And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
And {G2532} they asked {G2065} him {G846}, and {G2532} said {G2036} unto him {G846}, Why {G5101} baptizest thou {G907} then {G3767}, if {G1487} thou {G4771} be {G1488} not {G3756} that Christ {G5547}, nor {G3777} Elias {G2243}, neither {G3777} that prophet {G4396}?
They asked him, “If you are neither the Messiah nor Eliyahu nor ‘the prophet,’ then why are you immersing people?”
asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet?
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Deuteronomy 18:18
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. -
Deuteronomy 18:15
¶ The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; -
John 1:20
And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. -
John 1:22
Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? -
Acts 5:28
Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. -
Matthew 21:23
¶ And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? -
Acts 4:5
¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
Commentary on John 1:25 KJV
John 1:25 is a pivotal verse in the Gospel of John, capturing the intense scrutiny and theological curiosity surrounding John the Baptist's ministry. Following his explicit denials of being the Christ, Elijah, or "that prophet," the Jewish religious authorities—priests and Levites sent from Jerusalem—press him further on the authority behind his unique practice of baptism.
Context
This verse immediately follows John the Baptist's direct answers to the delegation from Jerusalem, who had asked him to identify himself (John 1:19). In John 1:20 and John 1:21, John unequivocally states that he is neither the Christ, nor Elijah (Elias in Greek), nor "that prophet." These three figures represented the core of Jewish messianic and eschatological expectations. The questioners, therefore, are baffled: if John is not one of these divinely appointed figures, by what authority does he perform a baptism that seems to carry significant spiritual weight and public attention?
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
Practical Application
John 1:25 offers several enduring lessons: