Luke 1:21 (KJV)

Passage

And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

Nearby Context

Luke 1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

Luke 1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

Luke 1:21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

Luke 1:22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

Luke 1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "waited", "zacharias", "marvelled", "tarried", "long", and "temple". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "waited", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And behold thou shalt be dumb and..." into verse 22's "And when he came out he could...", so "people" and "waited" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "people" and "waited" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.