John 1:8

George Lamsa Translation

He was not the light, but to testify concerning the light.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
John was not the light. But he came to tell people about the light.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
He was not that lyght: but to beare witnes of the lyght.

Hebrew Names Version
He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.

International Standard Version
He was not the light, but he camehe came">[fn] to testify about the light.

New American Standard Bible
He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

New Century Version
John was not the Light, but he came to tell people the truth about the Light.

Update Bible Version
He was not the light, but [came] that he might bear witness of the light.

Webster's Bible Translation
He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear testimony of that Light.

English Standard Version
He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

World English Bible
He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
He was not the light, but was sent to testify of the light.

Weymouth's New Testament
He was not the Light, but he existed that he might give testimony concerning the Light.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He was not the liyt, but that he schulde bere witnessing of the liyt.

English Revised Version
He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.

Berean Standard Bible
He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

Contemporary English Version
John wasn't that light. He came only to tell about the light.

Amplified Bible
John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light.

American Standard Version
He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light.

Bible in Basic English
He himself was not the light: he was sent to give witness about the light.

Complete Jewish Bible
He himself was not that light; no, he came to bear witness concerning the light.

Darby Translation
*He* was not the light, but that he might witness concerning the light.

Etheridge Translation
He was not the Light himself, but came to testify concerning the Light.

Murdock Translation
He was not himself the light, but [fn] to bear witness concerning the light.

King James Version (1611)
Hee was not that light, but was sent to beare witnesse of that light.

New Living Translation
John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.

New Life Bible
John was not the Light, but he was sent to tell about the Light.

New Revised Standard
He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

Geneva Bible (1587)
He was not that light, but was sent to beare witnesse of that light.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He, was not the light, - but, that he might bear witness concerning the light,

Douay-Rheims Bible
He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light.

Revised Standard Version
He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He was not that lyght: but was sent to beare witnesse of the lyght.

Good News Translation
He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light.

Christian Standard Bible®
He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

King James Version
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

Lexham English Bible
That one was not the light, but came in order that he could testify about the light.

Literal Translation
He was not that Light, but that he might witness concerning the Light.

Young's Literal Translation
that one was not the Light, but -- that he might testify about the Light.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He was not that light, but that he might beare witnesse of ye light.

Mace New Testament (1729)
he was not that Light, but was sent to testify of that light.

New English Translation
He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

New King James Version
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Now John was not the light, but his message was to give everyone the truth about who the light is.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

Legacy Standard Bible
He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light.

Contextual Overview

⁵ And the same light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it. ⁶ There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that every man might believe by means of him. ⁸ He was not the light, but to testify concerning the light. ⁹ He was the true light, which lighteth every man who came into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was under his hand, and yet the world knew him not. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. ¹² But those who received him, to them he gave power to become sons of God, especially to those who believed in his name; ¹³ Those who are not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but born of God. ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, a glory like that of the firstborn of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that light: John 1:20, John 3:28, Acts 19:4

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 21:17 - quench Psalms 36:9 - in thy Isaiah 43:10 - my witnesses Malachi 4:2 - the Sun John 1:4 - the life John 1:15 - bare John 5:35 - was

Cross-References

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas; and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:13
And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Genesis 1:19
And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Genesis 1:23
And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 5:2
Male and female he created them; and God blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He was not that light,.... He was a light; he was the forerunner of the sun of righteousness, the "phosphorus" of the Gospel day; he had great light in him; he knew that the Messiah was ready to come, and declared it; and upon his baptism he knew him personally, and signified him to others: he had great light into the person and work of Christ; and into the way of salvation by him, and remission of sins through him; into the doctrines of faith in Christ, and of evangelical repentance towards God; and into the abolition of the legal Mosaic and Jewish dispensation; and was an instrument of giving light to others; yea, he was a burning and shining light, in whose light the Jews rejoiced, at least for a season: but then he was not that light, the word and wisdom of God; that uncreated light that dwelt with him from all eternity; nor that which was the light of men, from the creation; nor that light, which was of old promised to the saints and patriarchs of the Old Testament, and shone in the ordinances and predictions of that state; nor that fountain and giver of light, of every sort, to men; not that light in which is no darkness, and always shines; not that true light, or sun of righteousness, the Messiah, or that lightens every man that comes into the world:

but was sent to bear witness of that light; which is repeated, to distinguish him from that light; to show what he was sent for, and that he acted according to his mission; and to express the honourableness to his work.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For a witness - To give testimony. He came to prepare the minds of the people to receive him Matthew 3:0; Luke 3:0; to lead them by repentance to God; and to point out the Messiah to Israel when he came, John 1:31.

Of the Light - That is, of the Messiah. Compare Isaiah 60:1.

That all men ... - It was the object of John’s testimony that all people might believe. He designed to prepare them for it; to announce that the Messiah was about to come, to direct the minds of men to him, and thus to prepare them to believe on him when he came. Thus, he baptized them, saying “That they should believe on him who should come after him” Acts 19:4, and thus he produced a very general expectation that the Messiah was about to come. The testimony of John was especially valuable on the following accounts:

1. It was made when he had no personal acquaintance with Jesus of Nazareth, and of course there could have been no collusion or agreement to deceive them, John 1:31.
2. It was sufficiently long before he came to excite general attention, and to fix the mind on it.
3. It was that of a man acknowledged by all to be a prophet of God - “for all men held John to be a prophet,” Matthew 21:26.
4. It was “for the express purpose” of declaring beforehand that he was about to appear.
5. It was “disinterested.”

He was himself extremely popular. Many were disposed to receive him as the Messiah. It was evidently in his “power” to form a large party, and to be regarded extensively as the Christ. This was the highest honor to which a Jew could aspire; and it shows the value of John’s testimony, that he was willing to lay all his honors at the feet of Jesus, and to acknowledge that he was unworthy to perform for him the office of the humblest servant, Matthew 3:11.

Through him - Through John, or by means of his testimony.

Was not that Light - Was not “the Messiah.” This is an explicit declaration designed to satisfy the disciples of John. The evidence that he was not the Messiah he states in the following verses.

From the conduct of John here we may learn,

1. The duty of laying all our honors at the feet of Jesus.
2. As John came that all might believe, so it is no less true of the ministry of Jesus himself. He came for a similar purpose, and we may all, therefore, trust in him for salvation.
3. We should not rely too much on ministers of the gospel. They cannot save us any more than John could; and their office, as his was, is simply to direct people “to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.”