He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to loosen.”
- KJV He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
- ESV even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
- NKJV It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
- NASB It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.”
- NLT Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John says the coming One ranks far above him — so much that John is unworthy even to untie His sandal. He stresses his own lowliness before Christ.
Overview
Loosening a master's sandal was the task of the lowest slave, so John's confession of unworthiness even for that service powerfully exalts Jesus. Though John is the greatest of prophets, he counts himself nothing beside the Messiah. This humility models the proper posture of every believer before the surpassing greatness of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Luke 3:16John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
- John 1:30This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’
- Mark 1:7And he began to proclaim: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
- Matt 3:11I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
- John 1:15John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”
- Acts 19:4Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Pastoral
Henry on the prologue — rich on the Word and the incarnation.
Seminary
- ★ Start hereCommentaryThe Gospel According to John (Pillar NT Commentary)D. A. Carson · ~720 pp · Paid · reformed
The go-to mid-level exegetical commentary on John — rigorous and readable.
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 1:27 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.