John 1:19

the record Better, the witness; see on John 1:7 and comp. John 3:11; John 5:31.

the Jews This term in S. John's Gospel commonly means the opponents of Christ, a meaning not found in the Synoptists, who seldom use the term. Matthew 28:15; Mark 7:3; Luke 6:3; Luke 23:51, are the only instances excepting the title -King of the Jews." In them it is the sects and parties (Pharisees, Scribes, Herodians, &c.) that are the typical representatives of hostility to Christ. But S. John, writing later, with a fuller realisation of the national apostasy, and a fuller experience of Jewish malignity in opposing the Gospel, lets the shadow of this knowledge fall back upon his narrative, and -the Jews" are to him not his fellow countrymen, but the persecutors and murderers of the Messiah. -The name of a race has become the name of a sect." He uses the term about 70 times, almost always with this shade of meaning.

priests The Baptist himself was of priestly family (Luke 1:5); hence priests were suitable emissaries. The combination -priests and Levites" occurs nowhere else in N.T. Together they represent the hierarchy.

Levites Levites were commissioned to teach(2 Chronicles 35:3; Nehemiah 8:7-9) as well as serve in the Temple; and it is as teachers, similar to the Scribes, that they are sent to the Baptist. The mention of Levites as part of the deputation is the mark of an eyewitness. Excepting in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:32), Levites are not mentioned by the Synoptists, nor elsewhere in N.T., excepting Acts 4:36. Had the Evangelist been constructing a story out of borrowed materials, we should probably have had Scribes or Elders instead of Levites. These indications of eyewitness are among the strong proofs of the authenticity of this Gospel.

Who art thou? with a strong emphasis on the -thou."