Robertson Word Pictures - John 1:23 - 1:23

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Robertson Word Pictures - John 1:23 - 1:23


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

He said (ephē). Common imperfect active (or second aorist active) of phēmi, to say, old defective verb.

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness (Egō phōnē boōntos en tēi erēmōi). For his answer John quotes Isa 40:3. The Synoptics (Mar 1:3; Mat 3:3; Luk 3:4) quote this language from Isaiah as descriptive of John, but do not say that he also applied it to himself. There is no reason to think that he did not do so. John also refers to Isaiah as the author of the words and also of the message,

“Make straight the way of the Lord” (Euthunate tēn hodon tou kuriou). By this language (euthunō in N.T. only here and Jam 3:4, first aorist active imperative here) John identifies himself to the committee as the forerunner of the Messiah. The early writers note the differences between the use of Logos (Word) for the Messiah and phōnē (Voice) for John.