experiencing. The prophets did not fully understand this salvation which was perfected when Christ came and gave Himself a sacrifice for our sins...it was then that the grace of God became evident (grace had always been there in the OT but they saw it only thru a mirror dimly) and that with Messiah's appearing, suffering, death & resurrection, that the prophets & all righteous (by their faith) men of old were made perfect (He 11:39, 40-note). OT saints only saw salvation (Messiah) from a distance. They were neither fully certain nor secure until Christ came. They trusted in hope (hope in OT often equates with "trust"), looking ahead for a conscience freed from sin, looking to the promise of a New Covenant with a New Heart and a New Spirit dwelling within them. Oh, the privilege of NT saints...now we each can go into God’s presence and we can sit down before Him and, with the apostle Paul, say, “Abba, Father.” We have access to God. How then can one who begins to understand the greatness of his salvation go on sinning against such marvelous grace? Let us conduct ourselves accordingly as aliens to the ungodliness & worldly desires for Christ is now our peace in the midst of the storm (Jn 16:33) 1 Peter 1:11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating, as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow * (NASB: Lockman) Greek: eraunontes (PAPMPN) eis tina e poion kairon edelou (3SIAI) to en autois pneuma Christou promarturomenon (PMPMSN) ta eis Christon pathemata kai tas meta tauta doxas GWT: So they tried to find out what time or situation the Spirit of Christ kept referring to whenever he predicted Christ's sufferings and the glory that would follow. (GWT) Phillips: They tried hard to discover to what time and to what sort of circumstances the Spirit of Christ working in them was referring. For he foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that should follow them. (Phillips: Touchstone) Wuest: searching as to what season or character of season the Spirit of Christ who was in them was making plain when He was testifying beforehand concerning the sufferings of Christ and the glories which would come after these sufferings (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: searching in regard to what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ that was in them was manifesting, testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory after these, SEEKING TO KNOW WHAT PERSON OR TIME THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST WITHIN THEM WAS INDICATING: eraunontes (PAPMPN) eis tina e poion kairon edelou (3SIAI) to en autois pneuma Christou: (1Peter 3:18,19; Romans 8:9; Galatians 4:6; 2Peter 1:21; Revelation 19:10)