John 1:21

John 1:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
• New International Version (NIV)They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

Context of John 1:21

19This is the testimony of John [the Baptist] when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20And he confessed [truthfully] and did not deny [that he was only a man], but acknowledged, “I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!” They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the [promised] Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

John 1:21 word by word

Καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτόν· τί οὖν; σὺ Ἠλίας εἶ; καὶ λέγει· οὐκ εἰμί. ὁ προφήτης εἶ σύ; καὶ ἀπεκρίθη· οὔ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• they askedἐρωτάωerōtaō · to askG2065
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• Artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• EliasἩλίαςHēlias · ElijahG2243
• he saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• notοὐou · noG3756
• that prophetὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• that prophetπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
• he answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611

Cross-references for John 1:21

• Malachi 4:5“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
• Matthew 11:14And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is [the fulfillment of] Elijah [as the messenger] who was to come [before the kingdom].
• Matthew 17:10The disciples asked Him, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
• Luke 1:17It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous [which is to seek and submit to the will of God]—in order to make ready a people [perfectly] prepared [spiritually and morally] for the Lord.”
• John 1:25They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
• John 7:40Listening to these words, some of the people said, “This is certainly the Prophet!”
• Deuteronomy 18:15“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your countrymen (brothers, brethren). You shall listen to him.
• Matthew 11:9But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one [more eminent, more remarkable, and] far more than a prophet [who foretells the future].
• Matthew 16:14And they answered, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or [just] one of the prophets.”

Commentaries on John 1:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Art thou Elias? - The scribes themselves had taught that Elijah was to come before the Messiah. See Matthew 17:10; and this belief of theirs they supported by a literal construction of Malachi 4:5. Art thou that prophet? - the prophet spoken of by Moses, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 18:18. This text they had also misunderstood: for the prophet or teacher promised by Moses was no other than the Messiah himself. See Acts 3:22. But the Jews had a tradition…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Art thou Elias? - This is the Greek way of writing Elijah. The Jews expected that Elijah would appear before the Messiah came. See the notes at Matthew 11:14. They supposed that it would be the real Elijah returned from heaven. In this sense John denied that he was Elijah; but he did not deny that he was the Elias or Elijah which the prophet intended Matthew 3:3, for he immediately proceeds to state John 1:23 that he was sent, as it was predicted that…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-28Verses 19-28 John disowns himself to be the Christ, who was now expected and waited for. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, but he was not the person of Elias. John was not that Prophet whom Moses said the Lord would raise up to them of their brethren, like unto him. He was not such a prophet as they expected, who would rescue them from the Romans. He gave such an account of himself, as might excite and awaken them to hearken to him. He baptized…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21The people expected Elijah to come before the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). John the Baptist fulfilled this role as the forerunner (the one who prepares the way). However, John said that he was not Elijah himself (see Matthew 11:14; Luke 1:17). Are you the Prophet?: Compare John 6:14; 7:40–41.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Elias--in His own proper person. that prophet--announced in De 18:15, &c., about whom they seem not to have been agreed whether he were the same with the Messiah or no.Read the comment

Topics related to John 1:21

• Elijah
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• Behold
• Believe
• Blood
• Dwell
• Elijah
• Flesh
• Guile
• Light
• Prefer
• Receive

Commentaries on John 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings