John 1:30

1:30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, ¹  because he existed before me.’

John 1:48

1:48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, ²  “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, ³  I saw you.”

John 5:45

5:45 “Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. ⁴ 

John 11:55

11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ⁵  was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem ⁶  from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. ⁷ 

John 13:19

13:19 I am telling you this now, ⁸  before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe ⁹  that I am he. ¹⁰ 

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¹ tn Or “has a higher rank than I.”

² tn Grk “answered and said to him.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”

³ sn Many have speculated about what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree. Meditating on the Messiah who was to come? A good possibility, since the fig tree was used as shade for teaching or studying by the later rabbis (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 5:11). Also, the fig tree was symbolic for messianic peace and plenty (Mic 4:4, Zech 3:10.)

⁴ sn The final condemnation will come from Moses himself – again ironic, since Moses is the very one the Jewish authorities have trusted in (placed your hope). This is again ironic if it is occurring at Pentecost, which at this time was being celebrated as the occasion of the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. There is evidence that some Jews of the 1st century looked on Moses as their intercessor at the final judgment (see W. A. Meeks, The Prophet King [NovTSup], 161). This would mean the statement Moses, in whom you have placed your hope should be taken literally and relates directly to Jesus’ statements about the final judgment in John 5:28-29.

⁵ tn Grk “the Passover of the Jews.” This is the final Passover of Jesus’ ministry. The author is now on the eve of the week of the Passion. Some time prior to the feast itself, Jerusalem would be crowded with pilgrims from the surrounding districts (ἐκ τῆς χώρας, ek th" cwra") who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.

⁶ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁷ tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).

⁸ tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”

⁹ tn Grk “so that you may believe.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.