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Friday, November 29th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

King James Version

John 1:15

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Confession;   Jesus, the Christ;   John;   Scofield Reference Index - Faith;   Life;   Thompson Chain Reference - John the Baptist;   Witnessing to the Truth;   The Topic Concordance - Jesus Christ;   John the Baptist;   Witness;   Word of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Providence of God, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Love;   Witness;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anthropomorphism;   Miracle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Universalists;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Firstborn;   Jesus Christ;   Revelation of John, the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baptism;   Christ, Christology;   Incarnation;   Jesus, Life and Ministry of;   John;   John, the Gospel of;   John, the Letters of;   Word;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - John the Baptist;   John, Gospel of;   Logos;   Trinity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Atonement (2);   Benedictus;   Brotherhood (2);   Creator (Christ as);   Cry;   Gospel (2);   Herod ;   John the Baptist;   Light;   Manuscripts;   Merit;   Philo;   Pre-Eminence ;   Pre-Existence;   Witness (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Genealogy;   Jesus christ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - John, Gospel of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - John the Baptist;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Law of Moses, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - John, Gospel of;   Ostraca;   Prefer;   Prologue;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 30;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
John told people about him. He said loudly, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘The one who is coming after me is greater than I am, because he was living before I was even born.'"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Iohn bare witnes of him and cryed sayinge: This was he of whome I spake he that cometh after me was before me because he was yer then I.
Hebrew Names Version
Yochanan testified about him. He cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.'"
International Standard Version
John told the truth about him when he cried out, "This is the person about whom I said, 'The one who comes after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.'"Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; John 1:32; 5:33; 8:58; Colossians 1:17;">[xr]
New American Standard Bible
John testified about Him and called out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.'"
New Century Version
John tells the truth about him and cries out, saying, "This is the One I told you about: ‘The One who comes after me is greater than I am, because he was living before me.'"
Update Bible Version
John bears witness of him, and cries out, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me has become before me: for he was before me.
Webster's Bible Translation
John testified 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.
English Standard Version
(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.'")
World English Bible
John testified about him. He cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.'"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
John testified of him and cried, saying, This is he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me.
Weymouth's New Testament
John gave testimony concerning Him and cried aloud, saying, "This is He of whom I said, `He who is coming after me has been put before me,' for He was before me."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Joon berith witnessyng of hym, and crieth, and seith, This is, whom Y seide, He that schal come aftir me, is maad bifore me, for he was tofor me;
English Revised Version
John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me.
Berean Standard Bible
John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, "This is He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.'"
Contemporary English Version
John spoke about him and shouted, "This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born."
Amplified Bible
John testified [repeatedly] about Him and has cried out [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.'"
American Standard Version
John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me.
Bible in Basic English
John gave witness about him, crying, This is he of whom I said, He who is coming after me is put over me because he was in existence before me.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yochanan witnessed concerning him when he cried out, "This is the man I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me has come to rank ahead of me, because he existed before me.'"
Darby Translation
(John bears witness of him, and he has cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me;)
Etheridge Translation
Juchanon testified concerning him, and cried, and said, This is he of whom I said, that he cometh after me, and was before [fn] me, because he is anterior [fn] to me.
Murdock Translation
John testified of him, and cried, and said: This is he, of whom I said, That he cometh after me, and is before me; for he was prior to me.
King James Version (1611)
Iohn bare witnesse of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that commeth after me, is preferred before me, for he was before me.
New Living Translation
John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.'"
New Life Bible
John told about Christ and said, "I have been telling you about this One. I said, ‘He is coming after me. He is more important than I because He lived before me.'"
New Revised Standard
(John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'")
Geneva Bible (1587)
Iohn bare witnesse of him, and cryed, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that commeth after me, was before me: for he was better then I.
George Lamsa Translation
John witnessed concerning him and cried and said, This is the one of whom I said, He is coming after me, and yet he is ahead of me, because he was before me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
(John beareth witness concerning him, and hath cried aloud, saying - the same, was he that said - He who, after me, was coming, before me, hath advanced; because, my Chief, was he.)
Douay-Rheims Bible
John beareth witness of him and crieth out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke: He that shall come after me is preferred before me: because he was before me.
Revised Standard Version
(John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Iohn beareth witnesse of hym, and cryeth, saying: This was he of whom I spake, he that commeth after me, is preferred before me, for he was before me.
Good News Translation
John spoke about him. He cried out, "This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.'"
Christian Standard Bible®
(John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”)
Lexham English Bible
John testified about him and cried out, saying, "This one was he about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me is ahead of me, because he existed before me.'"
Literal Translation
John witnesses concerning Him, and has cried out, saying, This One was He of whom I said, He coming after me has been before me, for He was preceding me.
Young's Literal Translation
John doth testify concerning him, and hath cried, saying, `This was he of whom I said, He who after me is coming, hath come before me, for he was before me;'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ihon bare wytnesse of him, cryed, and sayde: It was this, of whom I spake: After me shal he come, that was before me, For he was or euer I:
Mace New Testament (1729)
it was of him that John bare witness, when he made this declaration, "this was he of whom I said, he that cometh after me, was before me; for he did indeed exist before me."
THE MESSAGE
John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word."
New English Translation
John testified about him and shouted out, "This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.'"
New King James Version
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."'
Simplified Cowboy Version
John told everyone, "This is the one I was telling y'all about! There's a cowboy riding down here who is greater than me. He's been around forever."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'"
Legacy Standard Bible
John *bore witness about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has been ahead of me, for He existed before me.'"

