Luke 3:15 BSB — MannaFest

Luke 3:15

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ;

KJV

And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

⋯

Commentary

3 voices

Ambrose of Milan

Catena Aurea by Aquinas (397)

Now what could be more absurd than that he who was fancied to be in another should not be believed in his own person? He whom they thought to have come by a woman, is not believed to have come by a virgin; while in fact the sign of the Divine coming was placed in the childbearing of a virgin, not of a woman.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

And as the people were in expectation, of the coming of the Messiah; Daniel's seventy weeks being now accomplished, the sceptre being departed from Judah, and the Romans having the government in their hands, from whom they hoped for a deliverance by Christ; and all men mused in their hearts of John; whether he were the Christ, or no; about which they had many reasonings and debates: some doubting of it, others ready to believe it, from his extraordinary birth, the singular holiness of his life, the power and efficacy of his doctrine, the new ordinance he administered, the restoration of religion by him, the freedom he took in reproving the vices of men, and the apt answers he gave to the questions now put to him.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

In expectation - Expecting the Messiah. Margin, “suspense.” That is, they were not certain whether John was not himself the Messiah. They confidently “expected” his appearing, and there minds were in “suspense,” or they were in a state of doubt whether he had not already come, and whether John was not the Messiah. Mused in their hearts of John - Thought of his character, his preaching, and his success, and anxiously inquired whether he did not do the things which were expected of the Messiah.

Voices on this verse

loading…

Original language & word study

19 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Προσδοκῶντος	Prosdokōntos	When were expecting	G4328 →
δὲ	de	then	G1161 →
τοῦ	tou	the	G3588 →
λαοῦ	laou	people	G2992 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
διαλογιζομένων	dialogizomenōn	wondering	G1260 →
πάντων	pantōn	all	G3956 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
ταῖς	tais	the	G3588 →
καρδίαις	kardiais	hearts	G2588 →
αὐτῶν	autōn	of them	G846 →
περὶ	peri	concerning	G4012 →
τοῦ	tou	<the>	G3588 →
Ἰωάννου,	Iōannou	John,	G2491 →
μήποτε	mēpote	whether	G3361 →G4218 →
αὐτὸς	autos	he himself	G846 →
εἴη	eiē	would be	G1510 →
ὁ	ho	the	G3588 →
χριστός,	christos	Christ,	G5547 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk5

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
John 10:24
So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
leads to
- John 1:19
  And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”
- Luke 22:67–70
  “If You are the Christ, tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe.
- 1 Kings 18:21
  Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did…
- John 8:53
  Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, as did the prophets. Who do You claim to be?”
- Matthew 11:3
  to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”

Featured studies on this passage

On Luke 3:15

Luke (the Savior of All)

Open the study →

Walks through Luke 3

Adam to Noah

Ten generations, sixteen centuries, and one man who did not die — the register of Genesis 5, read honestly.

Open the study →

Walks through Luke 3

Archaeology and the Bible (the Evidence Ledger), MannaFest

Open the study →

The Tree of Jesse — Circle of Geertgen tot Sint Jans

Walks through Luke 3

The Genealogies of Christ

Two genealogies, two different fathers for Joseph, two different sons of David. Behind the apparent contradiction is some of the most elegant theological architecture in scripture.

Open the study →

Walks through Luke 3

The Jeconiah Blood Curse

God swore no descendant of Jeconiah would ever reign — yet Matthew runs Messiah's line straight through him; the virgin birth is how both stay true.

Open the study →

Walks through Luke 3

Jesus at Twelve (Luke 2), MannaFest

Open the study →

About Luke

The Return of the Prodigal Son — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

Luke: the study guide →Read chapter 3 →The featured study →

Continue: Luke 3 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Luke

Where the connections lead

The record, by era

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Luke