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Lexham English Bible

John 1:31

And I did not know him, but in order that he could be revealed to Israel, because of this I came baptizing with water."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Baptism;   Jesus, the Christ;   John;   Scofield Reference Index - Life;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hope;   Messianic Hope;   The Topic Concordance - Baptism;   Holy Spirit;   Jesus Christ;   John the Baptist;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Baptism;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Baptize, Baptism;   John the Baptist;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Universalists;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Peter;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bethabara;   Jesus Christ;   John the Baptist;   Jordan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - John;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - John the Baptist;   Philip;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Activity;   Benedictus;   Doctrines;   Holy Spirit (2);   Israel, Israelite;   John the Baptist;   Manuscripts;   Nationality;   Pre-Eminence ;   Redemption (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jesus christ;   John the apostle;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - John, the Baptize;   Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - John the Baptist;   Lamb of God;   Logos;   Manifest;   Papyrus;   Text and Manuscripts of the New Testament;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Baptism;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - John the Baptist;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so he might be revealed to Israel.”
King James Version (1611)
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therfore am I come baptizing with water.
King James Version
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
English Standard Version
I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."
New American Standard Bible
"And I did not recognize Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing in water."
New Century Version
Even I did not know who he was, although I came baptizing with water so that the people of Israel would know who he is."
Amplified Bible
"I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah]; but I came baptizing in water so that He would be [publicly] revealed to Israel."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water."
Legacy Standard Bible
I did not know Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water."
Berean Standard Bible
I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel."
Contemporary English Version
I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.
Complete Jewish Bible
I myself did not know who he was, but the reason I came immersing with water was so that he might be made known to Isra'el."
Darby Translation
and I knew him not; but that he might be manifested to Israel, therefore have I come baptising with water.
Easy-to-Read Version
I did not know who he was. But I came baptizing people with water so that Israel could know that he is the Messiah."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And I knewe him not: but because he should be declared to Israel, therefore am I come, baptizing with water.
George Lamsa Translation
And I did not know him; but that he might be made known to Israel, I came to baptize with water.
Good News Translation
I did not know who he would be, but I came baptizing with water in order to make him known to the people of Israel."
Literal Translation
And I did not know Him; but that He be revealed to Israel, for this reason I came baptizing in water.
American Standard Version
And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water.
Bible in Basic English
I myself had no knowledge of him, but I came giving baptism with water so that he might be seen openly by Israel.
Hebrew Names Version
I didn't know him, but for this reason I came immersing in water: that he would be revealed to Yisra'el."
International Standard Version
I didn't recognize him, but I came baptizing within">[fn] water so that he might be revealed to Israel."Malachi 3:1; Matthew 3:6; Luke 1:17,76-77; 3:3-4;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And I knew him not, but that he should be made known unto Isroel, therefore have I come with waters to baptize.
Murdock Translation
And I knew him not; but that he might be known to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I knewe hym not: but that he shoulde be declared to Israel, therfore am I come, baptizing with water.
English Revised Version
And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing with water.
World English Bible
I didn't know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And I knew him not, but that he might be manifested to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
Weymouth's New Testament
I did not yet know Him; but that He may be openly shown to Israel is the reason why I have come baptizing in water."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y knew hym not, but that he be schewid in Israel, therfor Y cam baptisynge in watir.
Update Bible Version
And I didn't know him; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause I came baptizing in water.
Webster's Bible Translation
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
New English Translation
I did not recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel."
New King James Version
I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."
New Living Translation
I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel."
New Life Bible
I did not know who He was, but I have come to baptize with water so the Jews might know about Him."
New Revised Standard
I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, I, knew him not, but, that he might be manifested unto Israel, therefore, came, I, in water, immersing.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I knew him not: but that he may be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
Revised Standard Version
I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and I knew him not: but that he shuld be declared to Israell therfore am I come baptisynge with water.
Young's Literal Translation
and I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and I knewe him not: but that he shulde be declared in Israel, therfore am I come to baptyse with water.
Mace New Testament (1729)
I knew him not: but therefore am I come baptizing with water, that he might be manifest to Israel.
Simplified Cowboy Version
I didn't know who he was until now. But I've been baptizin' with water so I could point him out to the folks of Israel."

