God’s Word Translation
John 1:26
26John answered them, “I baptize with water. Someone you don’t know is standing among you.
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
24Some of those who had been sent were Pharisees. 25They asked John, “Why do you baptize if you’re not the Messiah or Elijah or the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Someone you don’t know is standing among you. 27He’s the one who comes after me. I am not worthy to untie his sandal strap.” 28This happened in Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River, 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 3:11I 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 1:8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
- Luke 3:16John replied to all of them, “I baptize you with water. But the one who is more powerful than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie his sandal straps. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- Acts 1:5John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
- Acts 11:16I remembered that the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit.’
- John 1:10He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn’t recognize him.
- John 8:19The Pharisees asked him, “Where is your father?” Jesus replied, “You don’t know me or my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”
- John 16:3They will do these things to you because they haven’t known the Father or me.
- John 17:3This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
- Malachi 3:1“I’m going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way ahead of me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the promise will come. He is the one you want,” says the Lord of Armies.
- 1 John 3:1Consider this: The Father has given us his love. He loves us so much that we are actually called God’s dear children. And that’s what we are. For this reason the world doesn’t recognize us, and it didn’t recognize him either.
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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