3:15 While the people were filled with anticipation 3 and they all wondered 4 whether perhaps John 5 could be the Christ, 6
1 tn Grk “behold.”
2 tn Grk “I evangelize to you great joy.”
3 tn Or “with expectation.” The participle προσδοκῶντος (prosdokwnto") is taken temporally.
sn The people were filled with anticipation because they were hoping God would send someone to deliver them.
4 tn Grk “pondered in their hearts.”
5 tn Grk “in their hearts concerning John, (whether) perhaps he might be the Christ.” The translation simplifies the style here.
6 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 2:11.
7 tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
8 tn This imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
9 tn Grk “What is this word?” The Greek term λόγος (logos) has a wide range of meaning. Here it seems to mean, “What is this matter?” More idiomatically it would be, “What’s going on here?!”
10 sn The phrase with authority and power is in an emphatic position in the Greek text. Once again the authority of Jesus is the point, but now it is not just his teaching that is emphasized, but his ministry. Jesus combined word and deed into a powerful testimony in Capernaum.
11 tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
12 tn The aorist participle περιβλεψάμενος (peribleyameno") has been translated as antecedent (prior) to the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as contemporaneous (“Looking around… he said”).
13 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man with the withered hand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
15 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
17 tn Grk “said.”
18 tc Most
19 sn Pressing is a graphic term used in everyday Greek of pressing grapes. Peter says in effect, “How could you ask this? Everyone is touching you!”
20 sn This group probably includes outside or even professional mourners, not just family, because a large group seems to be present.
21 tn Grk “beating the breasts” (in mourning); see L&N 52.1.
22 tn Or perhaps, “trample on” (which emphasizes the impact of the feet on the snakes). See L&N 15.226.
23 sn Snakes and scorpions are examples of the hostility in the creation that is defeated by Jesus. The use of battle imagery shows who the kingdom fights against. See Acts 28:3-6.
24 tn Or “I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and [authority] over the full force of the enemy.” The second prepositional phrase can be taken either as modifying the infinitive πατεῖν (patein, “to tread”) or the noun ἐξουσίαν (exousian, “power”). The former is to be preferred and has been represented in the translation.
sn The enemy is a reference to Satan (mentioned in v. 18).
25 tn This is an emphatic double negative in the Greek text.
26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
27 tc Most
tn Grk “he will say, saying to you.” The participle λέγων (legwn) and its indirect object ὑμῖν (Jumin) are redundant in contemporary English and have not been translated.
28 sn The issue is not familiarity (with Jesus’ teaching) or even shared activity (eating and drinking with him), but knowing Jesus. Those who do not know him, he will not know where they come from (i.e., will not acknowledge) at the judgment.
29 tn Grk “all you workers of iniquity.” The phrase resembles Ps 6:8.
30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ inability to believe in Jesus’ resurrection.
31 tn Grk “O,” an interjection used both in address and emotion (BDAG 1101 s.v. 1).
32 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to complete the interjection.
33 sn The rebuke is for failure to believe the promise of scripture, a theme that will appear in vv. 43-47 as well.
34 tn On the syntax of this infinitival construction, see BDAG 364-65 s.v. ἐπί 6.b.