Contextual Overview

15 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. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bare: am 4030, ad 26, John 1:7, John 1:8, John 1:29-34, John 3:26-36, John 5:33-36, Matthew 3:11, Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:7, Luke 3:16

he was: John 1:1, John 1:2, John 1:30, John 8:58, John 17:5, Proverbs 8:22, Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2, Philippians 2:6, Philippians 2:7, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 13:8, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 2:8

Reciprocal: Malachi 3:1 - and he Matthew 11:11 - he that Matthew 21:25 - baptism Matthew 25:4 - oil Mark 1:3 - General Mark 11:30 - General Mark 11:31 - Why Luke 1:77 - give Luke 3:18 - General Luke 20:5 - Why John 1:27 - who John 3:31 - is above John 13:19 - that I Acts 13:24 - General Acts 19:4 - John

Gill's Notes on the Bible

John bare witness of him,.... Which was his office and business, for which purpose he was sent, John 1:6

and cried; this agrees with his work and office, according to the prophecy of him in Isaiah 40:3 and with the time of his ministry, the year of jubilee; and with the nature of his ministry, which was clear, open, and public; and performed with vigour, and in a powerful manner, with much assurance and certainty, with boldness and intrepidity, and with great zeal and fervency, and in an evangelical way; for it was such a cry as debased the creature, and exalted Christ:

this was he, of whom I spake; when he first entered upon his ministry and baptism, before he saw Christ, or baptized him; see Matthew 3:11.

he that cometh after me; for Christ came into the world after John; he was born six months after him; he came after him to be baptized by him, and attended on his ministry; and came later into the public ministry than he did;

is preferred before me; by God, the Father, in setting him up as Mediator; constituting him the head of the church; causing a fulness of grace to dwell in him; appointing him the Saviour of his people; and ordaining him judge of quick and dead. And by the prophets, who spake much of him, and sparingly of John; and of him as the Messiah and Saviour, and of John only as his harbinger: and by John himself, who represents him as coming from above, and as above all; and himself as of the earth, earthly: and by all Gospel ministers, and every true believer; and good reason there is for it:

for he was before me; which cannot be meant of honour and dignity; for this is expressed before; and it would be proving one thing by the same: nor of his birth, as man; for John in that sense was before him, being born before him; besides, being born before another, is no proof of superior worth; others were born before John, whom he yet excelled: but of his eternal existence, as the word, and Son of God, who was before John, or any of the prophets; before Abraham, and Noah, and Adam, or any creature whatever: the Arabic and Persic versions read, "for he was more ancient than me"; being from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

John 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 preferred” relate to “time,” and not to “dignity;” meaning that though he came after him publicly, being six months younger than John, as well as entering on his work after John, yet that he had existed long before him. Most, however, have understood it more correctly, as our translators seem to have done, as meaning, He was worthy of more honor than I am.

He was before me - This can refer to nothing but his pre-existence, and can be explained only on the supposition that he existed before John, or, as the evangelist had before shown, from the beginning. He came “after” John in his public ministry and in his human nature, but in his divine nature he had existed long before John had a being - from eternity. We may learn here that it is one mark of the true spirit of a minister of Christ to desire and feel that Christ is always to be preferred to ourselves. We should keep ourselves out of view. The great object is to hold up the Saviour; and however much ministers may be honored or blessed, yet they should lay all at the feet of Jesus, and direct all men to him as the undivided object of affection and honor. It is the business of every Christian, as well as of every Christian minister, to be a witness for Christ, and to endeavor to convince the world that he is worthy of confidence and love.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 1:15. Of 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, the forerunner of the Messiah.

Was before me. — Speaking by the prophets, and warning your fathers to repent and return to God, as I now warn you; for he was before me-he was from eternity, and from him I have derived both my being and my ministry.


 
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