αὐτῷ, (auto) in John 1:25: Dative Singular Masculine

Pronoun: the form points back to a previously mentioned person rather than naming him again.

Dative: the form usually marks an indirect object, recipient, or other related role in the clause.

Singular: the form is grammatically singular in this occurrence and refers to one addressee in context.

Masculine: the form is grammatically masculine, which here fits the male addressee and does not by itself create a theological claim.

εἶπον

The dative pronoun follows the verb of speaking and identifies the one to whom the question is addressed.

It functions as the indirect object or recipient of the speech, pointing back to the same person already questioned in the verse.

It is not the subject of the clause, and the case form alone does not tell us anything beyond the person addressed.

Moderate: The dative pronoun keeps the questioning scene clear by identifying John as the addressee.

Dative pronoun marking the recipient of speech. identifies the person addressed by the question. Attached to the they said to him phrase. Governed by the verb of speaking in the question about baptism. The form clarifies dialogue direction rather than carrying a separate doctrinal claim.

To whom is the question about baptizing directed? It is directed to John, the person under public questioning in the scene.

Direct: The form directly supports to him or him as the addressee.

The dative marks addressee in a speech context; it should not be treated as a fixed theological signal. Masculine grammatical gender follows the referent in context and adds no doctrine.

Dative addressee creates hidden emphasis: The form identifies who receives the question; the narrative supplies the significance.

The witness reads αὐτῷ in John 1:25 within the sequence, 'καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ, Τί οὖν βαπτίζεις,'.

The lemma is αὐτός, a flexible pronoun that can mean he, she, it, they, them, or same, depending on context.

Here the dative singular masculine form fits the person addressed by the speakers and works naturally with the verb of saying.

The grammar shows that the question is directed to John, continuing the same conversational target from the earlier request.

In the Gospel context, this keeps the scene focused on public questioning about John's authority to baptize.

For readers, the form helps show who is being addressed so the line can be read as direct speech to one man.

Do not derive extra meaning from the dative itself, and do not turn grammatical masculine into a doctrinal statement about gender.