John 1:23
New International Version
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.’”

New Living Translation
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!’”

English Standard Version
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.”

Berean Standard Bible
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”

Berean Literal Bible
He was saying, "I am a voice crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as Isaiah the prophet said.

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

New King James Version
He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

New American Standard Bible
He said, “I am THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE THE WAY OF THE LORD STRAIGHT,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

NASB 1995
He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

NASB 1977
He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Legacy Standard Bible
He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Amplified Bible
He said, “I am THE VOICE OF ONE SHOUTING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

Christian Standard Bible
He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord —just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord—just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

American Standard Version
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He said: “I am the voice that cries in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of THE LORD JEHOVAH', just as that which Isaiah the Prophet said.”

Contemporary English Version
John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, "I am only someone shouting in the desert, 'Get the road ready for the Lord!'"

Douay-Rheims Bible
He said: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias.

English Revised Version
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
John said, "I'm a voice crying out in the desert, 'Make the way for the Lord straight,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

Good News Translation
John answered by quoting the prophet Isaiah: "I am 'the voice of someone shouting in the desert: Make a straight path for the Lord to travel!'"

International Standard Version
He replied, "I am '…a voice crying out in the wilderness, "Prepare the Lord's highway,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."

Literal Standard Version
He said, “I [am] a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD, as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Majority Standard Bible
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

New American Bible
He said: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

NET Bible
John said, "I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

New Revised Standard Version
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.

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

Webster's Bible Translation
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah.

Weymouth New Testament
"I am the voice," he replied, "of one crying aloud, 'Make straight the Lord's way in the Desert,' fulfilling the words of the Prophet Isaiah."

World English Bible
He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Young's Literal Translation
He said, 'I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Mission of John the Baptist
22So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” 24Then the Pharisees who had been sent…

Cross References
Isaiah 40:3
A voice of one calling: "Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

Matthew 3:3
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.'"

Mark 1:3
"A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.'"

Luke 3:4
as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.

John 1:22
So they said to him, "Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

John 1:24
Then the Pharisees who had been sent

John 3:28
You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.'


Treasury of Scripture

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

I am.

John 3:28
Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.

Matthew 3:3
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Mark 1:3
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

as said.

Isaiah 40:3-5
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God…

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John 1
1. The divinity, humanity, office, and incarnation of Jesus Christ.
15. The testimony of John.
39. The calling of Simon and Andrew, Philip and Nathanael














(23) But he still gives the "No." They think of his person and his work. He thinks of neither. His eye is fixed on the coming One. In this presence his own personality has no existence. He is as a voice, not to be inquired about but heard. They are acting as men who ask questions about the messenger of a great king who is coming to them and is at hand, instead of hastening with every effort to make ready for him. (Comp. Note on Matthew 3:3.)

Verse 23. - He said, I am a voice crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. This great utterance had been by the synoptists distinctly applied to the Baptist (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4); here we have the origin of such application. The Baptist quoted from Isaiah 40:3 two sentences; the synoptists cite the whole passage, as finding abundant realization in the mission of John. The prophet felt that the work he had to perform entirely concealed the importance of his own personality. He lost himself in his office and in his message. Isaiah, when foreseeing the revival of the nation, then wandering in a spiritual "wilderness," along rugged ridges, savage precipices, stony gorges, of a symbolic desert, anticipated the return of the Jehovah to his own sanctuary, and declared that ample prophetic preparation was needed, so that the people, by repentance and reformation, might understand that Israel had received double for all her sins. "Hark!" says he, "a crier, or a voice." The herald has gone forth to break the silence that lay between the land of captivity and the land of promise. "In the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord." Israel was to see that there was neither self-righteousness nor moral rebellion to impede the approach of One who was mighty to save. A portion of this very oracle is quoted by Malachi when he exclaims, "Behold, I send my messenger before my face, who shall prepare the way before me." This "messenger before the face of the Lord" is no other than he who should come in the spirit and power of Elijah. John, therefore, gathered up the significance of both prophecies, when he spoke of himself as "a voice crying in the wilderness [actual and symbolical], Make straight the way of the Lord." The Hebrew text, as we have translated it above, associates the words, "in the wilderness," with "make straight." rather than with "the voice crying." The quotation by the evangelist from the LXX. will suffer either arrangement of the words.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[John] replied
Ἔφη (Ephē)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5346: To say, declare. Properly, the same as the base of phos and phaino; to show or make known one's thoughts, i.e. Speak or say.

in
καθὼς (kathōs)
Adverb
Strong's 2531: According to the manner in which, in the degree that, just as, as. From kata and hos; just as, that.

the words of
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

Isaiah
Ἠσαΐας (Ēsaias)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2268: Isaiah, the prophet. Of Hebrew origin; Hesaias, an Israelite.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

prophet:
προφήτης (prophētēs)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4396: From a compound of pro and phemi; a foreteller; by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet.

“I [am]
Ἐγὼ (Egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

the voice
φωνὴ (phōnē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5456: Probably akin to phaino through the idea of disclosure; a tone; by implication, an address, saying or language.

of one calling
βοῶντος (boōntos)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 994: To shout, call aloud, proclaim. Apparently a prolonged form of a primary verb; to halloo, i.e. Shout.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

wilderness,
ἐρήμῳ (erēmō)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2048: Lonesome, i.e. waste.

‘Make straight
Εὐθύνατε (Euthynate)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2116: From euthus; to straighten; technically, to steer.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

way
ὁδὸν (hodon)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3598: A way, road, journey, path. Apparently a primary word; a road; by implication, a progress; figuratively, a mode or means.

for [the] Lord.’”
Κυρίου (Kyriou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.


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NT Gospels: John 1:23 He said I am the voice (Jhn Jo Jn)
John 1:22
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