John 1 · Verse 29

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.

John 1:29, King James Version

John 1:29 in other translations

BSB	The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
WEB	The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
ASV	On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!
YLT	on the morrow John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, ‘Lo, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world;
DARBY	On the morrow he sees Jesus coming to him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
BBE	The day after, John sees Jesus coming to him and says, See, here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Webster	The next day John seeth Jesus coming to him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.

What does John 1:29 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

29. seeth Jesus--fresh, probably, from the scene of the temptation. coming unto him--as to congenial company (Ac 4:23), and to receive from him His first greeting. and saith--catching a sublime inspiration at the sight of Him approaching. the Lamb of God--the one God-ordained, God-gifted sacrificial offering. that taketh away--taketh up and taketh away. The word signifies both, as does the corresponding Hebrew word. Applied to sin, it means to be chargeable with the guilt of it (Ex 28:38; Le 5:1; Eze 18:20), and to bear it away (as often). In the Levitical victims both ideas met, as they do in Christ, the people's guilt being viewed as transferred to them, avenged in their death, and so borne away by them (Le 4:15; 16:15, 21, 22; and compare Is 53:6-12; 2Co 5:21). the sin--The singular number being used to mark the collective burden and all-embracing efficacy. of the world--not of Israel only, for whom the typical victims were exclusively offered. Wherever there shall live a sinner throughout the wide world, sinking under that burden too heavy for him to bear, he shall find in this "Lamb of God," a shoulder equal to the weight. The right note was struck at the first--balm, doubtless, to Christ's own spirit; nor was ever after, or ever will be, a more glorious utterance.

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 29. The next day. The day after the Jews made inquiry whether he was the Christ.

Behold the Lamb of God. A lamb, among the Jews, was killed and eaten at the Passover to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt, Ex 12:3-11. A lamb was offered in the tabernacle, and afterward in the temple, every morning and evening, as a part of the daily worship, Ex 29:38,39. The Messiah was predicted as a lamb led to the slaughter, to show his patience in his sufferings, and readiness to die for man, Isa 53:7. A lamb, among the Jews, was also an emblem of patience, meekness, gentleness. On all these accounts, rather than on any one of them alone, Jesus was called the Lamb. He was innocent (1Pet 2:23-25); he was a sacrifice for sin--the substance represented by the daily offering of the lamb, and slain at the usual time of the evening sacrifice (Lk 23:44-46); and he was what was represented by the Passover, turning away the anger of God, and saving sinners by his blood from vengeance and eternal death, 1Cor 5:7.

Of God. Appointed by God, approved by God, and most dear to him; the sacrifice which he chose, and which he approves to save men from death.

Which taketh away. This denotes his bearing the sins of the world, or the sufferings which made an atonement for sin. Comp. Isa 53:4, 1Jn 3:5, 1Pet 2:24. He takes away sin by bearing in his own body the sufferings which God appointed to show his sense of the evil of sin, thus magnifying the law, and rendering it consistent for him to pardon. Rom 3:24, Rom 3:25.

Of the world. Of all mankind, Jew and Gentile. His work was not to be confined to the Jew, but was also to benefit the Gentile' it was not confined to any one part of the world, but was designed to open the way of pardon to all men. He was the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, 1Jn 2:2. 2Cor 5:15.

(f) "Lamb of God" Ex 12:3, Isa 53:7,11, Rev 5:6 (g) "which" Acts 13:39, 1Pet 2:24, Rev 1:5 (3) "taketh" or, "beareth" Heb 9:28

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 29 The next day - The day after that on which the Jews had been with John, Joh 1:19. Behold the Lamb of God, etc. - This was said in allusion to what was spoken Isa 53:7. Jesus was the true Lamb or Sacrifice required and appointed by God, of which those offered daily in the tabernacle and temple, Exo 29:38, Exo 29:39, and especially the paschal lamb, were only the types and representatives. See Exo 12:4, Exo 12:5; 1Cor 5:7. The continual morning and evening sacrifice of a lamb, under the Jewish law, was intended to point out the continual efficacy of the blood of atonement: for even at the throne of God, Jesus Christ is ever represented as a lamb newly slain, Rev 5:6. But John, pointing to Christ, calls him emphatically, the Lamb of God: - all the lambs which had been hitherto offered had been furnished by men: this was provided by God, as the only sufficient and available sacrifice for the sin of the world. In three essential respects, this lamb differed from those by which it was represented. 1st. It was the Lamb of God; the most excellent, and the most available. 2nd. It made an atonement for sin: it carried sin away in reality, the others only representatively. 3rd. It carried away the sin of the World, whereas the other was offered only on behalf of the Jewish people. In Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 30, it is said, "The Messiah shall bear the sins of the Israelites." But this salvation was now to be extended to the whole world.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 1:29-36

