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

19The Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John, ‘Who are you?’ 20John did not refuse to answer. He said, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ So they asked him, ‘So who are you? Are you Elijah?’ John said, ‘No, I am not.’ They asked, ‘Are you the Prophet?’ John answered, ‘No.’ 22Then they said, ‘Tell us who you are. We must say something to the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ 23He said, ‘I am the voice of somebody shouting in the wilderness: “The Lord will come soon. Make a straight path for him to follow.” That is what the prophet Isaiah said a long time ago.’

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 4:5Look! I will send my prophet Elijah to you. He will come before that great day of the Lord arrives. That will be a day that makes people afraid.
• Matthew 11:14The prophets wrote about Elijah. They said he would come again, to prepare for the Messiah. They were writing about John, and you should believe their message.
• Matthew 17:10Then the three disciples said to Jesus, ‘The teachers of God's Law say that God's prophet Elijah must return first, before the Messiah comes. Why do they say this?’
• Luke 1:17John will prepare the people for the Lord to come to them. The Holy Spirit will lead John as he led Elijah. John will do powerful things as Elijah did. He will help fathers to love their children. He will teach people who do not obey God. Then they will know what things are right. And they will do them. Then they will be ready when the Lord comes.’
• John 1:25They said to John, ‘You say that you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet. So why do you baptize people?’
• John 7:40The people in the crowd heard Jesus say these words. Some of them said, ‘Surely this man must be the Prophet from God that we have been waiting for!’
• Deuteronomy 18:15One day, the Lord your God will send to you a prophet like me. He will come from among your own people. You must listen to him.
• Matthew 11:9So what did you go to see? Did you go to see a prophet sent by God? Yes! But I tell you, John was even more important than a prophet.
• Matthew 16:14They replied, ‘Some people say that you are John the Baptist. Other people say that you are Elijah. And some other people say that you are Jeremiah, or another prophet of God.’

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