Title:  These Things Took Place in Bethany Across the Jordan, Where John Was Baptizing

The text is, “ταῦτα ἐν Βηθανίᾳ ἐγένετο πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ὅπου ἦν ὁ Ἰωάννης βαπτίζω”.

ταῦτα -> neuter, plural, nominative, demonstrative pronoun -> this or these things

ἐν -> preposition taking the dative for its object word and -> in

Βηθανίᾳ -> feminine, singular, dative, proper noun -> Bethany

ἐγένετο -> third person, singular, aorist, middle, indicative verb -> happened

πέραν -> n improper preposition taking the genitive for its object word, and -> across

τοῦ -> masculine, singular, genitive article -> the

Ἰορδάνου -> masculine, singular, genitive, proper noun -> Jordan

ὅπου -> n adverb of place -> where

ἦν -> third person, singular, imperfect, indicative verb -> was

ὁ -> masculine, singular, nominative article -> the NRIEH*

Ἰωάννης -> masculine, singular, nominative noun -> John

βαπτίζων -> present, active, participial, masculine, singular, nominative verb -> baptizing

The meaning of this verse is,

These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

*NRIEH: For the sake of clarity the word is translated into English, but to avoid such odd constructions as applying a definite article (“the”) to a substantive sufficiently determined by its being a proper noun, or by the use of a qualifier other than the definite article. An example would be the basic translation “Peter said to the Jesus”; the word “the” is completely unnecessary. There are many examples of this in the New Testament. The designation NRIEH is equivalent to “Not Rendered Into English Here”.

Title: Who After Me Comes, of Whom I Am Not Worthy That I Might Loosen the Strap of His Sandal

The text is, “ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ [ἐγὼ] ἄξιος ἵνα λύσω αὐτοῦ τὸν ἱμάντα τοῦ ὑποδήματος”

ὁ is a masculine, singular, nominative article,-> who

ὀπίσω is an improper preposition taking the genitive for its object word → after

μου is a first person, personal, singular, genitive pronoun → me

ἐρχόμενος is a present, middle, participial, masculine, singular, nominative verb → comes

οὗ is a relative, definite, masculine, singular, genitive pronoun → who

οὐκ is a negative particle → not

εἰμὶ is a first person, singular, present, indicative verb -> am

[ἐγὼ] is a first person, personal, singular, nominative pronoun → I

ἄξιος is a masculine, singular, nominative adjective → worthy

ἵνα is a subordinating conjunction of result -> so that

λύσω is a first person, singular, aorist, active, subjunctive verb → I might loosen

αὐτοῦ is a third person, personal, singular, masculine, genitive pronoun → of his

τὸν is a masculine, singular, accusative article → the

ἱμάντα is a masculine, singular, accusative noun → strap

τοῦ is a neuter, singular, genitive article → the NRIEH*

ὑποδήματος is a neuter, singular, genitive noun ->sandal

who after me comes, whom I am not worthy that I might loosen the strap of his sandal.”

*NRIEH: For the sake of clarity the word is translated into English, but to avoid such odd constructions as applying a definite article (“the”) to a substantive sufficiently determined by its being a proper noun, or by the use of a qualifier other than the definite article. An example would be the basic translation “Peter said to the Jesus”; the word “the” is completely unnecessary. There are many examples of this in the New Testament. The designation NRIEH is equivalent to “Not Rendered Into English Here”.

John Answered Them Saying, “I Baptize with Water”

“ἀπεκρίθη” is a third person, aorist, active, indicative verb meaning “he answered”.

“αὐτοῖς” is a third person, personal, masculine, plural, dative pronoun meaning “them”.

“ὁ” is a third person, masculine, singular, nominative article meaning “the” NRIEH*

“Ἰωάννης” is a masculine, singular, nominative, proper noun meaning “John”.

“λέγων” is a present, active, participial, masculine, singular, nominative verb meaning “saying”.

“ἐγὼ” is a first person, personal, singular, nominative pronoun meaning “I”.

“βαπτίζω” is a first person, singular, present, active, indicative verb meaning “baptize”.

“ἐν” is a preposition taking the dative for its object word, and means “with” or “in”.

“ὕδατι” is a neuter, singular, dative noun meaning “water”.

“μέσος” is a masculine, singular, nominative adjective meaning “among”.

“ὑμῶν” is a second person, personal, plural, genitive pronoun meaning “you”.

“ἕστηκεν” is a third person, singular, perfect, active, indicative verb meaning “stands”.

