The passage
      v43-44. Jesus is about to head for Galilee and so takes the initiative and invites Philip to follow. All we know of Philip is that he comes from Bethsaida. He, like most of us, becomes one of the less than outstanding disciples.
      v45. Philip now invites Nathanael to "come and see." Nathanael may well be the common name for the Bartholomew (son of Tolmai) referred to in the synoptic gospels, but we must remember, Jesus had many disciples, not just the twelve apostles. In 21:2 John tells us that Nathanael comes from Cana. Clearly Philip thinks that Jesus is the messiah, the one whom Moses and the Prophets wrote of, the coming one. Despite this, his understanding is still limited in that Jesus is "the son of Joseph" rather than the heavenly man.
      v46. Nathaniel rejects the idea that the messiah could come from Nazareth, either because in his opinion the place is a dump compared to Cana, or because there is no scriptural support for Nazareth being the home of the messiah. Philip, in common with the Rabbis of his time, uses the formula expression "come and see" - check it out for yourself.
      v47. Jesus has heard Nathanael's comment concerning Nazareth, so his word's of greeting reflect this knowledge. Jesus' words may well be tongue-in-cheek, or at least a "here's a forthright person who says what he thinks." It is unlikely that Jesus is making a comment about Nathanael's moral superiority.
      v48. Nathanael is taken aback by Jesus' comment and asks how he knows about him. Jesus tells him that he saw him under the fig tree at the time Philip spoke to him. The word "before" may not mean before in time. There is no point in Jesus seeing Nathanael "before" he meets with Philip. It is most likely that Jesus is hinting that he knows what Nathanael said about the messiah and Nazareth at the time he met with Philip. The only significance in the fig tree is that Jesus knows the actual tree Nathanael was under at the time he made his comment.
      v49. Although on this occasion Jesus' miraculous insight is little more than mental telepathy, Nathanael responds with a confession of faith. He proclaims Jesus as messiah. The two phrases he uses are equally messianic titles.
      v50. Even Jesus doesn't think his insight was earth shattering, but if Nathanael is willing to stand as a disciple then he hasn't seen the half of it.
      v51. Jesus now declares what Nathanael will come to see. He uses the imagery of Genesis 28:12, the vision of Jacob's ladder. Nathanael and the other disciples will get to see the real Jesus; they will get a glimpse of his heavenly reign, they will see him surrounded by God's ministering angels.

Truth and attitudes
      Having moved from the notion of an objective divine truth, Western society now grasps at a relative plurality of ideas. Yet, we seem more focused on political correctness than ever before.
      A paper on the changing face of education noted that "a child today could come home from school and find the attitude of their parents wrong." In an age where divine truth is no longer recognized, it's interesting that so many educationalists believe they have cornered the truth market with their correct attitudes.
      The paper quoted from a social history textbook of the 60's using it as an example of "wrong attitudes." "Since those far-off days men have changed the landscape. Densely wooded country has become prosperous farmland, swamps and stony outcrops have been transformed into cities and rivers are being turned in their courses to provide irrigation and power to a rapidly developing industrialized nation." From a pragmatic point of view, this information factually represents the development process, but it fails to promote the politically correct environmental attitudes of the thought police.
      An insight into the significant will inevitably affect the way we see everything, but the trouble is, what is significant for one person is insignificant for another. The question facing modern society is whether we can live with this plurality, or whether we will continue to escape into the notion, "I think and it is true."
      Philip invites Nathanael to discover significance in Jesus. "Come and see," he says. Nathanael really doesn't think that Nazareth could produce anything that is significant, but he checks it out, none-the-less. Jesus, as always, is his unsettling self and so Nathanael soon sees and believes. Well, `you ain't seen nothin yet' says Jesus. The disciples will inevitably gain an insight into the person of Jesus, and that insight will affect the way they perceive everything about them. Jesus is a heavenly man, in fact, a divine man who has entered our time and space. His origin determines the significance of his words and work, and once his words and work are our focus, everything is subsumed by them. The only question then is whether we can live with others whose significance lies elsewhere, or maybe the question is whether they can live with us and our "wrong attitudes."

v44
      Bhqsaida "Bethsaida" - Technically this city is not part of Galilee, although after 70 A.D. it did form part of Galilean territory. Also, in Mark's gospel, Peter and Andrew came from Capernaum and not Bethsaida.

