John 1:31 (KJV)

Passage

And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

Nearby Context

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

John 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

John 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

John 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knew", "should", "manifest", "israel", "therefore", "come", "baptizing", and "water". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knew" and "should", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "This is he of whom I said..." into verse 32's "And John bare record saying I saw...", so "knew" and "should" 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 "knew" and "should" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.