κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔ. αὐ. I also knew Him not. The Baptist again protests that but for a special revelation he was as ignorant as others that Jesus was the Messiah. Therefore he is here giving not his own opinion about Jesus, but the evidence of a sign from heaven.

ὁ πέμψας. In John 1:6 the verb used was ἀποστέλλω. Πέμπειν is the most general word for ‘send,’ implying no special relation between sender and sent: ἀποστέλλειν adds the notion of a delegated authority constituting the person sent the envoy or representative of the sender (John 1:19; John 1:24). Both verbs are used of the mission of Christ and of the mission of the disciples, as well as that of John. Ἀποστέλλειν is used of the mission of Christ, John 3:17; John 3:34; John 5:38; John 6:29; John 6:57; John 7:29; John 8:42; John 10:36; John 11:42; John 17:3; John 17:8; John 17:18; John 17:21; John 17:23; John 17:25; of the mission of the disciples, John 4:38; John 17:18. Πέμπειν is used of the mission of Christ (always in the aorist participle) John 4:34; John 5:23-24; John 5:30; John 5:37; John 6:38-40; John 6:44; John 7:16; John 7:18; John 7:28; John 7:33, &c. &c.; of that of the disciples, John 13:20; John 20:21. Πέμπειν is also used of the mission of the Spirit, John 14:26; John 16:7.

ἐκεῖνος. ‘That one Himself and no other;’ see on John 1:8; John 1:18. Ἐφ' ὃν ἄν. The widest possibility; ‘whosoever he may be on whom.’

μένον. Another of S. John’s favourite words, a fact which the A.V. obscures by translating it in seven different ways. ‘Abide’ is the most common and the best translation (John 1:32; John 3:36; John 4:40): besides this we have ‘remain’ (here, John 9:41; John 15:11; John 15:16), ‘dwell’ (John 1:39; John 6:56; John 14:10; John 14:17) ‘continue’ (John 2:12; John 8:31), ‘tarry’ (John 4:40; John 21:22-23), ‘endure’ (John 6:27), ‘be present’ (John 14:25). In John 1:39; John 4:40; 1 John 3:24, it is translated in two different ways; in 1 John 2:24 in three different ways.—The Baptist and the Prophets were moved by the Spirit at times; ‘the Spirit of the Lord came upon’ them from time to time. With Jesus he abode continually.

ὁ βαπτ. ἐν πν. ἁγ. This phrase introduced without explanation assumes that the readers are well aware of this office of the Messiah, i.e. are well-instructed Christians. Βαπτίζων is appropriate, (1) to mark the analogy and contrast between the office of the Baptist and that of the Messiah; the one by baptism with water awakens the longing for holiness; the other by baptism with the Spirit satisfies this longing: (2) because the gift of the Spirit is an out-pouring.

ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. The epithet ἅγιον is given to the Spirit thrice in this Gospel; here, John 14:26, and John 20:22 (in John 7:39 the ἅγιον is very doubtful). It is not frequent in any Gospel but the third; 5 times in S. Matthew, 4 in S. Mark 12 in S. Luke. S. Luke rarely omits the epithet, which he uses about 40 times in the Acts. Here and John 20:22 neither substantive nor epithet has the article, in John 14:26 both have it.

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Old Testament