God’s Word Translation
Luke 3:15
15People’s hopes were rising as they all wondered whether John was the Messiah.
Luke 3:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;
- New International Version (NIV)The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.
- English Standard Version (ESV)As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,
Context of Luke 3:15
13He told them, “Don’t collect more money than you are ordered to collect.” 14Some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He told them, “Be satisfied with your pay, and never use threats or blackmail to get money from anyone.” People’s hopes were rising as they all wondered whether John was the Messiah. 16John replied to all of them, “I baptize you with water. But the one who is more powerful than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie his sandal straps. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out.”
Read all of Luke 3Luke 3:15 word by word
Προσδοκῶντος δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ διαλογιζομένων πάντων ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου, μήποτε αὐτὸς εἴη ὁ χριστός,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- as the peopleὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- as the peopleλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
- were in expectationπροσδοκάωprosdokaō · to look forG4328
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- all menπᾶςpas · allG3956
- musedδιαλογίζομαιdialogizomai · to discussG1260
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
- ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
- JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
- whetherμήποτεmēpote mē pote · lestG3379
- wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
Cross-references for Luke 3:15
- John 10:24The Jews surrounded him. They asked him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
- John 1:19This was John’s answer when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
- John 3:28You are witnesses that I said, ‘I’m not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’
Commentaries on Luke 3:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Whether he were the Christ - So general was the reformation which was produced by the Baptist's preaching that the people were ready to consider him as the promised Messiah. Thus John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, and reformed all things; showed the people, the tax-gatherers, and the soldiers, their respective duties, and persuaded them to put away the evil of their doings. See the note on Matthew 17:11.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15In 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 John the Baptist disowned being himself the Christ, but confirmed the people in their expectations of the long-promised Messiah. He could only exhort them to repent, and assure them of forgiveness upon repentance; but he could not work repentance in them, nor confer remission on them. Thus highly does it become us to speak of Christ, and thus humbly of ourselves. John can do no more than baptize with water, in token that they ought to purify…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1715-17. whether he were the Christ--showing both how successful he had been in awakening the expectation of Messiah's immediate appearing, and the high estimation, and even reverence, which his own character commanded. (Also see on Mt 3:10.)Read the comment
Topics related to Luke 3:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Luke 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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