879 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they asked him, what then? art thou Elias?.... Elijah, the prophet; the Tishbite, as Nonnus in his paraphrase expresses it; who was translated, soul and body, to heaven: the Jews had a notion that that prophet would come in person a little before the coming of the Messiah; [See comments on Matthew 17:10] wherefore these messengers inquire,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said they unto him, who art thou?.... Since, as yet, he had only answered in negatives, who he was not, that he was not the Christ, nor Elias, nor that prophet; they desire he would give them a positive account who he was: that we may give answer to them that sent us; that their labour might not be in vain; that they might not come so far for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,.... These words are cited by the other evangelists, and applied to John the Baptist; but then they are only to be considered as their citation, and as an application of them to him by them: but here they are used by John himself, who both expresses them, and interprets them of himself;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. Who were the straitest sect of religion among the Jews; were very zealous of the traditions of the elders, and professed an expectation of the Messiah; and were famous in the nation for their knowledge and learning, as well as for their devotion and sanctity: and many of them were in the sanhedrim,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they asked him, and said unto him,.... They put a question, by saying to him, why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? since he denied that he was the Messiah, or Elias that was to come before the Messiah, according to the expectation of the Jews, or that prophet, or a prophet, they demand by what...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
John answered them, saying, I baptize with water,.... Or in water, so the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions render it. The sense of the answer is, that he indeed baptized persons in water, which was all that he could do, or pretended to do; and he owned, that this was a new rite, and that he was the administrator of a new ordinance; but...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
He it is who coming after me,.... Both into the world, and into the ministry of the word; for John was before Christ, in both these respects, though greatly behind him in others, and therefore he adds, is preferred before me: being not only of a more excellent nature, the Son of God, and of an higher extract, the Lord from heaven; but in an higher...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
These things were done in Bethabara,.... That is, this testimony was bore by John; and this discourse passed between him and the Pharisees, at the place here mentioned; which was a passage over Jordan, where much people walked to go on the other side, beyond Jordan; and where also John was baptizing; which brought a great concourse of people...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him,.... Not to be baptized, for he had been baptized before by him. This seems to have been after Christ had been forty days in the wilderness, from whence he now returned, and came to attend on John's ministry; both to do honour to him, and that he might be made manifest by him; and this was the day...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
This is he, of whom it is said,.... Either the day before, as in John 1:27, or some time before that, John 1:15, when he first began to baptize, even before Christ came to be baptized by him, and before he personally knew him; see Matthew 3:11. After me cometh a man; not a mere man, but the man God's fellow: and this is said, not because he was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And John bare record,.... The same day that he said the above things, and at the same time: saying, I saw the Spirit; that is, of God, as is said in Matthew 3:16 and which Nonnus here expresses; and the Ethiopic version reads, "the Holy Ghost", descending from heaven like a dove; at the time of his baptism; see Gill "Matthew 3:16". And it abode...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I knew him not,.... That is, before he came to be baptized by him; when it was secretly suggested to him who he was, and the following signal was given him, to confirm him in it: but he that sent me to baptize with water; or "in water"; that is, God; for John's mission was from God, as in John 1:6, and his baptism from heaven; he had a divine...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I saw,.... The Spirit descending from heaven as a dove, and lighting upon Jesus, and remaining some time on him; this he saw with his bodily eyes: and bore record; at the same time, before all the people that were with him, when he baptized Jesus: that this is the Son of God; the natural, essential, and eternal Son of God; who being sent in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Again, the next day after,.... The third day from the priests and Levites having been with John, to know who he was. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, leave out the word "again": John stood, and two of his disciples; one of these was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, as appears from John 1:40 and very likely the other was the Evangelist John,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And looking upon Jesus as he walked,.... Either by them; or as he was going from them to his lodgings; it being toward the close of the day, when John had finished his work for that day, and the people were departing home: John fixed his eyes intently on Christ, with great pleasure and delight, and pointing at him, he saith, behold the Lamb of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the two disciples heard him speak,.... The above words, and took notice of them; faith in Christ came by hearing them; they reached their hearts, and they found their affections, and the desires of their souls, to be after Christ: and they followed Jesus; left their master, and went after him, in order to get some acquaintance with him, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following,.... That is, "him", as the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions add: he saw by their walk, and by their countenances, that they were following him; and which he knew before he turned himself: he knew what John had said, and what an effect it had upon these disciples, and what was working in their...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
He saith unto them, come and see,.... He gave them an invitation, to go along with him directly, and see with their own eyes, where he dwelt, and there and then converse with him, and at any other time; to which they had a hearty welcome: they came and saw where he dwelt; they accepted of the invitation, and went along with him immediately, and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
One of the two which heard John [speak],.... The above things, concerning Jesus being the Lamb of God: and followed him; that is, Jesus, as the Syriac and Arabic versions read; and the Persic version, Christ: and the Ethiopic version, "the Lord Jesus"; for not John, but Jesus they followed: was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother: see Matthew 4:18 the...