Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.
Parallel translations
- WEB John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.
- KJV And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
- NKJV And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
- NASB And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.
- NLT Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him.
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 testifies that he saw the Spirit descend like a dove and remain on Jesus. This was the sign God gave to identify the Messiah.
Overview
The Spirit's descent and permanent resting upon Jesus marks Him as the Spirit-anointed Messiah (cf. Isaiah 11:2; 61:1). Unlike the temporary anointings of old, the Spirit 'remained,' signifying Jesus' unique and continual endowment. John's eyewitness report confirms that Jesus is the One on whom God's Spirit fully rests.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Luke 3:22and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
- Mark 1:10As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.
- Matt 3:16As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.
- John 1:7He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.
- John 5:32There is another who testifies about Me, and I know that His testimony about Me is valid.
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
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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 1:32 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.