Revised Webster's Bible
John 1:15
15John bore witness concerning him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spoke, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John 1:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
- New International Version (NIV)(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”)
- English Standard Version (ESV)(John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")
- New King James Version (NKJV)John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
Context of John 1:15
13Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bore witness concerning him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spoke, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16And of his fulness have we all received, and grace for grace. 17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Read all of John 1John 1:15 word by word
Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων· οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον· ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν.Read the interlinear
- JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
- witnessμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
- concerningπερίperi · aboutG4012
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- criedκράζωkrazō · to cryG2896
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- heἦνēn · wasG2258
- whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- spokeεἶπονepō · to sayG2036
- comethἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- afterὀπίσωopisō · afterG3694
- meμοῦmou · of meG3450
- preferredγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- beforeἔμπροσθενemprosthen · beforeG1715
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- beforeπρῶτοςprōtos · first: previousG4413
Cross-references for John 1:15
- John 1:7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
- John 3:26And they came to John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
- John 5:33Ye sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth.
- Matthew 3:11I indeed baptize you in water to repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit, and in fire:
- Mark 1:7And preached, saying, There cometh after me one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.
- Luke 3:16John answered, saying to them all, I indeed baptize you in water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
- John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 8:58Jesus said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, Before Abraham was, I am.
- John 17:5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thy own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
- Proverbs 8:22The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
- Isaiah 9:6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
- Micah 5:2But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou art little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
- Philippians 2:6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
- Colossians 1:17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
- Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
- Revelation 1:11Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
Commentaries on John 1:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Of him - The glorious personage before mentioned: John the Baptist, whose history was well known to the persons to whom this Gospel came in the beginning, bare witness; and he cried, - being deeply convinced of the importance and truth of the subject, he delivered his testimony with the utmost zeal and earnestness, - saying, This is he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me - for I am no other than the voice of the crier in the wilderness, Isaiah 40:3…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15John bare witness of him - The evangelist now returns to the testimony of John the Baptist. He had stated that the Word became incarnate, and he now appeals to the testimony of John to show that, thus incarnate, he was the Messiah. He that cometh after me - He of whom I am the forerunner, or whose way I am come to prepare. See the notes at Matthew 3:3. Is preferred before me - Is superior to me. Most critics have supposed that the words translated “is…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-18Verses 15-18 As to the order of time and entrance on his work, Christ came after John, but in every other way he was before him. The expression clearly shows that Jesus had existence before he appeared on earth as man. All fulness dwells in him, from which alone fallen sinners have, and shall receive, by faith, all that renders them wise, strong, holy, useful, and happy. Our receivings by Christ are all summed up in this one word, grace; we have received…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15He was before me: In John the Baptist’s culture, older age was respected and honored (Leviticus 19:32). Younger people were expected to honor those who were older, not replace them (contrast Isaiah 3:5). By saying that Jesus existed before him, John the Baptist pointed to the greater honor of Jesus. He explained that Jesus existed before creation itself, not just before the birth of John (John 1:1–3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. after me--in official manifestation. before me--in rank and dignity. for he was before me--in existence; "His goings forth being from of old, from everlasting" (Mi 5:2). (Anything lower than this His words cannot mean); that is, "My Successor is my Superior, for He was my Predecessor." This enigmatic play upon the different senses of the words "before" and "after" was doubtless employed by the Baptist to arrest attention, and rivet the thought; and…Read the comment
Topics related to John 1:15
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
Revised Webster's Bible — 1833 — Public Domain
Commentaries