SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:48
Le dice Natanael: ¿De dnde me conoces? Respondi Jess, y le dijo: Antes que Felipe te llamara, cuando estabas debajo de la higuera te vi.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 1:48
Verse 48. Whence knowest thou me?] He was not yet acquainted with the divinity of Christ, could not conceive that he could search his heart, and therefore asks how he could acquire this knowledge of him, or who had given him that character. It is the comfort of the sincere and upright, that God knows their hearts; and it should be the terror of the deceitful and of the hypocrite, that their false dealing is ever noticed by the all-seeing eye of God. Under the fig tree] Probably engaged in prayer with God, for the speedy appearing of the salvation of Israel; and the shade of this fig tree was perhaps the ordinary place of retreat for this upright man. It is not A fig tree, but thn sukhn, THE fig tree, one particularly distinguished from the others. There are many proofs that the Jewish rabbins chose the shade of trees, and particularly the fig tree, to sit and study under. See many examples in Schoettgen. How true is the saying, The eyes of the Lord are through all the earth, beholding the evil and the good! Wheresoever we are, whatsoever we are about, may a deep conviction of this truth rest upon our hearts, Thou God seest ME!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 48. Nathanael saith unto him, whence knowest thou me ? etc.] This he said as one surprised, that he, who was a stranger to him, should hit upon his general character, and describe the internal state and frame of his soul: this was more surprising to him, than if he had called him by his name Nathanael, as he did Simon; or had said what was the place, of his abode; Cana of Galilee; since this ordinarily was only to be observed, and learned, from a long and familiar acquaintance and conversation: by Nathanaels reply, it looks as if he had no doubt, or fears, about the character Christ gave him; but rather, that he believed it, as every good man must be conscious to himself of his own integrity; only it was amazing to him, how he should know it: Jesus answered and said unto him ; in order to satisfy him, how he could know this inward temper of his mind, and to give him some undeniable proofs of his omniscience, which he himself must acknowledge, being such as none but an all seeing eye could discover: before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee ; in which words Christ gives two instances of his omniscience; the one is, that he knew Philip had called him; he was privy to all that passed between them, though they were alone, and the conversation was had in the most private manner. Christ knew what an account Philip had given of him, and what objection Nathanael had made; and what an invitation Philip had given him to go along with him to Christ, and judge for himself; which is here meant by calling him, and with which he complied: and the other is, that he saw him under the fig tree before that: he was sitting under it, as men in those countries used to do; (see Micah 4:4), where he might be reading the Scriptures, and meditating upon them; and if, as some observe, he was reading, and thinking upon Jacobs dream, concerning the ladder which reached from earth to heaven, and on which he saw the angels of God ascending and descending, the words of Christ in ( John 1:51) must strike him with fresh surprise, and give him another convincing proof of his omniscience: or he might be praying here in secret, and so acted a different part from the generality, of religious men of that nation, who chose to pray in synagogues, and corners of the streets, that they might be seen; and likewise proved him to be what Christ had said of him, a true and rare Israelite, without guile and hypocrisy, which were so visible and prevailing among others. It was usual with the doctors to read, and study in the law, under fig trees, and sometimes, though rarely, to pray there. It is said f66 , R. Jacob, and his companions, were sitting, studying in the law, hnyat adj twjt , under a certain fig tree.
And the rule they give about praying, on, or under one, is thus f67 : he that prays on the top of an olive tree, or on the top of a fig tree, or on any other trees, must come down, and pray below.
It is said of Nathanael, in the Syriac dictionary f68 ; that his mother laid him under a fig tree, when the infants were slain, i.e. at Bethlehem; which, if it could be depended upon, must be to Nathanael a surprising and undeniable proof of the deity of Christ, and of his being the true Messiah; since, at that time, he was an infant of days himself, and was the person Herod was seeking to destroy, as the Messiah, and king of the Jews.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 43-51 - See the nature of true Christianity, it is following Jesus; devotin ourselves to him, and treading in his steps. Observe the objectio Nathanael made. All who desire to profit by the word of God, mus beware of prejudices against places, or denominations of men. The should examine for themselves, and they will sometimes find good wher they looked for none. Many people are kept from the ways of religion by the unreasonable prejudices they conceive. The best way to remove fals notions of religion, is to make trial of it. In Nathanael there was n guile. His profession was not hypocritical. He was not a dissembler nor dishonest; he was a sound character, a really upright, godly man Christ knows what men are indeed. Does He know us? Let us desire to know him. Let us seek and pray to be Israelites indeed, in whom is n guile; truly Christians, approved of Christ himself. Some things weak imperfect, and sinful, are found in all, but hypocrisy belongs not to believer's character. Jesus witnessed what passed when Nathanael wa under the fig-tree. Probably he was then in fervent prayer, seeking direction as to the Hope and Consolation of Israel, where no human ey observed him. This showed him that our Lord knew the secrets of his heart. Through Christ we commune with, and benefit by the holy angels and things in heaven and things on earth are reconciled and unite together __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
λεγει 3004 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM ναθαναηλ 3482 N-PRI ποθεν 4159 ADV-I με 3165 P-1AS γινωσκεις 1097 5719 V-PAI-2S απεκριθη 611 5662 V-ADI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM ιησους 2424 N-NSM και 2532 CONJ ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM προ 4253 PREP του 3588 T-GSM σε 4571 P-2AS φιλιππον 5376 N-ASM φωνησαι 5455 5658 V-AAN οντα 5607 5752 V-PXP-ASM υπο 5259 PREP την 3588 T-ASF συκην 4808 N-ASF ειδον 1492 5627 V-2AAI-1S σε 4571 P-2AS
