John 1:21 (GNV)

Passage

And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he said, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No.

Nearby Context

John 1:19 Then this is the record of Iohn, when the Iewes sent Priestes and Leuites from Hierusalem, to aske him, Who art thou?

John 1:20 And he confessed and denied not, and said plainely, I am not that Christ.

John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he said, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No.

John 1:22 Then said they vnto him, Who art thou, that we may giue an answere to them that sent vs? What sayest thou of thy selfe?

John 1:23 He said, I am the voyce of him that cryeth in the wildernesse, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "asked", "thou", "elias", "said", "prophet", and "answered". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "asked" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And he confessed and denied not and..." into verse 22's "Then said they vnto him Who art...", so "asked" and "thou" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "asked" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.