John 1:22
◄  John 1:22  ►
New International Version (©2011)
Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

New Living Translation (©2007)
"Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?"

English Standard Version (©2001)
So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?"

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Who are you, then?" they asked. "We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?"

International Standard Version (©2012)
"Who are you?" they asked him. "We must give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

NET Bible (©2006)
Then they said to him, "Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And they said to him, “And who are you? Tell us that we may give a statement to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
So they asked him, "Who are you? Tell us so that we can take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Then said they unto him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say you of yourself?

American King James Version
Then said they to him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say you of yourself?

American Standard Version
They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

Douay-Rheims Bible
They said therefore unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?

Darby Bible Translation
They said therefore to him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

English Revised Version
They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said they to him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

Weymouth New Testament
So they pressed the question. "Who are you?" they said--"that we may take an answer to those who sent us. What account do you give of yourself?"

World English Bible
They said therefore to him, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

Young's Literal Translation
They said then to him, 'Who art thou, that we may give an answer to those sending us? what dost thou say concerning thyself?'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:19-28 John disowns himself to be the Christ, who was now expected and waited for. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, but he was not the person of Elias. John was not that Prophet whom Moses said the Lord would raise up to them of their brethren, like unto him. He was not such a prophet as they expected, who would rescue them from the Romans. He gave such an account of himself, as might excite and awaken them to hearken to him. He baptized the people with water as a profession of repentance, and as an outward sign of the spiritual blessings to be conferred on them by the Messiah, who was in the midst of them, though they knew him not, and to whom he was unworthy to render the meanest service.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 22, 23. -

(2) He defines his position, positively. Verse 22. - They said therefore (note the demonstrative force of οϋν) to him (as a consequence of his repeated threefold negative), Who art thou? Explain yourself, that we may give an answer to those who sent us (see note, John 20:21, on the two verbs ἀποστέλλω and πέμπω); What sayest thou concerning thyself? Our suppositions about thee are all repudiated one by one, hast thou any information to render to the supreme court of judicature?

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then said they unto him, who art thou?.... Since, as yet, he had only answered in negatives, who he was not, that he was not the Christ, nor Elias, nor that prophet; they desire he would give them a positive account who he was:

that we may give answer to them that sent us; that their labour might not be in vain; that they might not come so far for nothing, without knowing who he was; and that they might be capable of giving an account of him to the sanhedrim:

what sayest thou of thyself? they insisted on it, that he would openly, and honestly declare who he was, and what was his office and business; that from his own mouth, and not from the opinion and conjectures of others, they might represent him in a true light to those who had deputed them on this errand.

John 1:22 Parallel Commentaries

John 1:22 NIV
John 1:22 NLT
John 1:22 ESV
John 1:22 NASB
John 1:22 KJV

Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


The Mission of John the Baptist
…21And they asked him, What then? Are you Elias? And he said, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No. 22Then said they to him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say you of yourself? 23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. …

John 1:21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."
John 1:23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'"