John 1:7

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

The same, came, for a witness, That he might bear witness, concerning the light, that, all, might believe, through him.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
He came to tell people about the light. Through him all people could hear about the light and believe.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The same cam as a witnes to beare witnes of the lyght that all men through him myght beleve.

Hebrew Names Version
The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.

International Standard Version
He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.Acts 19:4;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

New Century Version
He came to tell people the truth about the Light so that through him all people could hear about the Light and believe.

Update Bible Version
The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

Webster's Bible Translation
The same came for a witness, to bear testimony of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe.

English Standard Version
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

World English Bible
The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
to testify of the light, that all thro' it might believe.

Weymouth's New Testament
He came as a witness, in order that he might give testimony concerning the Light--so that all might believe through him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
This man cam in to witnessyng, that he schulde bere witnessing of the liyt, that alle men schulden bileue bi hym.

English Revised Version
The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

Berean Standard Bible
He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.

Contemporary English Version
who came to tell about the light and to lead all people to have faith.

Amplified Bible
This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him.

American Standard Version
The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

Bible in Basic English
He came for witness, to give witness about the light, so that all men might have faith through him.

Complete Jewish Bible
He came to be a testimony, to bear witness concerning the light; so that through him, everyone might put his trust in God and be faithful to him.

Darby Translation
He came for witness, that he might witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him.

Etheridge Translation
He came for the testimony, to testify concerning the Light, that all men might believe through his ministry. [fn]

Murdock Translation
He came for testimony, to bear witness concerning the light.

King James Version (1611)
The same came for a witnesse, to beare witnesse of the light, that all men through him might beleeue.

New Living Translation
to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.

New Life Bible
He came to tell what he knew about the Light so that all men might believe through him.

New Revised Standard
He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
This same came for a witnesse, to beare witnesse of that light, that all men through him might beleeue.

George Lamsa Translation
He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that every man might believe by means of him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him.

Revised Standard Version
He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The same came for a witnesse, to beare witnesse of the lyght, that all men through hym myght beleue.

Good News Translation
who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe.

Christian Standard Bible®
He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.

King James Version
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

Lexham English Bible
This one came for a witness, in order that he could testify about the light, so that all would believe through him.

Literal Translation
He came for a witness, that he might witness concerning the Light, that all might believe through Him.

Young's Literal Translation
this one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The same came for a witnesse, to beare wytnesse of ye light, that thorow him they all might beleue.

Mace New Testament (1729)
he came as a witness, to represent what he knew of the light, that by his means all might be convinc'd.

New English Translation
He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him.

New King James Version
This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

Simplified Cowboy Version
God gave John a message to give to everyone else so that they would become believers.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

Legacy Standard Bible
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him.

Contextual Overview

⁵ And, the light, in the darkness, shineth; and, the darkness, thereof, laid not hold. ⁶ There arose a man, sent from God, whose name was, John: ⁷ The same, came, for a witness, That he might bear witness, concerning the light, that, all, might believe, through him. ⁸ He, was not the light, - but, that he might bear witness concerning the light, ⁹ It, was - The real light that enlighteneth every man - Coming into the world. ¹⁰ In the world, he was, and, the world, through him, came into existence, and, the world, knew him not. ¹¹ Into his own possessions, he came, and, his own people, received him not home. ¹² But, as many as did receive him, he gave, unto them, authority, children of God, to become, - unto them who were believing on his name: ¹³ Who - not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but - of God, were born. ¹⁴ And, the Word, became, flesh, and pitched his tent among us, and we gazed upon his glory, - a glory, as an Only-begotten from his Father. Full of favour and truth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a witness: John 1:19, John 1:26, John 1:27, John 1:32-34, John 1:36, John 3:26-36, John 5:33-35, Acts 19:4

that: John 1:9, John 3:26, Ephesians 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4, Titus 2:11, 2 Peter 3:9

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 23:4 - as the light Isaiah 43:10 - my witnesses Isaiah 53:1 - Who Ezekiel 36:29 - save Malachi 3:1 - I will Luke 1:77 - give Luke 3:4 - Prepare John 1:15 - bare John 1:31 - but John 4:38 - other John 5:35 - was John 11:48 - all John 12:32 - all men John 12:36 - believe Romans 5:18 - all men Romans 11:32 - concluded them all 2 Peter 1:19 - a light

Cross-References

Genesis 1:8
And God called the expanse, heavens. So it was evening - and it was morning, a, second day.