Contextual Overview

29 On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This one is the one about whom I said, ‘After me is coming a man who is ahead of me, because he existed before me.' 31 And I did not know him, but in order that he could be revealed to Israel, because of this I came baptizing with water." 32 And John testified, saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and remaining upon him. 33 And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water, that one said to me, ‘The one upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him—this one is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I have seen and testify that this one is the Chosen One of God. 35 On the next day again John was standing there, and two of his disciples, 36 and looking at Jesus as he was walking by, he said, "Look! The Lamb of God!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I knew: John 1:33, Luke 1:80, Luke 2:39-42

but: John 1:7, Isaiah 40:3-5, Malachi 3:1, Malachi 4:2-5, Luke 1:17, Luke 1:76-79

therefore: Matthew 3:6, Mark 1:3-5, Luke 3:3, Luke 3:4, Acts 19:4

Reciprocal: Matthew 3:16 - and he Mark 1:10 - coming Acts 1:5 - John 1 John 3:5 - he 1 John 5:6 - by water and

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth—
Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
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 1:8
And God called the vaulted dome "heaven." And there was evening, and there was morning, a second day.
Genesis 1:13
And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
Genesis 1:19
And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
Genesis 1:23
And there was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.
Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
Exodus 20:11
because in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day he rested. Therefore Yahweh blessed the seventh day and consecrated it.
Job 38:7
when the morning stars were singing together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I knew him not,.... Ομμασιν, "by sight", as Nonnus paraphrases it; personally he had never seen him, nor had had any conversation and familiarity with him; for though they were related to each other, yet lived at such a distance, as not to know one another, or have a correspondence with each other: John was in the deserts, until the day of his showing unto Israel; and Christ dwelt with his parents at Nazareth, in a very mean and obscure manner, till he came from thence to Jordan to John, to be baptized by him; and which was the first interview they had: and this was so ordered by providence, as also this is said by John, lest it should be thought, that the testimony he bore to Jesus, and the high commendation he gave of him, arose from the relation between them; or from a confederacy and compact they had entered into:

but that he should be made manifest to Israel; who had been for many years hid in Galilee, an obscure part of the world: and though he had been known to Joseph and Mary, and to Zacharias and Elisabeth, and to Simeon and Anna; yet he was not made manifest to the people of Israel in common; nor did they know that the Messiah was come: but that he might be known:

therefore am I come baptizing with water; or in water, as before: for by administering this new ordinance, the people were naturally put upon inquiry after the Messiah, whether come, and where he was, since such a new rite was introduced; and besides, John, when he baptized any, he exhorted them to believe on him, which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus; and moreover, by Christ's coming to his baptism, he came to have a personal knowledge of him himself, and so was capable of pointing him out, and making him manifest to others, as he did.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I knew him not - John was not personally acquainted with Jesus. Though they were remotely related to each other, yet it seems that they had had heretofore no personal acquaintance. John had lived chiefly in the hill country of Judea. Jesus had been employed with Joseph at Nazareth. Until Jesus came to be baptized Matthew 3:13-14, it seems that John had no acquaintance with him. He understood that he was to announce that the Messiah was about to appear. He was sent to proclaim his coming, but he did not personally know Jesus, or that he was to be the Messiah. This proves that there could have been no collusion or agreement between them to impose on the people.

Should be made manifest - That the Messiah should be “exhibited,” or made known. He came to prepare the way for the Messiah, and it now appeared that the Messiah was Jesus of Nazareth.

To Israel - To the Jews.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. And I knew him not, &c.] John did not know our Lord personally, and perhaps had never seen him, at the time he spoke the words in John 1:15. Nor is it any wonder that the Baptist should have been unacquainted with Christ, as he had spent thirty years in the hill country of Hebron, and our Lord remained in a state of great privacy in the obscure city of Nazareth, in the extreme borders of Galilee.

But that he should be made manifest to Israel — One design of my publicly baptizing was, that he, coming to my baptism, should be shown to be what he is, by some extraordinary sign from heaven.


 
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