John 1:34
in John 1I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.
KJV
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
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This verse in John 1
Commentary
13 notes on this verseSure is the witness; who, what he hath actually seen, that he also speaketh. For haply he was not ignorant of that which is written, That which thine eyes have seen, tell. I saw then, says he, the sign, and understood That Which was signified by it. I bear record that this is the Son of God, Who was proclaimed by the Law that is through Moses, and heralded by the voice of the holy Prophets.
This site's exposition
the Spirit descending from heaven
on John 1:32-34
John was told to watch for the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and the mark was the resting. Menon, the Greek word here, is the one John later uses for abiding in Christ.
This site's exposition
I have seen and testified
I have seen and testified joins sight to witness, and Cyril of Alexandria calls it a sure witness because John speaks what he actually saw. For Cyril the Son of God named here is the One the law of Moses proclaimed and the prophets announced.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
John bare record because he saw. What record did he bear? "That this is the Son of God." It behoved, then, that He should baptize who is God's only Son, not His adopted son. Adopted sons are the ministers of the only Son: the only Son has power; the adopted, the ministry. In the case that a minister baptizes who does not belong to the number of sons, because he lives evilly and acts evilly, what is our consolation? "This is He which baptizeth."
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaCommentary on the Gospel of John, Book 2 · Written before 444.
proposed
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Sure is the witness; who, what he hath actually seen, that he also speaketh. For haply he was not ignorant of that which is written, That which thine eyes have seen, tell. I saw then, says he, the sign, and understood That Which was signified by it. I bear record that this is the Son of God, Who was proclaimed by the Law that is through Moses, and heralded by the voice of the holy Prophets. The blessed Evangelist seems to me again to say with some great confidence, This is the Son of God, that is, the One, the Only by Nature, the Heir of the Own Nature of the Father, to Whom we too, sons by adoption, are conformed and through Whom we are called by grace to the dignity of sonship. For as from God the Father every family in Heaven and earth is named, from His being properly, and first, and truly Father, so is all sonship too from the Son, by reason of His being properly and Alone truly Son, not bastard nor falsely-called, but of the Essence of God the Father, not by off-cutting or emanation or division or severance (for the Divine Nature is altogether Impassible): but as One of One, ever Co-existing and Co-eternal and Innate in Him Who begat Him, being in Him, and coming forth from Him, Indivisible and without Dimensions; since the Divinity is neither after the manner of a body, nor bounded by space, nor of nature such as to make progressive footsteps. […]
"And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." Where did he "bear record that this is the Son of God?" he called Him indeed "Lamb," and said that He should "baptize with the Spirit," but nowhere did he say of Him, "Son of God." But the other Evangelists do not write that He said anything after the baptism, but having been silent as to the time intervening, they mention the miracles of Christ which were done after John's captivity, whence we may reasonably conjecture that these and many others are omitted. And this our Evangelist himself has declared, at the end of his narrative. For they were so far from inventing anything great concerning Him, that the things which seem to bring reproach, these they have all with one voice and with all exactness set down, and you will not find one of them omitting one of such circumstances; but of the miracles, part some have left for the others to relate, part all have passed over in silence.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Where then did John testify about Jesus that He is the Son of God? This is nowhere written. He calls Him the Lamb, but nowhere the Son of God. From this it is natural to suppose that very much else was also left unrecorded by …
"And I saw" and bore witness that this is the Son of God. Here the certain testimony is touched upon. For the testimony is certain when a man testifies concerning what he has seen. Therefore he says: "And I saw and bore witness that this …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
278 Then he shows what the Baptist understood from this vision, that is, that Christ is the Son of God. And this is what he says, Now I have seen for myself, that is, the Spirit coming down on him, and have given testimony that …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And I saw,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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."
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
This passage contains a verse which ought to be printed in great letters in the memory of every reader of the Bible. All the stars in heaven are bright and beautiful, and yet one star exceeds another star in glory. So also all texts of Scripture are inspired and profitable, and yet some texts are richer than others. Of such texts the first verse before us is preeminently one. Never was there a fuller testimony borne to Christ upon earth, than that which is here borne by John the Baptist.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
This passage contains a verse which ought to be printed in great letters in the memory of every reader of the Bible. All the stars in heaven are bright and beautiful, and yet one star exceeds another star in glory. So also all texts of Scripture are inspired and profitable, and yet some texts are richer than others. Of such texts the first verse before us is preeminently one. Never was there a fuller testimony borne to Christ upon earth, than that which is here borne by John the Baptist. Let us notice, firstly, in this passage, the peculiar name which John the Baptist gives to Christ. He calls Him "The Lamb of God." This name did not merely mean, as some have supposed, that Christ was meek and gentle as a lamb. This would be truth no doubt, but only a very small portion of the truth. There are greater things here than this! It meant that Christ was the great sacrifice for sin, who was come to make atonement for transgression by His own death upon the cross. He was the true Lamb which Abraham told Isaac at Moriah God would provide. (Gen. 22:8.) He was the true Lamb to which every morning and evening sacrifice in the temple had daily pointed. He was the Lamb of which Isaiah had prophesied, that He would be "brought to the slaughter." (Isaiah 53:7.) He was the true Lamb of which the passover lamb in Egypt had been a vivid type. In short, He was the great propitiation for sin which God had covenanted from all eternity to send into the world. He was God's Lamb. Let us take heed that in all our thoughts of Christ, we first think of Him as John the Baptist here represents Him. Let us serve him faithfully as our Master . Let us obey Him loyally as our King . Let us study His teaching as our Prophet . Let us walk diligently after Him as our Example . Let us look anxiously for Him as our coming Redeemer of body as well as soul.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| κἀγὼ | kago | And I myself | G1473 →G2532 → | 839 times |
| ἑώρακα | he'oraka | have seen | G3708 → | 60 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μεμαρτύρηκα | memartureka | have borne witness | G3140 → | 76 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οὗτός | houtos | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱὸς | huios | Son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ.¶ | theou | of God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
κἀγὼAnd I myself
ἑώρακαhave seen
he'orakaG3708 →60 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μεμαρτύρηκαhave borne witness
memarturekaG3140 →76 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οὗτόςthis
houtosG3778 →1381 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
υἱὸςSon
huiosG5207 →377 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦ.¶of God.
theouG2316 →1312 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
Psalms 2:7I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the LORD: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.
it leads to
- Hebrews 5:5
So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him: “You are My Son; today I have become…
- Acts 13:33
He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.’
- Hebrews 1:5–6
For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”? Or again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”?
- Matthew 3:17
And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
- Matthew 17:5
While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
- Hebrews 5:5
Through
1 John 5:20And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son…
it leads to
- John 17:3
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
- Luke 24:45
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
- John 14:9
Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the…
- John 17:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies41
On this verse
On this chapter
- The Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22)
- Wisdom Seen on Earth
- Christophany
- Creation to New Creation
- The Deity of Christ
- Ezekiel's Temple, Ezekiel 40-48
Show the next 6 titles
- Follow Me
- Gematria and Its Limits
- How Greek Works
- Irony in Scripture: More Than the Speaker Knows
- Jacob Wrestles the Angel: Genesis 32
- Jesus on Discipleship
Show the next 6 titles
- Jesus: Titles & Roles
- Theological Words
- Mary of Nazareth
- Miracles of Jesus
- Nicodemus at Night. John 3
- Reading Rabbinic Sources as a Christian
Show the next 6 titles
Show the next 6 titles
About John
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 7; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 1; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 2; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, John; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 17; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.