The Meaning of John 1:49 Explained

John 1:49

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

YLT: Nathanael answered and saith to him, 'Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel.'

Darby: Nathanael answered and said to him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.

ASV: Nathanael answered him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art King of Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does John 1:49 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus" simple statement elicited the most dramatic reaction from Nathanael. He concluded that the only way Jesus could have seen him when he was under the fig tree was if Jesus had supernatural knowledge. Evidently Nathanael knew that he was completely alone and that no one could see him when he was under the fig tree.
Nathanael"s reaction appears extreme at first since even prophets had knowledge of things other people knew nothing about. Why did Nathanael think Jesus was the Son of God and not just a prophet? The answer seems to be that even the title "Son of God" did not mean deity to all the Jews in Jesus" day. It meant that the person in view bore certain characteristics of God (cf. Deuteronomy 3:18; 1 Samuel 26:16; Psalm 89:22; Proverbs 31:2; Matthew 5:9; John 17:12). Nathanael appears to have regarded Jesus as the Messiah who had supernatural knowledge (cf. John 1:45; 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalm 2:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-2). However, Nathanael spoke better than he knew. Jesus was the Son of God in a fuller sense than he presently understood. Another view is that Nathanael was identifying Jesus as God. [1]
"In recording this estimate John is adding to the evidence accumulated throughout this chapter that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Nathanael expresses this truth differently from the others, but the essential meaning is the same ... Nor should we overlook the fact that Nathanael has just been called an "Israelite." In calling Jesus "King of Israel" he is acknowledging Jesus to be his own King: he is submitting to him." [2]

Context Summary

John 1:43-51 - The Doubter Becomes A Disciple
The Apostles were attracted to the Master in different ways. Some came to Him through preaching, as when John proclaimed His rank and sacrifice. Others were brought through human relationships. The record does not say how many Andrew brought to Jesus, but we are told that he at least brought his own brother. Others were brought by the Master's direct personal influence-he findeth Philip. Still others were brought by the call and ties of friendship, following on a long course of previous preparation. Philip had often crossed the hills that separated the Lake from Cana, where Nathanael dwelt, and the two would earnestly discuss the signs of the time: the desperate straits of their country, the preaching of the Baptist, and the Messiah's advent. The guileless Israelite would sit beneath his favorite fig-tree, pondering over the things which Moses and the prophets had written. It was not difficult to win such a man, when Philip broke in on him with the news of their discovery.
Jesus is always showing us greater things, John 1:50. He leads His disciples onward and upward, for He is Himself the ladder of ascent to God. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 1

1  The divinity, humanity, office, and incarnation of Jesus Christ
15  The testimony of John
39  The calling of Simon and Andrew, Philip and Nathanael

Greek Commentary for John 1:49

Thou art the Son of God [συ ει ο υιος του τεου]
Whether Nathanael had heard the Baptist say this of Jesus (John 1:34) we do not know, apparently not, but Nathanael was a student of the Old Testament as Philip implied (John 1:45) and was quick to put together his knowledge, the statement of Philip, and the manifest supernatural knowledge of Jesus as just shown. There is no reason for toning down the noble confession of Nathanael in the light of Christ‘s claim in John 1:51. Cf. the confession of Peter in John 6:69; Matthew 16:16 and Martha‘s in John 11:27. Nathanael goes further. Thou art King of Israel To us this seems an anti-climax, but not so to Nathanael for both are Messianic titles in Psalm 2:1-12 and Jesus is greeted in the Triumphal Entry as the King of Israel (John 12:13). [source]
Rabbi []
Nathanael here gives the title, which he had withheld in his first address. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 1:49

