Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Conscious that his very heart had been read, and that at this critical moment that which he most deeply felt-a single desire to know and embrace the truth-had been expressed.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee - showing He knew all that had passed at a distance between Philip and him,
When thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Of His being there at all the Evangelist says nothing, but tells us that Jesus, to the amazement of Nathanael, saw him there, and what he was there engaged in. What could He be doing? Fortunately we can answer that question with all but certainty. Lightfoot and Wetstein quote passages from the Jewish rabbis, showing that little knots of earnest students were wont to meet with a teacher early in the morning, and sit and study under a shady fig tree. There, probably-hearing that his master's Master had at length appeared, and heaving with mingled eagerness to behold Him and dread of deception-he had retired to pour out his guileless heart for light and guidance. "Good and upright is the Lord," we think we hear him saying; "therefore will He teach sinners in the way: The meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek will He teach His way: The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
My heart is inditing a good matter, I will speak of the things which I have made touching the King, my tongue shall be the pen of a ready writer: Thou art fairer than the children of men, Grace is poured into Thy lips, therefore God hath blessed Thee forever. O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! Why is His chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of His chariot? O that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence. For from the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him. My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on Thee. Until the day dawn, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense.
Show me a token for good!" (See the note at Luke 2:8.) At that moment, of calm yet outstretched expectancy, returning from his fig tree, "Philip" - missing him probably at his house, where he had gone to seek him, and coming out in search of him - "findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 'Of Nazareth? How can that be?' 'I cannot tell, but Come and see, and that will suffice.' He comes; and as he draws near, the first words of Jesus, who breaks the silence, fill him with wonder. 'Would ye see a guileless, true-hearted Israelite, whose one object is to be right with God, to be taught of Him, and be led by Him? this is he!' 'Rabbi, whence knowest thou me?' 'Guileless soul! that fig tree, with all its heaving anxieties, earnest pleadings, and tremulous hopes-without an eye or an ear, as thou thoughtest, upon thee-Mine eye saw it, Mine ear heard it all!' The first words of Jesus had astonished, but this quite overpowered and more than won him. Accordingly,