John 1 · Verse 26

John 1:26

John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
John 1:26, King James Version

John 1:26 in other translations

BSB“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.
WEBJohn answered them, “I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don’t know.
ASVJohn answered them, saying, I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not,
YLTJohn answered them, saying, ‘I baptize with water, but in midst of you he hath stood whom ye have not known, this one it is who is coming after me, who hath been before me,
DARBYJohn answered them saying, I baptise with water. In the midst of you stands, whom ye do not know,
BBEJohn's answer was: I give baptism with water; but there is one among you of whom you have no knowledge;
WebsterJohn answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

What does John 1:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
26. there standeth--This must have been spoken after the baptism of Christ, and possibly just after His temptation (see on Joh 1:29).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 26. I baptize. He did not deny it; nor did he condescend to state his authority. That he had given. He admitted that he had introduced an important change in the rites of religion, and he goes on to tell them that this was not all. Greater and more important changes would soon take place without their authority. The Messiah was about to come, and the power was about to depart from their hands.

There standeth one. There is one.

Among you. In the midst of you. He is undistinguished among the multitude. The Messiah had already come, and was about to be manifested to the people. It was not until the next day (Jn 1:29) that Jesus was manifested or proclaimed as the Messiah; but it is not improbable that he was then among the people that were assembled near the Jordan, and mingled with them, though he was undistinguished. He had gone there, probably, with the multitudes that had been drawn thither by the fame of John, and had gone without attracting attention, though his real object was to receive baptism in this public manner, and to be exhibited and proclaimed as the Messiah.

Whom ye know not. Jesus was not yet declared publicly to be the Christ. Though it is probable that he was then among the multitude, yet he was not known as the Messiah. We may hence learn,

1st. That there is often great excellency in the world that is obscure, undistinguished, and unknown. Jesus was near to all that people, but they were not conscious of his presence, for he was retired and obscure. Though the greatest person- age ever in the world, yet he was not externally distinguished from others.

2nd. Jesus may be near to men of the world, and yet they know him not. He is everywhere by his Spirit, yet few know it, and few are desirous of knowing it.

(d) "there standeth" Mal 3:1

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 I baptize with water - See on Mar 1:8 (note). I use the common form, though I direct the baptized to a different end, viz. that they shall repent of their sins, and believe in the Messiah. There standeth one among you - That is, the person whose forerunner I am is now dwelling in the land of Judea, and will shortly make his appearance among you. Christ was not present when John spoke thus, as may be seen from Joh 1:29.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 1:19-28

John disowns himself to be the Christ, who was now expected and waited for. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, but he was not the person of Elias. John was not that Prophet whom Moses said the Lord would raise up to them of their brethren, like unto him. He was not such a prophet as they expected, who would rescue them from the Romans. He gave such an account of himself, as might excite and awaken them to…

Read the full comment on John 1:19-28 →

John 1:26 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἀπεκρίθηapekrithēAnsweredG611
αὐτοῖςautoisthemG846
ὁho<the>G3588
ἸωάννηςIōannēsJohnG2491
λέγων·legōnsaying;G3004
ἐγὼegōI myselfG1473
βαπτίζωbaptizōbaptizeG907
ἐνenwithG1722
ὕδατι·hudatiwater;G5204
μέσοςmesos[in the] midstG3319
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
ἕστηκενhestēkenhe has stoodG2476
ὃνhonwhomG3739
ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselvesG4771
οὐκouknotG3756
οἴδατε,oidateknow,

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 1:26

  • Acts 1:5

    For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

  • Luke 3:16

    John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

  • John 1:10-11

    He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

  • Mark 1:8

    I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

  • Matthew 3:11

    I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

  • Acts 11:16

    Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

  • John 8:19

    Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

  • John 17:3

    And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

  • 1 John 3:1

    Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

  • John 17:25

    O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

  • John 16:3

    And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

  • Malachi 3:1-2

    Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I.
Mt 3:11; Mr 1:8; Lu 3:16; Ac 1:5; 11:16
whom.
10,11; 8:19; 16:3; 17:3,25; Mal 3:1,2; 1Jo 3:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 1:25

    And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

  • John 1:26

    John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

  • John 1:27

    He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

Read all of John 1

John 1:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Juan les respondió, diciendo: Yo bautizo con agua; mas en medio de vosotros ha estado á quien vosotros no conocéis.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Jean leur répondit, disant: Moi, je baptise d’eau; mais au milieu de vous il y en a un que vous ne connaissez pas,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Johannes antwortete ihnen und sprach: Ich taufe mit Wasser; mitten unter euch steht, den ihr nicht kennet,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Respondit eis Joannes, dicens: Ego baptizo in aqua: medius autem vestrum stetit, quem vos nescitis.