Acts 13:25
in Acts 13As John was completing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But He is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, What suppose ye that I am? I am not he. But behold, there cometh one after me the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose.
KJV
And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
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This verse in Acts 13
Commentary
13 notes on this verseAs John fulfilled his course - As John was fulfilling his race, he said, etc. It has been supposed that the word δρομον, course, or race, is used here to point out the short duration of the Baptist’s ministry, and the fervent zeal with which he performed it. It signifies properly his ministry, or life. A man’s work, employment, function, etc., is his race, course, or way of life. John had a ministry from God; and he discharged the duties of it with zeal and diligence; bore the fatigues of it with patience and resignation; and was gloriously successful in it, because the hand of the Lord was with him.
This site's exposition
From the descendants of this man
on Acts 13:23-25
From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised, the promise of 2 Samuel 7:12 to 16. The survey of judges and kings leads here.
This site's exposition
As John was completing his course
Course is a runner's word, and Paul uses it of his own life at 20:24 and at 2 Timothy 4:7. John's question answers the wondering of the crowds recorded at Luke 3:15 to 16. He ran his race to its end.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
John testifies, not simply, but bringing all glory upon him, he himself rejects it. For it is not equal for honor to be repelled from one who gives nothing and from many who grant it. [CHRYSOSTOM]
Then John bears witness to this: "When John had first preached before His coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not He. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of His feet I am not worthy to loose." And John too not merely bears witness to the fact, but does it in such sort that when men were bringing the glory to him, he declines it: for it is one thing not to affect an honor which nobody thinks of offering; and another, to reject it when all men are ready to give it, and not only to reject it, but to do so with such humility. Then he adduces John: then again the prophets, where he says, "By condemning they fulfilled," and again, "All that was written:" then the Apostles as witnesses of the Resurrection: then David bearing witness. For neither the Old Testament proofs seemed so cogent when taken by themselves as they are in this way, nor yet the latter testimonies apart from the former: wherefore he makes them mutually confirm each other. "Of this man's seed," etc. "When John," he says, "had first preached before His entry" - by entry he means the Incarnation - "the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel." Thus also John, writing his Gospel, continually has recourse to him: for his name was much thought of in all parts of the world. And observe, he does not say it "Of this man's seed," etc. from himself, but brings John's testimony.
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 6.18 · Written before 253.
proposed
If the passage about the sandals has a mystic meaning we should not reject an investigation of it. Now I consider that the full humanization, when the Son of God assumes flesh and bones, is seen in one of his shoes. The other humbling is the descent to Hades, whatever that Hades might be, and the journey with the Spirit to the prison. As to the descent into Hades, we read in the sixteenth psalm, "You will not abandon my soul to Hades."
The Medieval Church2 voices
He said: "Whom you think me to be, I am not." In Greek it is more fully said: "I am not the Christ."
John does not simply testify, but denies the very glory that everyone attributed to him. It is not the same thing to refuse honor when no one offers it, and to do so when everyone bestows it.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): As he fulfilled his course, when he was going on vigorously in his work, and had had wonderful success in it, and an established interest: "Now," saith he to those that attended his ministry, " Whom think you that I am? What notions have you of me, what expectations from me? You may be thinking that I am the Messiah, whom you expect; but you are mistaken, I am not he (see John i.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+odd-straight-quotes
And as John fulfilled his course,.... Or race, the work of the ministry he was called to; as he was preaching and baptizing, which were the race set before him to run, and in which he ran well; he made full proof of his ministry.
The preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles at their request, and upon the Jews' refusal of it, wherein the apostles justified themselves against the displeasure which the Jews conceived at it, and God owned them,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Of this man's seed hath God, according to . . . promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus--The emphasis on this statement lies: (1) in the seed from which Christ sprang--David's--and the promise to that effect, which was thus fulfilled;
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And as John fulfilled his course - As he was engaged in completing his work. His ministry is called a course or race, that which was to be run, or completed. He said ... - These are not the precise words which the evangelists have recorded, but the sense is the same. See the Joh 1:20 note; Mat 3:11 note.
The words behind it
28 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὡς | hos | While | G5613 → | 500 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἐπλήρου | eplerou | was fulfilling | G4137 → | 86 times |
| Ἰωάννης | ioannes | John | G2491 → | 134 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δρόμον | dromon | course | G1408 → | |
| ἔλεγεν· | elegen | he was saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| τί | ti | whom | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἐμὲ | eme | me myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ὑπονοεῖτε | huponoeite | do you suppose | G5282 → | 3 times |
| εἶναι; | einai | to be? | G1511 → | 123 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| εἰμὶ | eimi | am [he] | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐγώ· | ego | I myself; | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ἔρχεται | erchetai | He comes | G2064 → | 628 times |
| μετ᾽ | met᾽ | after | G3326 → | 461 times |
| ἐμὲ | eme | me myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| οὗ | hou | of whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| εἰμὶ | eimi | I am | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἄξιος | axios | worthy | G514 → | 41 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὑπόδημα | hupodema | sandal | G5266 → | |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ποδῶν | podon | feet | G4228 → | 93 times |
| λῦσαι.¶ | lusai | to untie. | G3089 → | 42 times |
ὡςWhile
hosG5613 →500 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
ἐπλήρουwas fulfilling
eplerouG4137 →86 times
ἸωάννηςJohn
ioannesG2491 →134 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
δρόμονcourse
dromonG1408 →
ἔλεγεν·he was saying;
elegenG3004 →1325 times
τίwhom
tiG5101 →563 times
ἐμὲme myself
emeG1473 →839 times
ὑπονοεῖτεdo you suppose
huponoeiteG5282 →3 times
εἶναι;to be?
einaiG1511 →123 times
οὐκNot
oukG3756 →1664 times
εἰμὶam [he]
eimiG1510 →2333 times
ἐγώ·I myself;
egoG1473 →839 times
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
ἰδοὺbehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ἔρχεταιHe comes
erchetaiG2064 →628 times
μετ᾽after
met᾽G3326 →461 times
ἐμὲme myself
emeG1473 →839 times
οὗof whom
houG3739 →1405 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
εἰμὶI am
eimiG1510 →2333 times
ἄξιοςworthy
axiosG514 →41 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ὑπόδημαsandal
hupodemaG5266 →
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ποδῶνfeet
podonG4228 →93 times
λῦσαι.¶to untie.
lusaiG3089 →42 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 3:11I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and…
it leads to
- Luke 3:16
John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 4:4
when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
- Acts 1:5
For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
- Luke 3:16
Through
Acts 20:24But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good…
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 4:6–8
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
- 2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- 2 Corinthians 4:1
Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
- Acts 21:13
Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
- 2 Timothy 4:6–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies21
About Acts
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on Acts; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Retractions on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 29; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 6.18 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.