John 3:10 Art thou a master of Israel [σὺ εἶ ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ισραὴλ]
The σὺ , thou, is emphatic. A master is more correctly rendered by Rev., the teacher. Not ironical, but the article marks Nicodemus' official relation to the people, and gives additional force to the contrast in the following words. Similarly Plato: “Will you ( σὺ , emphatic), O professor of true virtue, pretend that you are justified in this?” (“Crito,” 51). On “Israel,” see on John 1:47. The word occurs four times in John's Gospel; here, John 1:31, John 1:47, John 1:49. [source]
John 18:33 King of the Jews []
The civil title. The theocratic title, king of Israel (John 1:49; John 12:13) is addressed to Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:42; Mark 15:32) in mockery. [source]
John 1:51 Son of man []
See on Luke 6:22. Notice the titles successively applied to our Lord in this chapter: the greater Successor of the Baptist, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Israel. These were all given by others. The title Son of man He applies to Himself. In John's Gospel, as in the Synoptists, this phrase is used only by Christ in speaking of Himself; and elsewhere only in Acts 7:56, where the name is applied to Him by Stephen. It occurs less frequently in John than in the Synoptists, being found in Matthew thirty times, in Mark thirteen, and in John twelve. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Jesus' use of the term here is explained in two ways. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
I. That He borrows the title from the Old Testament to designate Himself either: (a ) as a prophet, as in Ezekiel 2:1-3; Ezekiel 3:1, etc.; or (b ) as the Messiah, as prefigured in Daniel 7:13. This prophecy of Daniel had obtained such wide currency that the Messiah was called Anani, or the man of the clouds. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
(a.) This is untenable, because in Ezekiel, as everywhere in the Old Testament, the phrase Son of man, or Sons of men, is used to describe man under his human limitations, as weak, fallible, and incompetent by himself to be a divine agent. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
(b.) The allusion to Daniel's prophecy is admitted; but Jesus does not mean to say, “I am the Messiah who is prefigured by Daniel.” A political meaning attached in popular conception to the term Messiah; and it is noticeable throughout John's Gospel that Jesus carefully avoids using that term before the people, but expresses the thing itself by circumlocution, in order to avoid the complication which the popular understanding would have introduced into his work. See John 8:24, John 8:25; John 10:24, John 10:25. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Moreover, the phrase Son of man was not generally applied to the Messiah. On the contrary, John 5:27and John 12:34show that it was set off against that term. Compare Matthew 16:13, Matthew 16:15. Son of God is the Messianic title, which, with one exception, appears in confessions (John 1:34, John 1:49; John 11:27; John 20:31). -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
In Daniel the reference is exclusively to the final stage of human affairs. The point is the final establishment of the divine kingdom. Moreover, Daniel does not say “the Son of man,” but “one like a Son of man.” Compare Revelation 1:13; Revelation 14:14, where also the article is omitted. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
II. The second, and correct explanation is that the phrase Son of man is the expression of Christ's self-consciousness as being related to humanity as a whole: denoting His real participation in human nature, and designating Himself as the representative man. It thus corresponds with the passage in Daniel, where the earthly kingdoms are represented by beasts, but the divine kingdom by a Son of man. Hence, too, the word ἄνθρωπος is purposely used (see on a man, John 1:30, and compare John 8:40). -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
While the human element was thus emphasized in the phrase, the consciousness of Jesus, as thus expressed, did not exclude His divine nature and claims, but rather regarded these through the medium of His humanity. He showed Himself divine in being thus profoundly human. Hence two aspects of the phrase appear in John, as in the Synoptists. The one regards His earthly life and work, and involves His being despised; His accommodation to the conditions of human life; the partial veiling of His divine nature; the loving character of His mission; His liability to misinterpretation; and His outlook upon a consummation of agony. On the other hand, He is possessed of supreme authority; He is about His Father's work; He reveals glimpses of His divine nature through His humanity; His presence and mission entail serious responsibility upon those to whom He appeals; and He foresees a consummation of glory no less than of agony. See Matthew 8:20; Matthew 11:19; Matthew 12:8, Matthew 12:32; Matthew 13:37; Matthew 16:13; Matthew 20:18; Matthew 26:64; Mark 8:31, Mark 8:38; Mark 14:21; Luke 9:26, Luke 9:58; Luke 12:8; Luke 17:22; Luke 19:10; Luke 22:69. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
The other aspect is related to the future. He has visions of another life of glory and dominion; though present in the flesh, His coming is still future, and will be followed by a judgment which is committed to Him, and by the final glory of His redeemed in His heavenly kingdom. See Matthew 10:23; Matthew 13:40sqq.; Matthew 16:27sqq.; Matthew 19:28; Matthew 24:27, Matthew 24:37, Matthew 24:44; Matthew 25:31sqq.; Mark 13:26; Luke 6:22; Luke 17:24, Luke 17:30; Luke 18:8; Luke 21:27. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

