English Standard Version
John 1:26
26John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
- New Living Translation (NLT)John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize.
Context of John 1:26
24(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." 28These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Read all of John 1John 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"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- Mark 1:8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
- Luke 3:16John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- Acts 1:5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
- Acts 11:16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
- John 1:10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
- John 8:19They said to him therefore, "Where is your Father?" 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, nor me.
- John 17:3And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
- Malachi 3:1"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
- 1 John 3:1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that 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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries