John 1:23

John 1:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
• New International Version (NIV)John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
• New King James Version (NKJV)He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

Context of John 1:23

21And so they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Make the way of the Lord straight,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24And the messengers had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

John 1:23 word by word

ἔφη· ἐγὼ φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· εὐθύνατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου· καθὼς εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας ὁ προφήτης.Read the interlinear

• He saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
• the voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• of one callingβοάωboaō · to cry outG994
• in the wildernessἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048
• Makeεὐθύνωeuthunō · to straightenG2116
• the wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
• of the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• as IsaiahἩσαΐαςHēsaias · IsaiahG2268
• the prophetπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004

Cross-references for John 1:23

• John 3:28You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’
• Matthew 3:3For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’”
• Mark 1:3The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’”
• Luke 1:16And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.
• Luke 3:4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!
• Isaiah 40:3The voice of one calling out, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Commentaries on John 1:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23I am the voice of one crying - See the notes on Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:4, Mark 1:5.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23I am the voice … - See the notes at Matthew 3:3.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. 22-23Who are you?: John the Baptist wanted others to know him as a voice of one calling in the wilderness (see Isaiah 40:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-3619. record--testimony. the Jews--that is, the heads of the nation, the members of the Sanhedrim. In this peculiar sense our Evangelist seems always to use the term.Read the comment

Topics related to John 1:23

• Elijah
• Jesus, the Christ
• John
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Behold
• Believe
• Blood
• Dwell
• Flesh
• Guile
• Light
• Prefer
• Receive
• True

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