“ὃν” is a relative, definite, masculine, singular, accusative pronoun meaning “who”.

“ὑμεῖς” is a second person, personal, singular, nominative pronoun meaning “you”.

“οὐκ” is a negative particle meaning “not”.

“οἴδατε” is a second person, plural, active, indicative verb meaning “do know”.

The sense of this clause is “among you stands who you do not know.”

John answered them saying, “I baptize with water.  Among you stands who you do not know,”

*NRIEH: For the sake of clarity the word is translated into English, but to avoid such odd constructions as applying a definite article (“the”) to a substantive sufficiently determined by its being a proper noun, or by the use of a qualifier other than the definite article. An example would be the basic translation “Peter said to the Jesus”; the word “the” is completely unnecessary. There are many examples of this in the New Testament. The designation NRIEH is equivalent to “Not Rendered Into English Here”.

Title: And They Asked Him and Said to Him, “So Why Are You Baptizing’

The text is, “καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· τί οὖν βαπτίζεις εἰ σὺ οὐκ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς οὐδὲ Ἠλίας οὐδὲ ὁ προφήτης”.

καὶ -> coordinating additive conjunction -> and

ἠρώτησαν -> third person, plural, aorist, active, indicative verb -> -> they asked

αὐτὸν -> third person, personal, masculine, singular, accusative pronoun -> him

καὶ -> coordinating additive -> conjunction -> and

εἶπαν -> third person, plural, aorist, active, indicative verb -> said

αὐτῷ -> third person, personal, masculine, singular, dative pronoun -> to him

τί -> neuter, singular, accusative, interrogative pronoun -> why

οὖν -> coordinating inferential conjunction -> so

βαπτίζεις -> second person, singular, present, active, indicative verb -> are you baptizing

εἰ -> conditional subordinating conjunction -> if

σὺ -> second person, personal, singular, nominative pronoun -> you

οὐκ -> negative particle -> neither

εἶ -> second person, singular, present, indicative verb -> are

ὁ -> -> masculine, singular, nominative article -> the

χριστὸς -> masculine, singular nominative noun -> Christ

οὐδὲ -> disjunctive coordinating conjunction -> nor

Ἠλίας -> masculine, singular, nominative, proper noun -> Elijah

οὐδὲ -> disjunctive coordinating conjunction -> nor

ὁ -> masculine, singular, nominative article -> the

προφήτης -> masculine, singular, nominative noun -> prophet

So they asked him and said to him, “So why are you baptizing if you are neither Elijah nor the prophet?”

Title:  Now These Were Being Sent by the Pharisees

The text is, “Καὶ ἀπεσταλμένοι ἦσαν ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων”

Καὶ -> coordinating additive conjunction -> now

ἀπεσταλμένοι -> perfect, passive or middle, participial, masculine, plural, nominative verb -> being sent

ἦσαν -> third person, plural, imperfect, indicative verb these -> these were

ἐκ’ -> preposition taking the genitive for its object word -> from

τῶν -> masculine, plural, genitive article -> the

Φαρισαίων -> masculine, plural, genitive, proper noun -> Pharisees

The of this verse is

Now these were being sent from the Pharisees.

Title:  I Said, “A Voice Crying in the Wilderness, Make Straight the Way of the Lord”.

The text is, “ἔφη ἐγὼ φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳεὐθύνατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου καθὼς εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας ὁ προφήτης”.

ἔφη -> third person, singular, imperfect, active, indicative verb -> said

ἐγὼ -> first person, personal, singular, nominative pronoun -> I

φωνὴ -> singular, feminine, nominative noun -> a voice

βοῶντος -> present, active, participial, masculine, singular, genitive verb -> crying

ἐν -> preposition taking the dative for its object word and -> in

τῇ -> feminine, singular, dative article -> the

ἐρήμῳ -> feminine, singular, dative adjective -> wilderness

εὐθύνατε -> second person, plural, aorist, active, imperative verb -> make straight

τὴν -> feminine, singular, accusative article -> the

ὁδὸν -> feminine, singular, accusative noun -> way

κυρίου -> masculine, singular, genitive noun -> of the Lord

καθὼς -> comparative, subordinating conjunction -> just as

εἶπεν -> third person, singular, aorist, indicative verb -> said

Ἠσαΐας -> masculine, singular, nominative, proper noun -> Isaiah

ὁ -> masculine, singular, nominative article -> the

προφήτης -> masculine, singular, nominative noun -> prophet

The meaning of this verse is,

I said, “A voice crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Title:  So They Said to Him, “Who Are You So That We Might Give an Answer to Those Having Sent Us?”

