JHN 1:19-28

The Mission of John the Baptist

19And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

20And he confessed and did not deny, and he confessed: "I myself am not the Christ."

21And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he says, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."

22Therefore they said to him, "Who are you? So that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23He said: "I am a voice crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

24And they had been sent from the Pharisees.

25And they questioned him and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you yourself are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

26John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know,

27the one coming after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."

28These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Judea, the religious authorities in Jerusalem—priests and Levites—held significant power and were deeply invested in maintaining religious order and purity. Their delegation to question John the Baptist reflects their concern about potential disruptions to the status quo. John’s emphatic denial of being the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet underscores his refusal to align with messianic expectations tied to Jewish eschatology. His self-identification as 'a voice crying in the wilderness' echoes Isaiah 40:3, positioning himself as a herald preparing the way for another. The act of baptism was not entirely unfamiliar; ritual washings were common in Jewish practice, but John’s baptism carried a distinct call to repentance and readiness for impending divine action. His location in the wilderness further symbolized a break from the temple-centered authority of Jerusalem. For John’s audience, his message and actions would have signaled a challenge to institutional religious power and a call to personal transformation.

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How other translations render this

JHN 1:19

KJV: And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
BSB: And this was Johnʼs testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”
Koinōnos: And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?

JHN 1:20

KJV: And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
BSB: He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”
Koinōnos: And he confessed and did not deny, and he confessed: "I myself am not the Christ.

JHN 1:21

KJV: And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
BSB: “Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
Koinōnos: And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he says, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No.

JHN 1:22

KJV: Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
BSB: So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
Koinōnos: Therefore they said to him, "Who are you? So that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?

JHN 1:23

KJV: He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
BSB: John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
Koinōnos: He said: "I am a voice crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said.

JHN 1:24

KJV: And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
BSB: Then the Pharisees who had been sent
Koinōnos: And they had been sent from the Pharisees.

JHN 1:25

KJV: And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
BSB: asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
Koinōnos: And they questioned him and said to him, "Why then are you baptizing, if you yourself are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?

JHN 1:26

KJV: John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
BSB: “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.
Koinōnos: John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know,

JHN 1:27

KJV: He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
BSB: He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
Koinōnos: the one coming after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.

JHN 1:28

KJV: These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
BSB: All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Koinōnos: These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

JHN 1:19

him:The word translated 'him' here refers specifically to a Judean, a resident of Judea, which was a distinct region with its own cultural and religious identity within the broader Jewish world.

JHN 1:20

I myself:The term used here for 'I myself' is emphatic, highlighting John's personal and direct denial, leaving no room for ambiguity about his identity.

JHN 1:23

He was saying;:The word translated 'He was saying' implies a continuous or repeated action, suggesting that John's declaration was not a one-time statement but an ongoing message.

JHN 1:25

baptize you:The word translated 'baptize you' literally means to dip, plunge, or immerse. In this context, it refers to a ritual washing that symbolized purification or initiation.