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Joh_1:33. John’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah (whom he had not before known as such) rested upon a revelation previously made to him with this intent; and this he now states, solemnly repeating, however, the declaration of his own ignorance ( κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν ).
ἐκεῖνος ] in emphatic contrast with his own reflection.
εἶπεν ] i.e. by express revelation. We cannot tell the precise time or manner of this prior revelation. By it John was referred to some outwardly visible σημεῖον ( ἴδῃς ) of the Spirit, in a general way, without any definition of its form. He was to see it descending, and this descent took place in the form of a dove, and after that divine intimation there was no room for doubt. Comp. on Mat_3:17, note.
ἐφʼ ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς ] that is, when thou baptizest Him with water. This is not expressly stated in the divine declaration, but John could not fail so to understand it, because, being sent to baptize, he would naturally expect the appearance of the promised sign while fulfilling his mission; comp. Joh_1:31. He therefore describes the giver of the revelation as ὁ πέμψας με , κ . τ . λ ., and the evangelist puts the statement in the conditional form: ἐφʼ ὃν ἂν , κ . τ . λ ., i.e., according to the connection of the narrative: “When, in the fulfilment of this your mission, you shall see the Spirit descending upon one of those whom thou baptizest, this is He,” etc.
ἐν πνεύμ . ἁγίῳ ] by communicating it to those who believe upon Him. See on Mat_3:11. The designation of this communication as a baptism very naturally arose from its close relation to the work of the Baptist’s mission (comp. Mat_3:11; Mar_1:8; Luk_3:16; Act_1:5; Act_11:16), because the gift of the Spirit, according to the prophetic figure (Joe_3:1; Isa_44:3), had been promised under the form of an outpouring (comp. Act_2:33). The contrast itself distinctly sets before us the difference between the two baptisms: the one was a preparation for the Messianic salvation by μετάνοια ; the other, an introduction thereto by the divine principle of life and salvation, the communication of which presupposes the forgiveness of sins (see on Mar_1:4).