John 1:40 (LSB)

Passage

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

Nearby Context

John 1:38 And when Jesus turned and noticed them following, He said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”

John 1:39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

John 1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

John 1:41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).

John 1:42 He brought him to Jesus. When Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heard", "john", "speak", "followed", "andrew", "simon", "peter", and "brother". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heard" and "john", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "He said to them Come and you..." into verse 41's "He first found his own brother Simon...", so "heard" and "john" 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 "heard" and "john" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.