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Joh_1:31. Κἀγώ ] not I also, like all others, but and I, resuming and carrying forward the ἐγώ of Joh_1:30. Though the Baptist had borne witness in a general way concerning the Messiah, as Joh_1:30 affirms, Jesus was, at the time when he bare that witness, still unknown to him as in His own person the historic Messiah. Joh_1:34 shows that καὶ in κἀγώ is the simple and; for the thrice repeated κἀγώ , Joh_1:31-34, can only be arbitrarily interpreted in different senses. The emphasis of the ἐγώ , however (I on my part), consists in his ignorance of the special individuality, in the face of the divine revelation which he had received.
οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν ] that is, as the Messiah, see Joh_1:33; not “as the manifestation of a pre-existent personality” (Hilgenfeld); still not denying, in general, every kind of previous acquaintance with Jesus (Lücke, Godet), which the following ἵνα φανερωθῇ and ὃν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε in Joh_1:26 forbid. This οὐκ ᾔδειν leaves it quite uncertain whether the Baptist had any personal acquaintance generally with Jesus (and this is by no means placed beyond doubt by the legendary prefatory history in Luk_1:36 ff., which is quite irreconcilable with the text before us). That Jesus was the Messiah became known to the Baptist only at the baptism itself, by the sign of the descending dove; and this sign was immediately preceded only by the prophetic presentiment of which Mat_3:14 is the impress (see on that passage). Accordingly, we are not to assume any contradiction between our text and Matt. l.c. (Strauss, Baur, and most others), nor leave the οὐκ ᾔδειν with its meaning unexplained (Brückner); nor, again, are we to interpret it only comparatively as a denial of clear and certain knowledge (Neander, Maier, Riggenbach, Hengstenberg, Ewald).
ἀλλʼ ἵνα φανερωθῇ , κ . τ . λ .] occupying an emphatic position at the beginning of the clause, and stating the purpose of the Baptist’s manifestation as referring to Messiah, and as still applying notwithstanding the κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν , and being thus quite independent of his own intention and choice, and purely a matter of divine ordination.
ἵνα φανερωθῇ ] This special purpose, in the expression of which, moreover, no reference can be traced to Isa_40:5 (against Hengstenberg), does not exclude the more generally and equally divine ordinance in Joh_1:23, but is included in it. Comp. the tradition in Justin, c. Tryph. 8, according to which the Messiah remained unknown to Himself and others, until Elias anointed Him and made Him manifest to all ( φανερὸν πᾶσι ποιήσῃ ).
ἐν τῷ ὕδατι βαπτίζων ] a humble description of his own baptism as compared with that of Him who baptizes with the Spirit, Joh_1:33; comp. Joh_1:26. Hence also the ἐγώ , Ι on my part. For the rest, we must understand ἐν τ . ὕδ . βαπτ . of John’s call to baptize in general, in which was also included the conception of the baptizing of Jesus, to which Joh_1:32 refers.[119]
[119] For ἐν τῷ ὕδατι , Lachmann (now also Tischendorf), following B. C. G. L. P. Λ . à ., cursives, and some of the Fathers, reads ἐν ὕδατι ; but the article after ver. 26, comp. ver. 33, would be more easily omitted than inserted. It is demonstrative, for John as he speaks is standing by the Jordan.