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John 1:47-48

Context

1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, 1  “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit! 2  1:48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, 3  “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, 4  I saw you.”

1 tn Grk “said about him.”

2 tn Or “treachery.”

sn An allusion to Ps 32:2.

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

4 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.)



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