John saw Jesus coming to him, and pointed him out as the Lamb of God. The paschal lamb, in the shedding and sprinkling of its blood, the roasting and eating of its flesh, and all the other circumstances of the ordinance, represented the salvation of sinners by faith in Christ. And the lambs sacrificed every morning and evening, can only refer to Christ slain as a sacrifice to redeem us to God by his blood. John came as a preacher of repentance, yet he told his followers that they were to look for the pardon of their sins to Jesus only, and to his death. It agrees with God's glory to pardon all who depend on the atoning sacrifice of Christ. He takes away the sin of the world; purchases pardon for all that repent and believe the gospel. This encourages our faith; if Christ takes away the sin of the world, then why not my sin? He bore sin for us, and so bears it from us. God could have taken away sin, by taking away the sinner, as he took away the sin of the old world; but here is a way of doing away sin, yet sparing the sinner, by making his Son sin, that is, a sin-offering, for us. See Jesus taking away sin, and let that cause hatred of sin, and resolutions against it. Let us not hold that fast, which the Lamb of God came to take away. To confirm his testimony concerning Christ, John declares the appearance at his baptism, in which God himself bore witness to him. He saw and bare record that he is the Son of God. This is the end and object of John's testimony, that Jesus was the promised Messiah. John took every opportunity that offered to lead people to Christ.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 1:29 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.

ΤῇTēaOn theG3588

ἐπαύριονepaurionnext dayG1887

βλέπειblepeihe seesG991

τὸνton<the>G3588

ἸησοῦνIēsounJesusG2424

ἐρχόμενονerchomenoncomingG2064

πρὸςprostoG4314

αὐτὸνautonhimG846

καὶkaiandG2532

λέγει·legeisays;G3004

ἴδεideBeholdG2396

ὁhotheG3588

ἀμνὸςamnosLambG286

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θεοῦ,theouof God,G2316

ὁhowhoG3588

αἴρωνairōnis taking awayG142

τὴνtēntheG3588

ἁμαρτίανhamartiansinG266

τοῦtouof theG3588

κόσμου.kosmouworld.G2889

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

Cross references for John 1:29

Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 Peter 1:19
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 John 3:5
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Isaiah 53:11
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Hebrews 1:3
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Revelation 6:1
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Galatians 3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Behold.
36; Ge 22:7,8; Ex 12:3-13
Nu 28:3-10; Isa 53:7; Ac 8:32; 1Pe 1:19; Re 5:6,8,12,13; 6:1,16
Re 7:9,10,14,17; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1,4,10; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7,9
Re 21:9,14,22,23,27; 22:1-3
which.
Isa 53:11; Ho 14:2; Mt 20:28; Ac 13:39; 1Co 15:3; 2Co 5:21; Ga 1:4
Ga 3:13; 1Ti 2:6; Tit 2:14; Heb 1:3; 2:17; 9:28; 1Pe 2:24; 3:18
1Jo 2:2; 3:5; 4:10; Re 1:5
taketh. or, beareth.
Ex 28:38; Le 10:17; 16:21,22; Nu 18:1,23

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

Context

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.
John 1:30
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

Read all of John 1

John 1:29 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	El siguiente día ve Juan á Jesús que venía á él, y dice: He aquí el Cordero de Dios, que quita el pecado del mundo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Le lendemain, il voit Jésus venant à lui, et il dit: Voilà l’agneau de Dieu qui ôte le péché du monde!
German Elberfelder 1871	Des folgenden Tages sieht er Jesum zu sich kommen und spricht: Siehe, das Lamm Gottes, welches die Sünde der Welt wegnimmt.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Altera die vidit Joannes Jesum venientem ad se, et ait: Ecce agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccatum mundi.