v45
      Naqanahl "Nathanael" - The name means "God gives" or "God has given." The synoptics do not list a Nathanael as one of the apostles, but this doesn't mean he wasn't a disciple, one of Jesus' followers. Nathanael may well be the common name for the Bartholomew (son of Tolmai) referred to in the synoptic gospels. John later tells us that he came from Cana.
      egrayen (grafw) aor. "wrote about" - wrote. The Law (Pentateuch) speaks of the prophet like Moses who will come to Israel, but other than this reference, there are no messianic texts as such. So, presumably it is this reference that Philip is alluding to.
      uiJon tou Iwshf "the son of Joseph" - This is an interesting description of Jesus, often used by disbelieving Jews. Of course, John has already made the point that Jesus is from heaven and so is without a human father. These followers of the Baptist (assuming that Nathanael was also a disciple of the Baptist) are yet to "see", 1:39, 46, 51.

v46
      ti agaqon "anything good" - Nazareth is not identified in the Old Testament as having messianic significance (although it was widely held that the messiah would remain incognito until he was presented to Israel by Elijah). So, Nathanael is most likely questioning Philip's suggestion that Jesus is a messianic identity, given that he comes from a town lacking messianic credentials. Of course, it may simply be a slur against a rival community.
      ercou kai ide "come and see" - As with v39, these words stand out in the narrative. In v51 Jesus explains what his disciples will see, although they don't see until 2:11. So, beholding the significant is the focus of this passage

v47
      alhqwV IsrahlithV "a true Israelite" - truly an Israelite. The adverb "truly" is possibly functioning as an adjective, "true / better / ideal / real / genuine Israelite." Possibly even "worthy", "there is an Israelite who deserves the name", JB. Of course, being the genuine article is not necessarily a complement, so Jesus is possibly being less than flattering.
      doloV ouk "nothing false" - without guile, deceit, treachery. At face value, Nathanael is here described as the ideal Jew, but is Jesus making a positive comment about his character or is he being critical? The ideal Israelite is actually cunning and deceitful as was Jacob in deceiving his brother Esau, and of course, like father, like son. It is even possible the comment is tongue-in-cheek. There is, of course, the possibility that the phrase has no moral overtones. Jesus is simply describing Nathanael as the genuine article - without pretence; "there is no guile in him", Moffatt.

v48
      poqen me ginwskeiV "how do you know me?" - from where comes your knowledge of me? "Where do you know me from?" = where have you seen me before? / have we met before? This is most likely a genuine question on Nathanael's part, reflecting a touch of astonishment. Although the conjunction usually means "where / from where", it can also carry the sense "how"; "how do you know what sort of person I am", TH.
      pro tou "before" - The preposition may mean, "in front of", "at", or "before", of rank, place or time, particularly when used with an article, as here. The accepted meaning here is that Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree "before" Philip spoke to him. Yet, it is possible that Jesus is saying that he saw Nathanael under the fig tree "at the time" Philip spoke to him, and so is aware of his less than gracious comment about Jesus' origins in Nazareth. This would explain why Jesus' greeting to Nathanael is barbed. So, "I saw you under the fig tree when Philip spoke to you" = "I heard what you said to Philip when you were together under the fig tree." Such telepathic knowledge was a common attribute of Old Testament prophets.
      thn sukhn (h) "fig tree" - Much is made of the fig tree by commentators, but there is nothing more to it than Nathanael and Philip were under a fig tree.
      eidon (oJraw) aor. "saw" - Seeing the significant, coming to know the real Jesus, is the focus of this passage and so here Nathanael sees that Jesus is at least a prophet. Even a personal word to a friend is not hidden from the all seeing eye of Jesus.

v49
      apekriqh (apokrinomai) aor. pas. "declared" - answered. Jesus' minimal application of supernatural power prompts a confession from Nathanael.
      rJabbi "rabbi" - teacher
      oJ uiJoV tou qeou "son of God" - Here clearly a messianic title of equal weight with "king of Israel."

v50
      pisteueiV (pisteuw) "you believe" - Faith based on miracles is given a low status in the gospel, but it is a start.
      toutwn (touto) "things" - Possibly referring to the miracles soon to be performed by Jesus, or more particularly v51. "You aint seen nothin yet!", or more appropriately, "you shall see more than that", Moffatt.