John 1:23 kjv

He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

John 1:23 nkjv

He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said."

John 1:23 niv

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.'?"

John 1:23 esv

He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

John 1:23 nlt

John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,
'Clear the way for the LORD's coming!'"

John 1 verses

John 1 23 Meaning

John 1:23 identifies John the Baptist's divinely appointed role as the prophetic forerunner of Jesus Christ. By quoting Isaiah 40:3, John declares that his mission is to prepare the way for the Lord by calling people to repentance and preparing their hearts for the Messiah's advent and ministry. He is not the Messiah, nor Elijah reincarnated, nor "the Prophet," but simply "the voice" announcing the coming one. His function is to redirect attention from himself to the Lord, whom he precedes.

John 1 23 Context

John 1:23 is part of John the Baptist's testimony to the priests and Levites sent from Jerusalem. They interrogated him regarding his identity and authority for baptizing. In John 1:19-21, he explicitly denies being the Christ, Elijah (as some might have expected based on Mal 4:5), or "the Prophet" (likely referring to the prophet like Moses in Deut 18:15). In this verse, he moves from denying who he is not to declaring who he is: "the voice of one crying in the wilderness," precisely as prophesied by Isaiah. This statement establishes his prophetic authority as deriving not from man or Jewish religious institutions, but directly from the Word of God found in the Hebrew Scriptures, clarifying his distinct and subservient role to the Messiah. This immediate context prepares for the introduction of Jesus as "the Lamb of God" in the subsequent verses (John 1:29, 36).

John 1 23 Word analysis

• He said, I am: Greek: Egō eimi (ἐγὼ εἰμί). While Jesus uses "I AM" to denote divine self-existence (e.g., John 8:58), here John the Baptist uses it simply as a clear, definitive identification of his specific prophetic role. It contrasts with his preceding denials, firmly stating his appointed function, not his inherent nature.
• the voice: Greek: phōnē (φωνή). Signifies a medium of communication, a transient sound, rather than the substance or the person being proclaimed. John is not the message, but merely the sound that carries the message. This highlights his humility and functional identity.
• of one crying: Greek: boōntos (βοῶντος). This verb means "shouting," "crying out," "proclaiming loudly." It suggests an urgent, public, and unequivocal proclamation, not a quiet suggestion. The message requires attention and decisive action.
• in the wilderness: Greek: en tē erēmō (ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ). The literal geographical setting where John ministered (east of the Jordan, a desolate region). Symbolically, the wilderness was historically significant in Jewish thought: a place of testing, purification, divine encounter (e.g., Israel's Exodus, Elijah's solitude), and often a locale for new beginnings. It represented a departure from established religious systems, emphasizing the grassroots, divine origin of John's ministry, apart from the Jerusalem establishment.
• Make straight: Greek: euthynate (εὐθύνατε). An imperative verb meaning "to make straight," "to make level," "to clear of obstructions." It implies a call for moral and spiritual preparation—repentance, removing sin, aligning one's life with God's will—to make the path ready for the Lord's arrival.
• the way: Greek: tēn hodon (τὴν ὁδόν). Refers to a path or road. Metaphorically, it signifies the conduct, character, and spiritual readiness of the people. John’s task was not to prepare a physical road, but to prepare the spiritual path in the hearts and lives of people.
• of the Lord: Greek: Kyriou (Κυρίου). This is the key identification of the one for whom the way is being prepared. In the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament), Kyrios is consistently used to translate the Hebrew YHWH (Yahweh). By quoting Isaiah 40:3, John identifies the coming Messiah, Jesus, with YHWH, affirming His divine identity.
• as said: Greek: kathōs eipen (καθὼς εἶπεν). A direct declaration of prophetic fulfillment, emphasizing the precise correspondence between Isaiah's prophecy and John's ministry. It grounds John's mission in the authoritative and eternal Word of God.
• the prophet Esaias: Refers to the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Naming the specific prophet provides explicit scriptural validation for John’s role and underscores the continuity of God's redemptive plan across the covenants.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I am the voice": Emphasizes John's singular function: he is not the source but the conduit of God's message. He embodies the prophetic utterance, not the divine presence itself.
• "of one crying in the wilderness": Conveys urgency and distinct location. The wilderness symbolizes separation from corrupted religious establishments and serves as a spiritual training ground, aligning with Israel's history of divine encounters there. The "crying" is a loud, authoritative summons to heed the divine announcement.
• "Make straight the way of the Lord": This phrase captures the essence of John's ministry: calling for a change of heart and life (repentance) so that people might be prepared to receive the Messiah. The "way of the Lord" implies both His coming and His teachings—the path of righteousness He will establish.

John 1 23 Bonus section

The Hebrew word in Isaiah 40:3, translated as "Lord" in the Septuagint (and thus picked up in the Greek New Testament) is YHWH, the sacred covenant name of God. This profound theological implication means that "the way of the Lord" is the way of Yahweh Himself. When John proclaims he is preparing the "way of the Lord," he is explicitly pointing to the coming one, Jesus, as none other than Yahweh in human flesh, or at least intimately associated with God's divine presence. John's self-description as merely a "voice" sets up a significant contrast with Jesus, who is the very Word (Logos) of God made flesh (John 1:1, 14), signifying the difference between the temporary messenger and the eternal message itself. John's ministry took place outside the traditional Jewish temple system, echoing prophetic tradition where God often called His servants from unexpected places or sent them to non-traditional locations (like the wilderness) to signify a new work. This choice of setting was itself a polemic against the perceived spiritual decay and formality within the Jerusalem religious establishment.

John 1 23 Commentary

John 1:23 is a succinct and profound declaration of John the Baptist's true identity and purpose. Having been asked directly who he was by the official Jewish delegation, John immediately turned their gaze away from himself and towards the coming Christ. By identifying himself as the "voice of one crying in the wilderness" as prophesied in Isaiah 40:3, John unequivocally stated that his ministry was entirely predicated upon God's foreordained plan. He wasn't acting on his own authority or charisma; he was simply fulfilling a specific, preparatory role established centuries before. This underscores his humility and self-effacement—he was not the Light, but a witness to the Light (John 1:8). His message, "make straight the way of the Lord," was a spiritual imperative: repent, realign your lives, and clear away spiritual obstacles (sin, self-righteousness, unbelief) to receive the King who is at hand. This preparation was crucial because the Lord was coming not just to establish a kingdom, but to indwell and transform hearts. John's role was to prepare people not just for Christ's presence, but for Christ's reign.