John 1 · Verse 31

John 1:31

And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
John 1:31, King James Version

John 1:31 in other translations

BSBI myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”
WEBI didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water, that he would be revealed to Israel.”
ASVAnd I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water.
YLTand I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing.
DARBYand I knew him not; but that he might be manifested to Israel, therefore have I come baptising with water.
BBEI myself had no knowledge of him, but I came giving baptism with water so that he might be seen openly by Israel.
WebsterAnd I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

What does John 1:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 1:31-34
31-34. knew him not--Living mostly apart, the one at Nazareth, the other in the Judean desert--to prevent all appearance of collusion, John only knew that at a definite time after his own call, his Master would show Himself. As He drew near for baptism one day, the last of all the crowd, the spirit of the Baptist heaving under a divine presentiment that the moment had at length arrived, and an air of unwonted serenity and dignity, not without traits, probably, of the family features, appearing in this Stranger, the Spirit said to him as to Samuel of his youthful type, "Arise, anoint Him, for this is He!" (1Sa 16:12). But the sign which he was told to expect was the visible descent of the Spirit upon Him as He emerged out of the baptismal water. Then, catching up the voice from heaven, "he saw and bare record that this is the Son of God."

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 31. I knew him not. John was not personally acquainted with Jesus. Though they were remotely related to each other, yet it seems that they had had heretofore no personal acquaintance. John had lived chiefly in the hill country of Judea. Jesus had been employed with Joseph at Nazareth. Until Jesus came to be baptized (Mt 3:13,14), it seems that John had no acquaintance with him. He understood that he was to announce that the Messiah was about to appear. He was sent to proclaim his coming, but he did not personally know Jesus, or that he was to be the Messiah. This proves that there could have been no collusion or agreement between them to impose on the people.

Should be made manifest. That the Messiah should be exhibited, or made known. He came to prepare the way for the Messiah, and it now appeared that the Messiah was Jesus of Nazareth.

To Israel. To the Jews.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 31 And I knew him not, etc. - John did not know our Lord personally, and perhaps had never seen him, at the time he spoke the words in Joh 1:15. Nor is it any wonder that the Baptist should have been unacquainted with Christ, as he had spent thirty years in the hill country of Hebron, and our Lord remained in a state of great privacy in the obscure city of Nazareth, in the extreme borders of Galilee. But that he should be made manifest to Israel - One design of my publicly baptizing was, that he, coming to my baptism, should be shown to be what he is, by some extraordinary sign from heaven.

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…

Read the full comment on John 1:29-36 →

John 1:31 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.

κἀγὼkagōAnd I myselfG1473
οὐκouknotG3756
ᾔδεινēdeinknewG1492
αὐτόν,autonHim,G846
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
ἵναinathatG2443
φανερωθῇphanerōthēaHe may be revealedG5319
τῷtō<the>G3588
Ἰσραήλ,Israēlto Israel,G2474
διὰdiabecause ofG1223
τοῦτοtoutothisG3778
ἦλθονēlthoncameG2064
ἐγὼegōI myselfG1473
ἐνenwithG1722
ὕδατιhudatiwaterG5204
βαπτίζων.baptizōnbaptizing.G907

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

Cross references for John 1:31

  • Malachi 3:1

    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.

  • Luke 1:17

    And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

  • John 1:33

    And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

  • John 1:7

    The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

  • Mark 1:3-5

    The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

  • Matthew 3:6

    And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

  • Luke 3:3-4

    And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

  • Malachi 4:2-5

    But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

  • Isaiah 40:3-5

    The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

  • Luke 1:76-80

    And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. …

  • Luke 2:39-42

    And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

  • Acts 19:4

    Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I knew.
33; Lu 1:80; 2:39-42
but.
7; Isa 40:3-5; Mal 3:1; 4:2-5; Lu 1:17,76-79
therefore.
Mt 3:6; Mr 1:3-5; Lu 3:3,4; Ac 19:4

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

Context

  • 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.

  • John 1:31

    And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

  • John 1:32

    And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

Read all of John 1

John 1:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y yo no le conocía; más para que fuese manifestado á Israel, por eso vine yo bautizando con agua.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et pour moi, je ne le connaissais pas; mais afin qu’il soit manifesté à Israël, à cause de cela, je suis venu baptiser d’eau.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und ich kannte ihn nicht; aber auf daß er Israel offenbar werden möchte, deswegen bin ich gekommen, mit Wasser taufend.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et ego nesciebam eum, sed ut manifestetur in Israël, propterea veni ego in aqua baptizans.