John 1:23 (GNV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

John 1:24 Nowe they which were sent, were of the Pharises.

John 1:25 And they asked him, and saide vnto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, neither Elias, nor that Prophet?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "voyce", "cryeth", "wildernesse", "make", "straight", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "voyce", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Then said they vnto him Who art..." into verse 24's "Nowe they which were sent were of...", so "said" and "voyce" 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 "said" and "voyce" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.