God’s Word Translation
John 1:20
20John didn’t refuse to answer. He told them clearly, “I’m not the Messiah.”
John 1:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
- New International Version (NIV)He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."
- New King James Version (NKJV)He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
Context of John 1:20
18No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known. 19This was John’s answer when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” John didn’t refuse to answer. He told them clearly, “I’m not the Messiah.” 21They asked him, “Well, are you Elijah?” John answered, “No, I’m not.” Then they asked, “Are you the prophet?” John replied, “No.” 22So they asked him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
Read all of John 1John 1:20 word by word
καὶ ὡμολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο καὶ ὡμολόγησεν ὅτι ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ χριστός.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for John 1:20
- John 3:28You are witnesses that I said, ‘I’m not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’
- Matthew 3:11I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- Mark 1:7He announced, “The one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to bend down and untie his sandal straps.
- Luke 3:15People’s hopes were rising as they all wondered whether John was the Messiah.
Commentaries on John 1:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20He confessed, and denied not; but confessed - A common mode of Jewish phraseology. John renounces himself, that Jesus may be all in all. Though God had highly honored him, and favored him with peculiar influence in the discharge of his work, yet he considered he had nothing but what he had received, and therefore, giving all praise to his benefactor, takes care to direct the attention of the people to him alone from whom he had received his mercies. He…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20I am not the Christ - This confession proves that John was not an impostor. He had a wide reputation. The nation was expecting that the Messiah was about to come, and multitudes were ready to believe that John was he, Luke 3:15. If John had been an impostor he would have taken advantage of this excited state of public feeling, proclaimed himself to be the Messiah, and formed a large party in his favor. The fact that he did not do it is full proof that he…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. 20The Jews expected the Christ (the Greek form of the Hebrew word Messiah) to bring spiritual leadership and political redemption to Israel. Both words mean “Anointed One” (a king chosen and set apart by God). They believed this promised leader would guide them back to faithful worship and free them from foreign rule (see Deuteronomy 18:15; see also the Jewish book Psalms of Solomon from the period between the Old and New Testaments).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. confessed, &c.--that is, While many were ready to hail him as the Christ, he neither gave the slightest ground for such views, nor the least entertainment to them.Read the comment
Topics related to John 1:20
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
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