John 5:33 kjv
Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
John 5:33 nkjv
You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.
John 5:33 niv
"You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.
John 5:33 esv
You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.
John 5:33 nlt
In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true.
John 5 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 1:6-8 | There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light... | John's divine commission to witness |
| Jn 1:15 | John testified concerning him and cried out... “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” | John's declaration of Jesus' pre-eminence |
| Jn 1:19 | Now this was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him... | The delegation sent to John, fulfilling "You sent to John" |
| Jn 1:29 | The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” | John identifies Jesus' Messianic role |
| Jn 1:32-34 | Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down... This is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit... This is the Son of God.” | John's personal revelation and testimony |
| Jn 3:26 | They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about...” | John's disciples acknowledging his prior witness |
| Jn 3:30 | He must become greater; I must become less. | John's humble submission to Jesus' authority |
| Jn 5:32 | There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true. | Jesus affirms the veracity of John's witness |
| Jn 5:34 | Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. | Jesus explains the purpose of citing John's witness |
| Mt 11:7-10 | As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John... a prophet... Even more than a prophet. | Jesus praises John's prophetic role |
| Mt 11:11 | Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist... | Jesus' high esteem for John |
| Mt 21:25-26 | John's baptism—where did it come from?... If we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet. | Jewish leaders feared the people's belief in John |
| Mk 1:2-4 | “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way...” So John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness... | John as the prophesied messenger |
| Lk 1:76-77 | And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways... | Zacharias' prophecy about John's role |
| Lk 7:28 | I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John... | Echoes Mt 11:11, reaffirming John's unique position |
| Acts 1:21-22 | ...must choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us... beginning from John's baptism... | The historical significance of John's ministry |
| Acts 10:37 | You yourselves know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached... | Confirmation of John's widely known public ministry |
| Acts 19:4 | Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” | Apostolic teaching confirming John's preparatory work |
| Rev 19:10 | ...worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus. | Ultimate source of all true prophetic witness to Jesus |
| Deut 19:15 | One witness is not enough to convict anyone... on the testimony of two or three witnesses. | Underlying legal principle for requiring multiple witnesses |
| Jn 8:13-14 | “You are testifying about yourself; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is valid...” | The broader discussion of Jesus' testimony and witnesses |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” | Jesus as the embodiment of the truth to which John testified |
| Jn 18:37 | “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth...” | Jesus' own mission to bear witness to the truth |
John 5 verses
John 5 33 Meaning
John 5:33 presents Jesus recalling the Jewish leaders' own investigation into John the Baptist, highlighting that John, a figure they respected, had borne witness to the truth about Jesus' identity and mission. Despite their skepticism toward Jesus, they had personally sought out John's testimony, which unambiguously pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. This verse serves as part of Jesus' defense and a foundational argument for His divine authority, appealing to a witness whom His accusers themselves deemed credible.
John 5 33 Context
This verse is situated within a critical discourse following Jesus' healing of an invalid man by the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath (Jn 5:1-9). This act, and Jesus' command for the man to carry his mat, drew severe criticism from the Jewish authorities, who saw it as a violation of Sabbath law. Further exacerbating their animosity, Jesus claimed God as His own Father, making Himself equal with God (Jn 5:18). In response to their hostility and their challenge to His authority, Jesus then proceeds to offer several testimonies (witnesses) that substantiate His claims. John the Baptist's witness is the first of these (Jn 5:32-35), followed by the witness of His works (Jn 5:36), the Father Himself (Jn 5:37-38), and the Scriptures (Jn 5:39-40, 45-47). John 5:33 specifically refers to the well-known and widely accepted prophetic ministry of John the Baptist, whom the Jewish leaders themselves had sent an official delegation to question, thus lending their own credence to his authority before his testimony for Jesus.
John 5 33 Word analysis
- You (ὑμεῖς - humeis): This is a strong, emphatic pronoun, plural, directly addressing the Jewish leaders/people. Jesus uses "you" to hold them accountable for their own actions and knowledge regarding John. It's not a generic statement, but a pointed reminder.