Genesis 1:9
And God said - Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together, into one place, and let the dry - ground appear. And it was so.

Genesis 1:11
And God said - Let the land put-forth vegetation-herb yielding seed, fruit-tree, bearing fruit, after its kind, whose seed is within it on the land. And it was so,

Genesis 1:15
yea let them be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to give light on the earth. And it was so.

Genesis 1:24
And God said - Let the land, bring forth, living soul, after its kind, tame-beast and creeping thing and wild-beast, of the land, after its kind. And it was so.

Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said to them Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, - and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the bird of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth on the land.

Genesis 1:29
And God said - Lo! I have given to you - every herb yielding seed which is on the face of all the land, and every tree wherein is the fruit of a tree yielding seed, - to you, shall it be, for food;

Job 26:8
Who bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent beneath them;

Psalms 104:10
Who hast sent forth springs, through the torrent-beds, Between the mountains, they flow along;

Psalms 148:4
Praise him, O ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The same came for a witness,.... The end of his being sent, and the design of his coming were,

to bear witness of the light: by which is meant, not the light of nature, or reason; nor the light of the Gospel: but Christ himself, the author of light, natural, spiritual, and eternal. This was one of the names of the Messiah with the Jews; of whom they say u,

נהירא שמו, "light is his name"; as it is said in Daniel 2:22 and the light dwelleth with him; on which they have w elsewhere this gloss, this is the King Messiah; and so they interpret Psalms 43:3 of him x. Philo the Jew often speaks of the Logos, or word, as light, and calls him the intelligible light; the universal light, the most perfect light; represents him as full of divine light; and says, he is called the sun y. Now John came to bear a testimony to him, as he did; of which an account is given in this chapter, very largely, and elsewhere; as that he testified of his existence before his incarnation; of his being with the Father, and in his bosom: of his deity and divine sonship; of his being the Messiah; of the fulness of grace that was in him; of his incarnation and satisfaction; of his descent from heaven; and of his relation to his church, as in John 1:15 the end of which witness was,

that all men through him might believe; that is, that the Jews, to whom he preached, might, through his testimony, believe that Jesus was the light, and true Messiah; for these words are to be taken in a limited sense, and not to be extended, to every individual of mankind; since millions were dead before John began his testimony, and multitudes then in being, and since, whom it never reached: nor can it design more than the Jews, to whom alone he bore witness of Christ; and the faith which he taught, and required by his testimony, was an assent unto him as the Messiah; though the preaching of the Gospel is a means of true spiritual faith in Christ; and doubtless it was so to many, as preached by John: it points out the object of faith, and encourages souls to believe in Christ; and hence, Gospel ministers are instruments by whom ethers believe; and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; and then is it, considerable end of the Gospel ministry answered.

u Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 2. w Bereshit Rabba, fol. 1. 3. x Jarchi in ib. y De Maudi Opificio, p. 6. De Allegor. l. 2. p. 80. & de Somniis, p. 576, 578.

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.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 1:7. That all men through him might believe. — He testified that Jesus was the true light-the true teacher of the way to the kingdom of glory, and the lamb or sacrifice of God, which was to bear away the sin of the world, John 1:29, and invited men to believe in him for the remission of their sins, that they might receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, John 1:32-34. This was bearing the most direct witness to the light which was now shining in the dark wilderness of Judea; and, from thence, shortly to be diffused over the whole world.