John 1:22
| John 1:22 | |
|---|---|
← 1:21 1:23 → | |
| Book | Gospel of John |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
John 1:22 is a verse in the first chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament.
Content
[edit]In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort this verse is:
- εἶπαν οὖν αὐτῷ, Τίς εἶ; ἵνα ἀπόκρισιν δῶμεν τοῖς πέμψασιν ἡμᾶς· τί λέγεις περὶ σεαυτοῦ;[1]
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?[2]
The New International Version translates the passage as:
- Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"[3]
Analysis
[edit]Having denied that he is the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet (John 1:20–21), John the Baptist is pressed for a positive statement about himself. D. A. Carson notes that the delegation, sent by the leaders in Jerusalem, knew it had to return with more than a series of denials, so that the least the Baptist could do was to articulate what he made of himself and what significance he attached to his own ministry.[4]
Craig S. Keener observes that the interrogators' need to give an answer "to those who sent" them underlines their official character as envoys (compare 2 Samuel 24:13). The language reflects the ancient concept of agency, in which an envoy or messenger bore the authority of the one who sent him, a sender's representative being treated as in some sense equivalent to the sender himself.[5]
Keener also treats the verse as a transition within the account of John's testimony: having said who he is not (John 1:20–21), the Baptist now turns to his function as a witness to another (John 1:22–27) and to his role in preparing the way for one greater than himself (John 1:22–23).[5]
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges observes that the delegation "continue asking as to his person; he replies as to his office", and that "in the presence of the Messiah the personality of His Forerunner is lost".[6] The Pulpit Commentary notes that the connective "then" (οὖν) presents the question as the consequence of the Baptist's threefold denial, the envoys requiring a positive account to render to the body that had sent them.[7]
References
[edit]- ↑ John 1:22: Westcott-Hort New Testament
- ↑ John 1:22: King James Version
- ↑ John 1:22: New International Version
- ↑ Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel According to John. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Apollos. on John 1:22. ISBN 978-0-85111-749-2.
- 1 2 Keener, Craig S. (2012) [2003]. The Gospel of John: A Commentary. Vol. 1. Baker Academic. on John 1:22. ISBN 978-1-4412-3705-7.
- ↑ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on John 1, accessed via BibleHub
- ↑ Pulpit Commentary on John 1, accessed via BibleHub
External links
[edit]| Preceded by John 1:21 |
Gospel of John Chapter 1 |
Succeeded by John 1:23 |