John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John bare witness of him, and cried - in testimony of the certainty and grandeur of the truth he was proclaiming, and the deep interest of all in it. The strict sense of the words х marturei (G3140) kai (G2532) kekragen (G2896)] is, 'beareth witness and hath cried;' as if the testimony were still continued and the cry still resounding. But such delicate shades of meaning cannot easily be conveyed in any tolerable translation.
Saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me, х Ho (G3588) opisoo (G3694) mou (G3450) erchomenos (G2064) emprosthen (G1715) mou (G3450) gegonen (G1096)] or better, perhaps, 'has gotten before (that is, 'above') me.' For he was before me, х prootos (G4413) mou (G3450)]. Our translators have here used one English word, "before," to convey the same sense of two different Greek words-the one х emprosthen (G1715)] primarily signifying 'before' in respect of place, and here of official rank; the other х prootos (G4413)] 'before' in point of time. Nor would it be easy to improve the translation without either marring the intentional terseness of the saying by too many words, or departing from the chaste simplicity required in any version of the Scriptures, and so characteristic of ours. Were we to render it, 'My Successor has become my Superior, because He was my Predecessor,' we should, indeed, convey to the mere English reader some idea of the enigmatic character and quaint structure of the saying, but we should fail to convey the true sense of the statement; for Christ, though posterior to John, was in no sense his Successor, and though prior to Him was in no proper sense his Predecessor. Doubtless, this enigmatic play upon the different senses of the words "before" and "after" was purposely devised by the Baptist to startle his readers, to set their ingenuity a-working to resolve his riddle, and when found, to rivet the truth conveyed by it upon their mind and memory. It may here observed, that though it was no part of our Evangelist's plan to relate in detail the calling and ministry of John the Baptist-that having been sufficiently done in the preceding Gospels-he studiously introduces all his weightiest testimonies to his blessed Master; and the one now given seem to have been suggested by what had just been said of the glory of the Only begotten, and desired to confirm it.