YHN 3:28 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT You yourselves testify to me that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before that one.’

UST You are surely witnesses to me saying that I am not the Messiah, but I am the one whom God has sent before the Messiah.

MSB You yourselves can testify[fn] that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’

BLB You yourselves bear witness to me that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but I am sent before Him.'

AICNT You yourselves testify to me [that][fn] I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before that one.’

3:28, that: 𝔓66 𝔓75 Latin(a ff² ) NA28[ ] ‖ Absent from some manuscripts. ℵ(01) A(02) D(05) Latin(b) BYZ TR SBLGNT THGNT

OEB You are yourselves witnesses that I said “I am not the Christ,” but “I have been sent before him as a messenger.”

LSB You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’

WEBBE You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

WMBB You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

NET You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’

LSV you yourselves testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am having been sent before Him;

FBV “You yourselves can testify that I declared, ‘I'm not the Messiah. I've been sent to prepare his way.’

TCNT You yourselves can [fn]testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent ahead of him.’

3:28 testify ¦ testify to me ANT CT PCK TR

T4T You yourselves can verify what I said. I told you that I am not ◄the Messiah/God’s promised king►. Instead, I told you that I was sent {that God sent me} to prepare the way for him.

LEB You yourselves testify about me that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I am sent before that one.’

BBE You yourselves give witness that I said, I am not the Christ. What I said was, I am sent before the Christ.

Moff You can bear me out, that I said, "I am not the Christ"; what I said was, "I have been sent in advance of him."

Wymth You yourselves can bear witness to my having said, `I am not the Christ,' but `I am His appointed forerunner.'

ASV Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.

DRA You yourselves do bear me witness, that I said, I am not Christ, but that I am sent before him.

YLT ye yourselves do testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am having been sent before him;

Drby Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.

RV Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.
(Ye/You_all yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him. )

SLT Ye yourselves testify to me, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

Wbstr Ye yourselves bear me testimony, that I said I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

KJB-1769 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
(Ye/You_all yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. )

KJB-1611 Ye your selues beare me witnesse, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Ye your selues are witnesses, howe that I sayde I am not Christe, but am sent before hym.
(Ye/You_all yourselves are witnesses, how that I said I am not Christ, but am sent before him.)

Gnva Yee your selues are my witnesses, that I sayde, I am not that Christ, but that I am sent before him.
(Ye/You_all yourselves are my witnesses, that I said, I am not that Christ, but that I am sent before him. )

Cvdl Ye youreselues are my witnesses, how that I sayde, I am not Christ, but am sent before him.
(Ye/You_all yourselves are my witnesses, how that I said, I am not Christ, but am sent before him.)

TNT Ye youre selves are witnesses how that I sayde: I am not Christ but am sent before him.
(Ye/You_all your(pl) selves are witnesses how that I said: I am not Christ but am sent before him. )

Wycl Ye you silf beren witnessyng to me, that Y seide, Y am not Crist, but that Y am sent bifore hym.
(Ye/You_all yourself beren witnessing to me, that I said, I am not Christ, but that I am sent before him.)

Luth Ihr selbst seid meine Zeugen, daß ich gesagt habe, ich sei nicht Christus, sondern vor ihm her gesandt.
(You(pl) himself/itself are my witnesses(n), that I said have, I be not Christ, rather before/in_front_of him her sent.)

ClVg Ipsi vos mihi testimonium perhibetis, quod dixerim: Non sum ego Christus: sed quia missus sum ante illum.[fn]
(Himself you(pl) to_me testimony perhibetis, that dixerim: Not/No I_am I Christ/Messiah: but because missus I_am before him. )

3.28 Non sum ego Christus. Non sum unctus a Patre plenitudine spiritus, sed de plenitudine illius accepi, ut illum præcurrerem.

3.28 Not/No I_am I Christ/Messiah. Not/No I_am anointed from Father fullness spirit, but from/about fullness of_that accepi, as him beforecurrerem.

UGNT αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς μοι μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι εἶπον, οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὁ Χριστός, ἀλλ’, ὅτι ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου.
(autoi humeis moi martureite hoti eipon, ouk eimi egō ho Ⱪristos, all’, hoti apestalmenos eimi emprosthen ekeinou.)

SBL-GNT αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς ⸀μοι μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι ⸀εἶπον· Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὁ χριστός, ἀλλʼ ὅτι Ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου.
(autoi humeis ⸀moi martureite hoti ⸀eipon; Ouk eimi egō ho ⱪristos, allʼ hoti Apestalmenos eimi emprosthen ekeinou.)

RP-GNT Αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι εἶπον, Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὁ χριστός, ἀλλ' ὅτι Ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου.
(Autoi humeis martureite hoti eipon, Ouk eimi egō ho ⱪristos, all' hoti Apestalmenos eimi emprosthen ekeinou.)

