American Standard Version
John 3:28
28Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.
John 3:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
- New International Version (NIV)You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’
- English Standard Version (ESV)You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’
Context of John 3:28
26And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him. 29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is made full. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.
Read all of John 3John 3:28 word by word
αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς μοι μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι εἶπον ὅτι· οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὁ χριστός, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου.¶Read the interlinear
Cross-references for John 3:28
- John 1:20And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ.
- John 1:23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.
- Malachi 3:1Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts.
- Malachi 4:4Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances.
- Matthew 3:3For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.
- Mark 1:2Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way;
- Luke 1:16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God.
- Luke 3:4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.
Commentaries on John 3:28
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28Bear me witness - You remember that at first I told you I was not the Messiah. As he had been “witness” to Jesus - as he came for no other end but to point him out to the Jews, they ought not to suppose that he was his superior. It was but reasonable to expect that Christ himself would be more successful than his forerunner. “I came, not to form a separate party, a special sect, but to prepare the way that he might be more successful, and that the people…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-36Verses 22-36 John was fully satisfied with the place and work assigned him; but Jesus came on a more important work. He also knew that Jesus would increase in honour and influence, for of his government and peace there would be no end, while he himself would be less followed. John knew that Jesus came from heaven as the Son of God, while he was a sinful, mortal man, who could only speak about the more plain subjects of religion. The words of Jesus were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27-35John the Baptist spoke because of two concerns: Some people questioned whether his baptism was from God (see 1:26), and his disciples were worried because many people were beginning to follow Jesus instead of John (3:26).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 27-3027-30. A man, &c.--"I do my heaven-prescribed work, and that is enough for me. Would you have me mount into my Master's place? Said I not unto you, I am not the Christ? The Bride is not mine, why should the people stay with me?? Mine it is to point the burdened to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world, to tell them there is Balm in Gilead, and a Physician there. And shall I grudge to see them, in obedience to the call, flying as a cloud…Read the comment
Topics related to John 3:28
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 3
- 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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries