John 1 · Verse 28

John 1:28

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 1:28, King James Version

John 1:28 in other translations

BSB	All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
WEB	These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
ASV	These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
YLT	These things came to pass in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing,
DARBY	These things took place in Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptising.
BBE	These things took place at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was giving baptism.
Webster	These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

What does John 1:28 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

28. Bethabara--Rather, "Bethany" (according to nearly all the best and most ancient manuscripts); not the Bethany of Lazarus, but another of the same name, and distinguished from it as lying "beyond Jordan," on the east.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 28. In Bethabara. Almost all the ancient manuscripts and versions, instead of Bethabara here, have Bethany, and this is doubtless the true reading. There was a Bethany about 2 miles east of Jerusalem, but there is said also to have been another in the tribe of Reuben, on the east side of the river Jordan, and in this place, probably, John was baptizing. It is about 12 miles above Jericho. The word Bethabara means house or place of a ford. The reading Bethabara, instead of Bethany, seems to have arisen from the conjecture of Origen, who found in his day no such place as Bethany, but saw a town called Bethabara, where John was said to have baptized, and therefore took the liberty of changing the former reading.--Rob., Lex.

Beyond Jordan. On the east side of the river Jordan.

(e) "in Bethabara" Jud 7:24

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 28 These things were done in Bethabara - It is very probable that the word Bethany should be inserted here, instead of Bethabara. This reading, in the judgment of the best critics, is the genuine one. The following are the authorities by which it is supported: ABCEGHLMSX, BV, of Matthai, upwards of a hundred others, Syriac, Armenian, Persic, Coptic, Slavonic, Vulgate, Saxon, and all the Itala, with some of the most eminent of the primitive fathers, before the time of Origen, who is supposed to have first changed the reading. Bethabara signifies literally the house of passage, and is thought to be the place where the Israelites passed the river Jordan under Joshua. There was a place called Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem, at the foot of the mount of Olives. But there was another of the same name, beyond Jordan, in the tribe of Reuben. It was probably of this that the evangelist speaks; and Origen, not knowing of this second Bethany, altered the reading to Bethabara. See Rosenmuller.

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 1:28 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.

ταῦταtautaThese thingsG3778

ἐνeninG1722

ΒηθανίᾳBēthaniaBethanyG963

ἐγένετοegenetotook placeG1096

πέρανperanacrossG4008

τοῦtoutheG3588

ἸορδάνουIordanouJordanG2446

ὅπουhopouwhereG3699

ἦνēnwasG1510

ἸωάννηςIōannēsJohnG2491

βαπτίζων.¶baptizōnbaptizing.G907

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

Cross references for John 1:28

John 10:40
And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
John 3:23
And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
Judges 7:24
And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth–barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth–barah and Jordan.
John 3:26
And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Bethabara.
10:40; Jud 7:24
Bethbarah.
12:5
where.
3:23

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

Context

John 1:27
He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
John 1:28
These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Read all of John 1

John 1:28 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Estas cosas acontecieron en Betábara, de la otra parte del Jordán, donde Juan bautizaba.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Ces choses arrivèrent à Béthanie, au-delà du Jourdain, où Jean baptisait.
German Elberfelder 1871	Dies geschah zu Bethanien, jenseit des Jordan, wo Johannes taufte.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Hæc in Bethania facta sunt trans Jordanem, ubi erat Joannes baptizans.