John 1:21 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not.— It is plain by this question, that they were strangers to the parentage of John the Baptist: and with regard to the reply that he makes to this inquiry,there is no scruple to be made, but that the Baptist might justly deny that he was Elijah; that is, the true and real Elijah, whom the Jews expected personally to return before the coming of the Messiah, though he came in his spirit and power. See on Luke 1:17. The Baptist therefore might truly deny himself to be Elijah in the sense of the inquirers. But still some have asked, why he did not express himself more fully, by acquainting them with his true character, and who he really was; which, as they apprehend, would have best suited with the simplicity and openness of his conduct at other times. But in the evangelist, after the answer given them by the Baptist, it is said, John 1:24. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees: which account of the persons was doubtless not subjoined without some good reason; and may seem to intimate, that they came not barely as inquirers, but with some ill design, which they would have improved, had he given them a more explicit answer. So that he treated them in no other manner than Christ himself thought fit to do upon some like occasions;—as in the case of the tribute-money, Matthew 22:17; Matthew 22:46 and when they asked him if he was the Christ, John 10:24-25. And this method our Lord took while it was necessary in some measure to conceal himself: but afterwards when his time was come, upon the same question being put to him by the high-priest, he answered I am; Mark 14:62 and added further what he knew they would so interpret as to condemn him. Their next question is, Art thou that prophet? bywhich cannot be meant, as some interpret it, "That prophet, namely, the Messiah, whom Moses has assured us God will raise up, and of whom we are in daily expectation;" (see Deuteronomy 18:15-18. John 6:14.) because he had already assured them that he was not this prophet, John 1:20. I am not the Christ. The Greek should be rendered, Art thou a prophet? That is "of the former generation, raised from the dead!" And it is absolutely necessary that this question should be understood with such a limitation, because John the Baptist was really an illustrious prophet, as we may plainlysee from what is said by Christ himself, Matthew 11:9. This interpretation, which is largely vindicated by Castalio, seems much preferable to that of Theophylact and Erasmus; who, because of the article ο προφητης, would render it as we do, that prophet; concluding, without any proof, that the Jews understood Deuteronomy 18:18 not of the Messiah himself, but of some prophet of considerable note, who was to introduce him. Grotius has supposed the question which they offer, to refer to Jeremiah, of whose return to life there was a mighty rumour prevailing among the Jews. See on Matthew 16:14. But there seems no reason to restrain it to a particular prophet; and since, as Limborch well observes, in his dispute with Orobio the Jew, that text in Deuteronomy was the clearest and strongest in all the Mosaic writings, to enforce the necessity of submitting to the Messiah; it is most probable that John would have corrected so great a mistake, if they had put the question to him upon this presumption. The best French versions render it as above; and it seems the word prophet in the evangelist generally signifies one of those holy men, who were the messengers of God to Israel of old; which appears especially from Mark 6:15 where to be a prophet, and to be as one of the prophets, are spoken of as distinct; which they could not be but on this interpretation.