John 1:21

Then they asked him, “Then what do you say about yourself? Are you the prophet Elijah that was prophesied to return {◄ someone/another prophet► prophesied would return} before the Messiah?” He replied, “No, I am not.” Then they asked him, “Are you the prophet like Moses that ◄ we are waiting for/God promised to send►?” He replied, “No.”

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

In Context

20So John told them the truth, and he told them clearly [DOU]. He said, “ I am not ◄the Messiah/God’s chosen king►!”

22So they asked him, “Then who do you claim to be? Tell us so that we can go back and report to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

Read all of John 1

Cross References

Malachi 4:5Listen to this: Some day I will send to you the prophet Elijah. He will arrive before the great and dreadful/terrible day when I, Yahweh, will judge and punish people.

Matthew 11:14Even though most of you are unwilling to believe what I am saying, I will tell this truth to anyone who is willing to believe it: John is the man who is like Elijah [MET]. He is the one who one of the prophets said would come in order to prepare the people to welcome the Messiah.

Matthew 17:10Those three disciples had just seen Elijah and he did not do anything to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah, so they asked Jesus, “If what you say is true, why do the men who teach the Jewish laws say that it is necessary for Elijah to come back to earth before the Messiah comes?”

John 1:25They asked John, “Since you say you are not the Messiah, nor the prophet Elijah, nor the prophet like Moses, what authority do you have? Furthermore, why are you baptizing Jews, treating them as though they were non-Jews who wanted to become Jews?”

Matthew Henry on John 1:20-29

John's Testimony to Christ; John Examined by the Priests. 19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 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? 23 He said, I am the voice of one… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study John 1:21