John 1:47

John 1:47 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
• New International Version (NIV)When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

Context of John 1:47

45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the man whom Moses wrote about in his teachings and whom the prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from the city of Nazareth.” 46Nathanael said to Philip, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip told him, “Come and see!” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and remarked, “Here is a true Israelite who is sincere.” 48Nathanael asked Jesus, “How do you know anything about me?” Jesus answered him, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49Nathanael said to Jesus, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!”

John 1:47 word by word

Εἶδεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• NathanaelΝαθαναήλNathanaēl · NathanaelG3482
• comingἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• an IsraeliteἸσραηλίτηςIsraēlitēs · IsraeliteG2475
• indeedἀληθῶςalēthōs · trulyG230
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• noοὐou · noG3756
• guileδόλοςdolos · deceitG1388

Cross-references for John 1:47

• John 8:31So Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, “If you live by what I say, you are truly my disciples.
• Romans 2:28A person is not a Jew because of his appearance, nor is circumcision a matter of how the body looks.
• Romans 9:6Now it is not as though God’s word has failed. Clearly, not everyone descended from Israel is part of Israel
• Philippians 3:3We are the ⌞true⌟ circumcised people ⌞of God⌟ because we serve God’s Spirit and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don’t place any confidence in physical things,
• Psalms 32:2Blessed is the person whom the Lord no longer accuses of sin and who has no deceitful thoughts.
• Psalms 73:1God is truly good to Israel, to those whose lives are pure.
• 1 Peter 2:1So get rid of every kind of evil, every kind of deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander.
• Revelation 14:5They’ve never told a lie. They are blameless.

Commentaries on John 1:47

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 47Behold an Israelite indeed - A worthy descendant of the patriarch Jacob, who not only professes to believe in Israel's God, but who worships him in sincerity and truth, according to his light. In whom is no guile! - Deceitfulness ever has been, and still is, the deeply marked characteristic of the Jewish people. To find a man, living in the midst of so much corruption, walking in uprightness before his Maker, was a subject worthy the attention of God…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 47An Israelite indeed - One who is really an Israelite - not by birth only, but one worthy of the name. One who possesses the spirit, the piety, and the integrity which become a man who is really a Jew, who fears God and obeys his law. Compare Romans 9:6; Romans 2:28-29. No guile - No deceit, no fraud, no hypocrisy. He is really what he professes to be - a Jew, a descendant of the patriarch Jacob, fearing and serving God. He makes no profession which he…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 43-51Verses 43-51 See the nature of true Christianity, it is following Jesus; devoting ourselves to him, and treading in his steps. Observe the objection Nathanael made. All who desire to profit by the word of God, must beware of prejudices against places, or denominations of men. They should examine for themselves, and they will sometimes find good where they looked for none. Many people are kept from the ways of religion by the unreasonable prejudices they…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 47Jesus described Nathanael as a true Israelite. He said there was no deceit (no dishonesty or trickery) in him. This may contrast Nathanael with Jacob, whose early life was marked by deceit. Jacob later received the name Israel (see Genesis 25:27–34; 27:1–36; 32:22–32). In this way, Nathanael shows what God desires Israel to be. God wants his people to be an honest and faithful people.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4747. an Israelite indeed ... no guile--not only no hypocrite, but with a guileless simplicity not always found even in God's own people, ready to follow wherever truth might lead him, saying, Samuel-like, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth" (1Sa 3:10).Read the comment

Topics related to John 1:47

• Character
• Holiness
• Integrity
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Nathanael
• Obedience
• Perfection
• Philip
• Sincerity

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Bartholomew
• Behold
• Believe
• Blood
• Dwell
• Flesh
• Guile
• Israel

Commentaries on John 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings