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And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What are you seeking?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”
John 1:38 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”
  • KJV Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
  • BSB Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”
  • ESV Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
  • NKJV Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
  • NLT Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

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

Jesus asks the two what they are seeking, and they call Him 'Rabbi' and ask where He is staying. Their question expresses a desire to learn from and remain with Him.

Overview

Jesus' first recorded words in this Gospel — 'What are you looking for?' — probe the seekers' hearts. Addressing Him as 'Rabbi' (Teacher), they seek not a brief encounter but ongoing fellowship, asking where He abides. The exchange models genuine discipleship: coming to Jesus with a desire to stay near Him and learn.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 26

  • John 18:7Again therefore he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
  • John 3:2The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”
  • John 1:49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”
  • John 18:4Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were happening to him, went out, and said to them, “Who are you looking for?”
  • Ps 27:4One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple.
  • Prov 8:34Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
  • John 6:25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
  • John 12:21These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
  • John 3:26They came to John, and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”
  • Acts 10:29Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?”
  • Matt 23:7–8the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
  • Luke 19:5When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
  • John 20:15–16Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
  • Luke 10:39She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
  • Luke 18:40–41Standing still, Jesus commanded him to be brought to him. When he had come near, he asked him,
  • Prov 3:18She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.
  • Luke 14:25Now great multitudes were going with him. He turned and said to them,
  • Song 1:7–8Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where you graze your flock, where you rest them at noon; For why should I be as one who is veiled beside the flocks of your companions?
  • Luke 15:20“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
  • Luke 7:24–27When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
  • Ruth 1:16Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.
  • Prov 13:20One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
  • Luke 8:38But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
  • Luke 22:61The Lord turned, and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the Lord’s word, how he said to him, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”
  • Acts 10:21Peter went down to the men, and said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?”
  • 1 Kgs 10:8Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Pastoral

  • CommentaryCommentary on John 1Matthew Henry · Free

    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

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 1:38YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 1:38 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.