TC-GNT Αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς [fn]μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι [fn]εἶπον, Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὁ Χριστός, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι Ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου.
(Autoi humeis martureite hoti eipon, Ouk eimi egō ho Ⱪristos, all hoti Apestalmenos eimi emprosthen ekeinou. )

3:28 μαρτυρειτε ¦ μοι μαρτυρειτε ANT CT PCK TR

3:28 ειπον ¦ ειπον οτι NA ¦ ειπον εγω WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:22–30: John the Baptist told his disciples that Jesus was greater than him

John’s disciples had an argument with another Jew. They argued about whether John’s baptism or Jesus’ baptism was better. John told his disciples that he was just there to tell people that Jesus was the Savior. So Jesus should get more followers. Jesus was superior to him.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus was more important than John the Baptist

John the Baptist told the truth that he knew about Jesus

Paragraph 3:27–30

John declared that he was not the Messiah. The Messiah, he said, was much more important than he was.

3:28a

You yourselves can testify that I said,

You personally have heard me say that
You^(plur) know that I told you^(plur) that

You yourselves can testify that I said: The phrase You yourselves is an emphasized way of referring to John’s listeners. They had actually heard what he had said earlier. For example:

You personally know how clearly I said this

You yourselves heard me say (NCV)

You…can testify: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as You…can testify here indicates that John’s listeners personally heard what John said. They were present when it happened. So they could tell others what they heard. And they could be trusted as reliable, as people others could depend on.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

You…heard me say (NCV)

You…can tell what you heard

that I said: John was referring to what he said in 1:20b. The verb said introduces a direct quotation. For examples of how to translate this as an indirect quotation, see the General Comment following 3:28b. In some languages it is more natural to tell whom John was talking to. For example:

that I said to them

how I told you (CEV)

3:28b

‘I am not the Christ,

I am not the Messiah/Christ.
it is not I who am the Messiah, the Anointed/Appointed One.
I am not the Promised Savior.

I am not the Christ: The Greek text here has a little more emphasis than in 1:20b. Try to translate this in a strong and clear way. For example:

I am definitely not the Messiah/Christ.

the Christ: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates literally as the Christ can also be translated as “the Messiah.” The phrase is used as a title. The Jews used this title to refer to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as King and Savior. The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” and the two words have the same meaning. Refer to your translation of the Christ in 1:20b and see KBT Christ, Messiah.

General Comment on 3:28a–b

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of 3:28a and b. For example:

^28bI am not the Messiah, ^28aas you yourselves have heard me say.

3:28c

but am sent ahead of Him.’

I am the one who has been sent to go in front of him. (NJB)
Rather, God sent me to tell others about him before he came.

but am sent ahead of Him: This clause indicates that God had sent John before Jesus the Messiah. God sent John ahead so that John could prepare people for the Messiah. The clause implies that John’s ministry is not as important as that of the Messiah himself. So some translations supply the word “only.” For example:

I am only here to prepare the way for him. (NLT)

I am only the one sent ahead of him. (CEV)

but: The conjunction but expresses contrast. Although John was not the Messiah, God had sent him before the Messiah to prepare for his coming.

am sent: The verb am sent is passive. It implies that God sent John. There are at least two ways to translate it:

Use a passive verb. For example:
I have been sent (NRSV)
Use an active verb. For example:
but God has sent me here

ahead of Him: This phrase means “before the Christ,” that is, preparing people to hear what the Messiah would say. For example:

to prepare people for the coming of the Christ/Messiah

General Comment on 3:28a–c

This verse contains a quotation inside another quotation. John quoted his own earlier words. In some languages it may be natural to use an indirect quotation here. For example:

You personally heard me say that I am not the Messiah but just the one God sent to announce his coming.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / you

αὐτοὶ ὑμεῖς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Αὐτοί ὑμεῖς μοί μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι εἶπον οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ὁ Χριστός ἀλλʼ ὅτι Ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμί ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου)

Here, You is plural and refers to all the people to whom John the Baptist is talking. Alternate translation: [You all] or [All of you]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

ὅτι εἶπον, οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὁ Χριστός, ἀλλ’, ὅτι ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου

that ˱I˲_said not ¬that (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Αὐτοί ὑμεῖς μοί μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι εἶπον οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ὁ Χριστός ἀλλʼ ὅτι Ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμί ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου)

If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [that I said that I am not the Christ but that I have been sent before that one]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἀπεσταλμένος εἰμὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐκείνου

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [God sent me before that one]

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

ἐκείνου

that_‹one›

Here, that one refers to Jesus, whom John has called “the Christ” in the previous clause. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [Jesus] or [the Christ]