John 1:26

John 1:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
• New International Version (NIV)“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know.
• English Standard Version (ESV)John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
• New King James Version (NKJV)John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.

Context of John 1:26

24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize [only] in water, but among you there stands One whom you do not recognize and of whom you know nothing. 27It is He [the preeminent One] who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie [even as His slave].” 28These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing], where John was baptizing.

John 1:26 word by word

ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰωάννης λέγων· ἐγὼ βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι· μέσος ὑμῶν ἕστηκεν ὃν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Johnὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
• answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• baptizeβαπτίζωbaptizō · to baptizeG907
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• butδέde · thenG1161
• there standeth oneἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• amongμέσοςmesos · midstG3319
• youσύsu · youG4771
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• notοὐou · noG3756

Cross-references for John 1:26

• Matthew 3:11“As for me, I baptize you with water because of [your] repentance [that is, because you are willing to change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret your sin and live a changed life], but He (the Messiah) who is coming after me is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove [even as His slave]; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire (judgment).
• Mark 1:8As for me, I baptized you [who came to me] with water [only]; but He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit.”
• Luke 3:16John answered them all by saying, “As for me, I baptize you [only] with water; but One who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals [even as His slave]. He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire.
• Acts 1:5For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized and empowered and united with the Holy Spirit, not long from now.”
• Acts 11:16Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
• John 1:10He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
• John 8:19Then the Pharisees said to Him, “Where is this Father of Yours?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”
• John 16:3And they will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.
• John 17:3Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent.
• Malachi 3:1“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will prepare and clear the way before Me. And the Lord [the Messiah], whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.
• 1 John 3:1See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Commentaries on John 1:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26I baptize with water - See on Mark 1:8; (note). I use the common form, though I direct the baptized to a different end, viz. that they shall repent of their sins, and believe in the Messiah. There standeth one among you - That is, the person whose forerunner I am is now dwelling in the land of Judea, and will shortly make his appearance among you. Christ was not present when John spoke thus, as may be seen from John 1:29.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26I baptize - He did not deny it; nor did he condescend to state his authority. That he had given. He “admitted” that he had introduced an important “change” in the rites of religion, and he goes on to tell them that this was not all. Greater and more important changes would soon take place without their authority. The Messiah was about to come, and the “power” was about to depart from “their” hands. There standeth one - There is one. Among you - In the…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. 25-26Jewish baptisms were ritual washings for becoming ceremonially pure following contact with impurity (Leviticus 8:6; Numbers 19:7). John announced the Christ's arrival and required participants to confess their sins and be baptized (Matthew 3:6). Baptism later became the symbol of membership in the kingdom of God (Acts 2:38; see also John 4:1–2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. there standeth--This must have been spoken after the baptism of Christ, and possibly just after His temptation (see on Joh 1:29).Read the comment

Topics related to John 1:26

• Baptism
• Jesus, the Christ
• John

In the dictionaries

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

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