Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word

John 1:32

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

KJV

καὶ ἐμαρτύρησεν Ἰωάννης λέγων ὅτι τεθέαμαι τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον ὡς περιστερὰν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐπ’ αὐτόν.

Greek NT

Et testimonium perhibuit Joannes, dicens : Quia vidi Spiritum descendentem quasi columbam de cælo, et mansit super eum.

Vulgate

And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him.

ASV

And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven; and he remained upon him.

Douay-Rheims

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In this verse

Symbols Dove

In the original Greek

16 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
θεάομαι
theaomai
verb · 23×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
καταβαίνω
katabaino
verb · 78×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
μένω
meno
verb · 117×
μαρτυρέω
martureo
verb · 76×
οὐρανός
ouranos
noun · 274×
περιστερά
peristera
noun · 10×
πνεῦμα
pneuma
noun · 379×
ἐκ
ek
preposition · 915×
ἐπί
epi
preposition · 888×
Ἰωάννης
ioannes
noun · 134×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
ὅτι
oti
conjunction · 1299×
ὡς
os
adverb · 502×

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: ὡς | WH/Treg/NIV: ὡς | RP: ὡσεὶ
  • ὡς — SBLGNT
  • ὡς — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • ὡσεὶ — Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Theophany

Historic Christian voices

8 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§536The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God's suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world".232 Already he is anticipating the "baptism" of his bloody death.233 Already he is coming to "fulfil all righteousness", that is, he is submitting himse…
§713The Messiah's characteristics are revealed above all in the "Servant songs."82 These songs proclaim the meaning of Jesus' Passion and show how he will pour out the Holy Spirit to give life to the many: not as an outsider, but by embracing our "form as slave."83 Taking our death upon himself, he can communicate to us his own Spirit of life.
Chapter 30.—That in the Books of the Old Testament, Where It is Said that God Shall Judge the World, the Person of Christ is Not Explicitly Indicated, But It Plainly Appears from Some Passages in Which the Lord God Speaks that Christ is Meant. There are many other passages of Scripture bearing on the last judgment of God,—so many, indeed, that to cite them all would swell this …
1 And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In the preceding section, my revered brother Ambrosius, brother formed according to the Gospel, we have discussed, as far as is at present in our power, what the Gospel is, and what is the beginning in which the Word was, and what the Word is which was in the beginning. We now come to consider the next point in the work before …
1. The Work is Taken Up After a Violent Interruption, Which Has Driven the Writer from Alexandria. He Addresses Himself to It Again, with Thanks for His Deliverance, and Prayer for Guidance. When a house is being built which is to be made as strong as possible, the building takes place in fine weather and in calm, so that nothing may hinder the structure from acquiring the need…
We believe and teach that God is one in essence or nature, subsisting in himself, all-sufficient in himself, invisible, incorporeal, immense, eternal, Creator of all things both visible and invisible, the greatest good, living, quickening and preserving all things, omnipotent and supremely wise, gentle or merciful, just and true. And we detest the multitude of gods because it i…

Cross-references

  • 1John 5:7 — For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
  • 1John 5:11 — And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
  • 1Tim 3:16 — And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up int
  • Acts 2:3 — And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
  • Amos 9:1 — I saw the LORD standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he
  • Isa 11:2 — And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
  • Isa 61:1 — The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and th
  • John 1:7 — The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
  • John 1:7 — The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
  • John 5:32 — There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
  • Luke 3:21 — Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
  • Luke 3:22 — And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
  • Luke 3:22 — And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
  • Luke 4:1 — And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
  • Mark 1:10 — And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
  • Matt 3:13 — Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
  • Matt 3:16 — And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
  • Rev 1:2 — Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.