John 1:49 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

NIV: Then Nathanael declared, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.'

NASB: Nathanael answered Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!'

CSB: "Rabbi," Nathanael replied, "You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel! "

NLT: Then Nathanael exclaimed, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God — the King of Israel!'

KJV: Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

NKJV: Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

The term Rabbi was used by Jewish people to refer to religious leaders and scholars. It literally means "honorable sir," or even "master." John frequently explains Hebrew words and culture for his readers. In verse 38, John defines the term "Rabbi" as "teacher." It's likely the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael was longer than the summary recorded in the gospel of John. However, the change in Nathanael's attitude is dramatic. Within a few moments, he goes from insulting Jesus' hometown, to doubting His knowledge, to referring to Him as Rabbi. Calling Jesus the "Son of God" refers to prophecies of the Messiah. The Promised One is described as the Son of God in Psalm 2. Nathanael also uses the sixth of the seven names for Jesus in chapter 1: "The King of Israel." Isaiah 11:1–2 describes the future King as having God's spirit of wisdom. When Nathanael doubted that Jesus would be worth knowing, Philip suggested actually meeting Him (John 1:46). That made all the difference.

This verse is also the second of seven "witnesses" in the gospel of John. These are people who specifically state that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. The others include John the Baptist (John 1:29), Peter (John 6:69), the blind man (John 9:35–38), Martha (John 11:27), Thomas (John 20:28), and Jesus Himself (John 5:25; John 10:36).

John 1:43–51 shows Jesus recruiting Philip and Nathanael. Philip seems eager to follow Jesus. Nathanael is skeptical, especially because Jesus is from a back-water town like Nazareth. When Jesus demonstrates His supernatural wisdom, Nathanael proclaims Him as the “Son of God” and “The King of Israel.” Jesus responds by predicting even more spectacular signs, and refers to Himself using the term “Son of Man,” an important figure in Jewish prophecy.

The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as “the Word,” from the Greek Logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as identical to God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names for Christ in this chapter, including “The Son of God,” “The Word,” and “The King of Israel.”

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God, and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including “The Word,” “The Son of God,” and “The King of Israel.” This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.