John 1:21
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And they asked him, What then? Are you Elias? And he said, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No.
American King James Version (AKJV)
And they asked him, What then? Are you Elias? And he said, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No.
American Standard Version (ASV)
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And they said to him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And his answer was, I am not.
Webster's Revision
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? and he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
World English Bible
They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No."
English Revised Version (ERV)
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No.
Definitions for John 1:21
Clarke's John 1:21 Bible Commentary
Art thou Elias? - The scribes themselves had taught that Elijah was to come before the Messiah. See Matthew 17:10; and this belief of theirs they supported by a literal construction of Malachi 4:5.
Art thou that prophet? - the prophet spoken of by Moses, Deuteronomy 18:15, Deuteronomy 18:18. This text they had also misunderstood: for the prophet or teacher promised by Moses was no other than the Messiah himself. See Acts 3:22. But the Jews had a tradition that Jeremiah was to return to life, and restore the pot of manna, the ark of the covenant, etc., which he had hidden that the Babylonians might not get them. Besides this, they had a general expectation that all the prophets should come to life in the days of the Messiah.
I am not - I am not the prophet which you expect, nor Elijah: though he was the Elijah that was to come; for in the spirit and power of that eminent prophet he came, proclaiming the necessity of reformation in Israel. See Matthew 11:14; Matthew 17:10-13.
Barnes's John 1:21 Bible Commentary
Art thou Elias? - This is the Greek way of writing Elijah. The Jews expected that Elijah would appear before the Messiah came. See the notes at Matthew 11:14. They supposed that it would be the real Elijah returned from heaven. In this sense John denied that he was Elijah; but he did not deny that he was the Elias or Elijah which the prophet intended Matthew 3:3, for he immediately proceeds to state John 1:23 that he was sent, as it was predicted that Elijah would be, to prepare the way of the Lord; so that, while he corrected their false notions about Elijah, he so clearly stated to them his true character that they might understand that he was really the one predicted as Elijah.
That prophet - It is possible that the Jews supposed that not only "Elijah" would reappear before the coming of the Messiah, but also "Jeremiah." See the notes at Matthew 16:14. Some have supposed, however, that this question has reference to the prediction of Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15.
Wesley's John 1:21 Bible Commentary
1:21 Art thou Elijah? - He was not that Elijah (the Tishbite) of whom they spoke. Art thou the prophet - Of whom Moses speaks, 18:15 .