The Meaning of John 1:40 Explained

John 1:40

KJV: One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

YLT: Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard from John, and followed him;

Darby: Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard this from John and followed him.

ASV: One of the two that heard John'speak , and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

One  of  the two  which  heard  John  [speak], and  followed  him,  was  Andrew,  Simon  Peter's  brother. 

What does John 1:40 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The writer now identified one of the two men. Andrew was important for two reasons. He became one of the Twelve, and he provided an excellent example of testifying for Jesus by bringing his brother to Him ( John 1:41). John introduced Andrew as Simon Peter"s brother because when he wrote his Gospel Peter was the better known of the two. We do not know who the unnamed man was. Some students of John"s Gospel have suggested that it may have been the writer himself. This is an interesting possibility, but there is nothing in the text that enables us to prove or to disprove it. He could have been anyone.

Context Summary

John 1:35-42 - How Jesus Wins Followers
On this third day John again looked eagerly and wistfully on Jesus as He walked. He spoke of Him again as God's Lamb, and there was a significance in His words that was instantly detected by the two disciples-probably John and Andrew-who stood beside him. He intended to transfer their allegiance from himself to the Lord. Henceforth they were to behold Him. So, at least, they understood it. We are told that they followed Jesus. As the preacher watched their retreating figures and realized that His work was done, he had no feeling of jealousy or regret. He was the bridegroom's friend, and rejoiced greatly to hear His voice, John 3:29. Notice how our Lord develops men. He invites them to His familiar friendship-Come and see, and He looks deep down into their hearts, detecting capacities and possibilities that were hidden even from themselves, but which He helps them to realize: Thou shalt be called Cephas, a "rock." [source]

Chapter Summary: John 1

1  The divinity, humanity, office, and incarnation of Jesus Christ
15  The testimony of John
39  The calling of Simon and Andrew, Philip and Nathanael

Greek Commentary for John 1:40

Andrew [Ανδρεας]
Explained by John as one of the two disciples of the Baptist and identified as the brother of the famous Simon Peter (cf. also John 6:8; John 12:22). The more formal call of Andrew and Simon, James and John, comes later (Mark 1:16.; Matthew 4:18.; Luke 3:1-11). That heard John speak “That heard from John,” a classical idiom (παρα — para with ablative after ακουω — akouō) seen also in John 6:45; John 7:51; John 8:26, John 8:40; John 15:15. [source]
One of the two []
The other being John. [source]
Andrew []
See on Mark 3:18. Compare Mark 13:3; John 6:8; John 12:22. [source]
Simon Peter's brother []
The mention of Simon Peter before he has appeared in the narrative indicates the importance which the Evangelist attaches to him. It seems to assume a knowledge of the evangelic narrative on the part of the readers. See a similar instance of anticipating what is subsequently explained, in the mention of Mary, John 11:2. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 1:40

Mark 3:18 Andrew [Ὰνδρέαν]
A name of Greek origin though in use among the Jews, from ἀνήρ , man, and signifying manly. He was one of the two who came earliest to Christ (Matthew 4:18, Matthew 4:20; compare John 1:40, John 1:41); and hence is always styled by the Greek fathers πρωτόκλητος , first called. [source]
John 1:35 Again on the morrow [τηι επαυριον παλιν]
Third day since John 1:19. Was standing Past perfect of ιστημι — histēmi intransitive, and used as imperfect in sense. See same form in John 7:37. Two One was Andrew (John 1:40), the other the Beloved Disciple (the Apostle John), who records this incident with happy memories. [source]
John 6:8 One of [εις εκ]
So in John 12:4; John 13:23; Mark 13:1 without εκ — ek Simon Peter‘s brother So described in John 1:40. The great distinction of Andrew was precisely this that he brought Simon to Christ. Philip and Andrew appear together again in John 12:20-22, but in the Synoptics he is distinguished only in Mark 13:3. In the Muratorian Fragment Andrew received the revelation for John to write the Fourth Gospel. [source]
Revelation 1:2 All things that he saw [ὅσα εἶδεν]
Lit., as many things as he saw. In the Gospel John uses the word εἶδεν sawonly twice of his own eye-witness (John 1:40; John 20:8). In Revelation it is constantly used of the seeing of visions. Compare Revelation 1:19. For the verb as denoting the immediate intuition of the seer, see on John 2:24. [source]

What do the individual words in John 1:40 mean?

Was Andrew the brother of Simon Peter one of the two - having heard from John and having followed Him
Ἦν Ἀνδρέας ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου εἷς ἐκ τῶν δύο τῶν ἀκουσάντων παρὰ Ἰωάννου καὶ ἀκολουθησάντων αὐτῷ

Ἀνδρέας  Andrew 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἀνδρέας  
Sense: A native of Bethsaida in Galilee, brother of Simon Peter, a disciple of John the Baptist, and afterwards an apostle of Christ.
ἀδελφὸς  brother 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
Σίμωνος  of  Simon 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Σίμων  
Sense: Peter was one of the apostles.
Πέτρου  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
εἷς  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
δύο  two 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: δύο 
Sense: the two, the twain.
τῶν  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀκουσάντων  having  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
Ἰωάννου  John 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰωάννης 
Sense: John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, the forerunner of Christ.
ἀκολουθησάντων  having  followed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀκολουθέω  
Sense: to follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, accompany him.