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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?"
Verse Takeaways
1
An Official Demand
Commentators explain that the delegation from Jerusalem was on an official mission. Having exhausted their own theories about John's identity (Messiah, Elijah, the Prophet), they were left empty-handed. Their persistent question, "Who are you?" was born of a duty to provide a definitive answer to the religious authorities who had sent them.
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John
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12
They said therefore (ειπαν ουν). Second aorist active indicative of defective verb ειπον with α instead of usual ο. Note ουν, infe…
19th Century
Anglican
That we may give an answer.—He has given the “No” to all the ideas they had formed about him. There is nothing left to them but to…
Baptist
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied no…
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The suggestion that John the Baptist might be identified with Elijah reflected the Jewish expectation that the return of Elijah would precede the a…
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
Then said they to him, who are you ? &c.] Since, as yet, he had only answered in negatives, who he was not, that he …
Presbyterian
John denies being the Christ, who was then expected and waited for. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, but he was not the person of Elias. J…
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13th Century
Catholic
Previously, the Evangelist showed how Christ was made known to the apostles through the testimony of John; here, he develops this testimo…
