John 1:32

Bare witness (emarturhsen). First aorist active indicative of marturew. Another specimen of John's witness to the Messiah ( Mark 1:7 Mark 1:15 Mark 1:19 Mark 1:29 Mark 1:35 Mark 1:36 ). I have beheld (teqeamai). Perfect middle indicative of qeaomai, the realization of the promise of the sign (verse Mark 33 ) by which he should recognize the Messiah. As a matter of fact, we know that he so recognized Jesus as Messiah when he came for baptism before the Holy Spirit came ( Matthew 3:14 ). But this sight of the Spirit descending as a dove upon Jesus at his baptism ( Mark 1:10 ; Matthew 3:16 ; Luke 3:22 ) became permanent proof to him. John's allusion assumes the Synoptic record. The Semites regarded the dove as a symbol of the Spirit.