John 1:31 And I knew him not [καγω ουκ ηιδειν αυτον]
Repeated in John 1:33. Second past perfect of οιδα — oida as imperfect. He had predicted the Messiah and described him before he met him and baptized him. See the Synoptics for that story. Whether John knew Jesus personally before the baptism we do not know. But that he should be made manifest to Israel Final clause with ινα — hina and first aorist passive subjunctive of πανεροω — phaneroō The purpose of John‘s ministry was to manifest to Israel with their spiritual privileges (John 1:49) the presence of the Messiah. Hence he was baptizing in water those who confessed their sins, he means, as in Mark 1:5. The Synoptic account is presupposed all along here. [source]
John 1:34 I have seen [εωρακα]
Present perfect active of οραω — horaō John repeats the statement of John 1:32 Have borne witness Perfect active indicative of μαρτυρεω — martureō for which verb see John 1:32. This is the Son of God The Baptist saw the Spirit come on Jesus at his baptism and undoubtedly heard the Father‘s voice hail him as “My Beloved Son” (Mark 1:11; Matthew 3:17; Luke 3:22). Nathanael uses it as a Messianic title (John 1:49) as does Martha (John 11:27). The Synoptics use it also of Christ (Mark 3:11; Matthew 14:33; Luke 22:70). Caiaphas employs it to Christ as a Messianic title (Matthew 26:63) and Jesus confessed under oath that he was (verse Matthew 26:64), thus applying the term to himself as he does in John‘s Gospel (John 5:25; John 10:36; John 11:4) and by implication (the Father, the Son) in Matthew 11:27 (Luke 10:22). Hence in the Synoptics also Jesus calls himself the Son of God. The phrase means more than just Messiah and expresses the peculiar relation of the Son to the Father (John 3:18; John 5:25; John 17:5; John 19:7; John 20:31) like that of the Logos with God in John 1:1. [source]
John 18:33 Again [παλιν]
Back into the palace where Pilate was before. Called First aorist active indicative of πωνεω — phōneō Jesus was already inside the court (John 18:28). Pilate now summoned him to his presence since he saw that he had to handle the case. The charge that Jesus claimed to be a king compelled him to do so (Luke 23:2). Art thou the King of the Jews? This was the vital problem and each of the Gospels has the question (Mark 15:2; Matthew 27:1; Luke 23:3; John 18:33), though Luke alone (Luke 23:2) gives the specific accusation. Thou Emphatic. Jesus did claim to be the spiritual king of Israel as Nathanael said (John 1:49) and as the ecstatic crowd hailed him on the Triumphal Entry (John 12:13), but the Sanhedrin wish Pilate to understand this in a civil sense as a rival of Caesar as some of the Jews wanted Jesus to be (John 6:15) and as the Pharisees expected the Messiah to be. [source]
Acts 9:20 That he is the Son of God [οτι ουτος εστιν ο υιος του τεου]
This is Paul‘s platform as a Christian preacher, one that he always occupied to the very end. It was a complete reversal of his previous position. Jesus had turned him completely around. It is the conclusion that Saul now drew from the vision of the Risen Christ and the message through Ananias. By “the Son of God” Saul means the Messiah of promise and hope, the Messianic sense of the Baptist (John 1:34) and of Nathanael (John 1:49) for Saul is now proclaiming his faith in Jesus in the very synagogues where he had meant to arrest those who professed their faith in him. Peter laid emphasis on the Resurrection of Jesus as a glorious fact and proclaimed Jesus as Lord and Christ. Paul boldly calls Jesus the Son of God with full acknowledgment of his deity from the very start. Thomas had come to this place slowly (John 20:28). Saul begins with this truth and never leaves it. With this faith he can shake the world. There is no power in any other preaching. [source]

What do the individual words in John 1:49 mean?

Answered Him Nathanael Rabbi You are the Son - of God King of Israel
Ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ Ῥαββί σὺ εἶ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ Βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ

Ἀπεκρίθη  Answered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
Ναθαναήλ  Nathanael 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ναθαναήλ  
Sense: an intimate disciple of Jesus Christ, he is commonly thought to be the same person as Bartholomew.
Ῥαββί  Rabbi 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: ῥαββί  
Sense: my great one, my honourable sir.
Υἱὸς  Son 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
Βασιλεὺς  King 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: βασιλεύς  
Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
Ἰσραήλ  of  Israel 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰσραήλ  
Sense: the name given to the patriarch Jacob (and borne by him in addition to his former name).