- have sent (ἀπεστάλκατε - apestalkate): From the verb ἀποστέλλω (apostello), meaning "to send forth with a commission or purpose." The perfect active indicative tense indicates a past action ("you sent") with enduring present results and implications. They had sent, and the fact of their sending and its findings remained true. It implies they initiated an investigation with authority.
- to John (πρὸς Ἰωάννην - pros Ioannen): Refers unequivocally to John the Baptist. His identity and authority as a prophet were so established that Jesus simply names him, assuming common knowledge. The "to" (πρὸς) signifies the direction of their inquiry.
- and he (κἀκεῖνος - kakeinos): This is a compound of καὶ (kai, "and") and ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos, "that one"). The use of "that one" or "he himself" adds emphasis, distinguishing John's testimony from any other, perhaps suggesting "that renowned one whom you yourselves deemed worthy of inquiry."
- has testified (μεμαρτύρηκεν - memartyreken): From μαρτυρέω (martyreo), meaning "to bear witness, to give evidence." Like apestalkate, it's in the perfect active indicative, showing a completed past action (John did testify) whose effects and validity continue. It was a clear, unambiguous testimony given with divine authority.
- to the truth (τῇ ἀληθείᾳ - te aletheia): The dative case with ἀλήθεια (aletheia, "truth"). John testified to the truth, meaning he proclaimed it, he bore witness concerning it. In John's Gospel, "the truth" often carries a profound theological weight, frequently identified with Jesus Himself (Jn 14:6), His teaching, and divine reality. John the Baptist's testimony was not just about facts, but about the very essence of divine revelation personified in Christ.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "You have sent to John": This phrase highlights the intentionality and prior knowledge of Jesus' Jewish opponents. They weren't ignorant of John; they actively sought him out. This act establishes their own validation of John's status, setting up the logical inconsistency of rejecting his witness to Jesus while accepting his general prophetic standing. The "sending" implies a formal delegation, giving their action significant weight.
- "and he has testified to the truth": This second part emphasizes the undeniable clarity and permanence of John's message. It wasn't vague; it was specific and enduring. "The truth" is not merely propositional data but points to the very person and reality of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God, contrasting with the distorted understandings or falsehoods of Jesus' accusers. John's testimony was clear, divine revelation, not human opinion.
John 5 33 Bonus section
This verse introduces the first of four (or five) witnesses Jesus calls upon to support His claims in John 5. By starting with John the Baptist, Jesus addresses His audience with a known and respected figure first, easing into more direct, divine witnesses. This rhetorical strategy reveals Jesus' condescension to their human framework of needing multiple attestations (cf. Deut 19:15), even though His own singular witness should be sufficient. The "truth" to which John testifies finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who identifies as "the truth" in John 14:6, implying that John testified about Jesus Himself. The entire Gospel of John heavily utilizes the concept of "witness" or "testimony" (martyria) as a legal-theological motif, strengthening the case for Jesus' divine sonship.
John 5 33 Commentary
In John 5:33, Jesus masterfully turns His accusers' own actions against them, presenting John the Baptist as an unimpeachable witness. The Jewish leaders, having sent a formal delegation to John (Jn 1:19), tacitly acknowledged his prophetic authority. Jesus highlights that this very John, whom they had recognized, then testified to the truth concerning Jesus. This "truth" encompasses Jesus' identity, divine nature, and mission, central themes of John's Gospel. The use of perfect tense for both "sent" and "testified" emphasizes that these were completed actions with lasting and undeniable validity. John's witness was not a transient word but a divinely inspired, confirmed declaration that stood as an objective reference point. By reminding them of their own inquiry, Jesus underscored their culpability in rejecting the one whom their trusted prophet endorsed. It's a strategic move: Jesus doesn't need human testimony (Jn 5:34), but He presents it to persuade them by appealing to an authority they esteemed, demonstrating their inexcusable unbelief.