1 Kings 18:21

18:21 Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long are you going to be paralyzed by indecision? ¹  If the Lord is the true God, ²  then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word.

Matthew 11:3

11:3 “Are you the one who is to come, ³  or should we look for another?”

Luke 3:15

3:15 While the people were filled with anticipation ⁴  and they all wondered ⁵  whether perhaps John ⁶  could be the Christ, ⁷ 

¹ tn Heb “How long are you going to limp around on two crutches?” (see HALOT 762 s.v. סְעִפִּים). In context this idiomatic expression refers to indecision rather than physical disability.

² tn Heb “the God.”

³ sn Aspects of Jesus’ ministry may have led John to question whether Jesus was the promised stronger and greater one who is to come that he had preached about in Matt 3:1-12.

⁴ tn Or “with expectation.” The participle προσδοκῶντος (prosdokwnto") is taken temporally.

⁵ tn Grk “pondered in their hearts.”

⁶ tn Grk “in their hearts concerning John, (whether) perhaps he might be the Christ.” The translation simplifies the style here.

⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”