The text is, “εἶπαν οὖν αὐτῷ· τίς εἶ ἵνα ἀπόκρισιν δῶμεν τοῖς πέμψασιν ἡμᾶς τί λέγεις περὶ σεαυτοῦ”.

εἶπαν -> third person, plural, aorist, active, indicative verb -> they said

οὖν -> coordinating inferential conjunction conjunction of inference -> so

αὐτῷ -> third person, personal, masculine, singular, dative pronoun -> to him

τίς -> masculine, singular, nominative, interrogative pronoun -> who

εἶ -> second person, singular, present, indicative verb -> you are

ἵνα -> subordinating conjunction of purpose -> so that

ἀπόκρισιν -> feminine, singular, accusative noun -> answer

δῶμεν -> first person, plural, aorist, active, subjunctive verb -> we might give

τοῖς -> masculine, plural, dative article -> to those

πέμψασιν -> aorist, active, participial, masculine, plural, dative -> having sent

ἡμᾶς -> first person, personal, plural, accusative pronoun -> us

τί -> neuter, singular, accusative, interrogative pronoun -> what

λέγεις -> second person, singular, present, active, indicative verb -> do you say

περὶ -> preposition taking the genitive for its object word and -> about

σεαυτοῦ -> second person, reflexive, masculine, singular, genitive pronoun -> yourself

The meaning of this verse is,

So they said to him, “Who are you so that we might give an answer to those having sent us?  What do you say about yourself?”

Title:  And They Asked Him, “What then?  Are You Elijah?”

The text is, “καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτόν· τί οὖν; σὺ Ἠλίας εἶ; καὶ λέγει· οὐκ εἰμί. ὁ προφήτης εἶ σύ; καὶ ἀπεκρίθη· οὔ”.

καὶ -> coordinating conjunction -> and

ἠρώτησαν -> third person, plural, aorist, active, indicative verb -> asked

αὐτόν -> third person, personal, masculine, singular, accusative pronoun -> him

τί -> interrogative, singular, neuter, nominative pronoun -> what

οὖν -> coordinating conjunction of inference -> then

σὺ -> second person, singular, nominative pronoun -> you

Ἠλίας -> masculine, singular, nominative, proper noun -> Elijah

εἶ -> second person, present, singular verb -> are

καὶ -> coordinating conjunction -> and

λέγει -> third person, singular, present, active, indicative verb -> he says CER* he said

οὐκ -> negative particle -> not

εἰμί -> first person, singular, indicative verb -> I am

ὁ -> masculine, singular, nominative article -> the

προφήτης -> masculine, singular, nominative noun -> prophet

εἶ -> second person, singular, present, indicative verb -> are

σύ -> second person, personal, singular, nominative pronoun -> you

καὶ -> coordinating conjunction -> and

ἀπεκρίθη -> third person, singular, aorist, passive, indicative verb -> he answered

οὔ -> negative particle -> no

The meaning of this verse is,

And they asked him, “What then?  Are you Elijah?”  And he said, “I am not.”  “Are you the prophet?”  And he answered, “No.”

*CER:  indicates a non-literal, but good translation.  In the example here, the verb “λέγει” is present tense, which in the indicative mood often can be rendered in the aorist tense, since it expresses linear action not in the present but at some point in the past.  The designation CER is equivalent to “Contextual English Rendering”.

Title:  And Confessed, and Did Not Deny, but Confessed, “Because I Am Not the Christ.”

The text is, “καὶ ὡμολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο, καὶ ὡμολόγησεν ὅτι ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁ χριστός”.

καὶ -> coordinating additive conjunction -> and

ὡμολόγησεν -> third person, singular, aorist, active, indicative verb -> confessed

καὶ -> coordinating additive conjunction -> and

οὐκ -> negative particle -> not

ἠρνήσατο -> third person, singular, aorist, middle, indicative verb -> did deny

καὶ -> coordinating conjunction -> but

ὡμολόγησεν -> third person, singular, aorist, active, indicative verb -> confessed

ὅτι -> subordinating causative conjunction of recitation ->because’

ἐγὼ -> first person, personal, singular, nominative pronoun -> I

οὐκ -> negative particle -> not

εἰμὶ -> first person, singular, present, indicative verb -> am

ὁ -> masculine, singular, nominative article -> the

χριστός -> masculine, singular, nominative noun -> Christ

The meaning of this verse is,

And confessed, and did not deny, but confessed because, “I am not the Christ.”