SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:21
Y le preguntaron: ¿Qu pues? ¿Eres t Elías? Dijo: No soy. ¿Eres t el profeta? Y respondi: No.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 1:21
Verse 21. Art thou Elias?] The scribes themselves had taught that Elijah was to come before the Messiah. See Matt. xvii. 10; and this belief of theirs they supported by a literal construction of Mal. iv. 5. Art thou that prophet?] the prophet spoken of by Moses, Deut. xviii. 15, 18. This text they had also misunderstood: for the prophet or teacher promised by Moses was no other than the Messiah himself. See Acts iii. 22. But the Jews had a tradition that Jeremiah was to return to life, and restore the pot of manna, the ark of the covenant, &c., which he had hidden that the Babylonians might not get them. Besides this, they had a general expectation that all the prophets should come to life in the days of the Messiah.
I am not.] I am not the prophet which you expect, nor Elijah: though he was the Elijah that was to come; for in the spirit and power of that eminent prophet he came, proclaiming the necessity of reformation in Israel. See Matt. xi. 14; xvii. 10-13.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. And they asked him, what then? art thou Elias ? etc.] Elijah, the prophet; the Tishbite, as Nonnus in his paraphrase expresses it; who was translated, soul and body, to heaven: the Jews had a notion that that prophet would come in person a little before the coming of the Messiah; (see Gill on Matthew 17:10) wherefore these messengers inquire, that since he had so fully satisfied them that he was not the Messiah, that he would as ingenuously answer to this question, if he was Elias, or not: and he saith, I am not ; that is, he was not Elijah the prophet that lived in Ahabs time, and was called the Tishbite; for Johns answer is to the intention of their question, and their own meaning in it, and is no contradiction to what Christ says of him, ( Matthew 11:14) that he was the Elias that was to come; for he was the person meant by him in ( Malachi 4:5) though not in the sense the Jews understood it; nor is it any contradiction to what the angel said to Zacharias, ( Luke 1:17) for he does not say that John should come in the body, but in the power and spirit of Elias; (see Gill on Matthew 11:14). Art thou that prophet ? Jeremiah, whom some of the Jews have thought to be the prophet Moses spoke of, in ( Deuteronomy 18:15) and expected that he would appear about the times of the Messiah; (see Matthew 16:14) or any one of the ancient prophets risen from the dead, which they also had a notion of, ( Luke 9:8,19) or, as it may be rendered, art thou a prophet? for prophecy had long ceased with them: and he answered, no ; he was not Jeremiah, nor any one of the old prophets risen from the dead, nor a prophet in the sense they meant: he was not like one of the prophets of the Old Testament; he was a prophet, and more than a prophet, as Christ says, ( Matthew 11:9) yet not such a prophet as they were; his prophesying lay not so much in predicting future events, as in pointing out Christ, and preaching the doctrine of the remission of sins by him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-28 - John disowns himself to be the Christ, who was now expected and waite for. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, but he was not the person of Elias. John was not that Prophet whom Moses said the Lor would raise up to them of their brethren, like unto him. He was no such a prophet as they expected, who would rescue them from the Romans He gave such an account of himself, as might excite and awaken them to hearken to him. He baptized the people with water as a profession of repentance, and as an outward sign of the spiritual blessings to be conferred on them by the Messiah, who was in the midst of them, thoug they knew him not, and to whom he was unworthy to render the meanes service.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ηρωτησαν 2065 5656 V-AAI-3P αυτον 846 P-ASM τι 5101 I-NSN ουν 3767 CONJ ηλιας 2243 N-NSM ει 1488 5748 V-PXI-2S συ 4771 P-2NS και 2532 CONJ λεγει 3004 5719 V-PAI-3S ουκ 3756 PRT-N ειμι 1510 5748 V-PXI-1S ο 3588 T-NSM προφητης 4396 N-NSM ει 1488 5748 V-PXI-2S συ 4771 P-2NS και 2532 CONJ απεκριθη 611 5662 V-ADI-3S ου 3756 PRT-N
