Luke 3:15

While the people were filled with anticipation ¹  and they all wondered ²  whether perhaps John ³  could be the Christ, ⁴ 

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

Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ,

Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah.

The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, "Could this John be the Messiah?"

And while the people were waiting, and all men were questioning in their hearts about John, if he was the Christ or not,

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,

While the people were filled with anticipation ¹  and they all wondered ²  whether perhaps John ³  could be the Christ, ⁴ 

¹ 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.

² tn Grk “pondered in their hearts.”

³ tn Grk “in their hearts concerning John, (whether) perhaps he might be the Christ.” The translation simplifies the style here.

⁴ 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.