The Meaning of John 1:50 Explained

John 1:50

KJV: Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

YLT: Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, thou dost believe; greater things than these thou shalt see;'

Darby: Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these.

ASV: Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee underneath the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Jesus  answered  and  said  unto him,  Because  I said  unto thee,  I saw  thee  under  the fig tree,  believest thou?  thou shalt see  greater things  than these. 

What does John 1:50 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus replied that Nathanael had not seen anything yet. This demonstration of supernatural knowledge was small compared to what Nathanael would see if he continued to follow Jesus as his rabbi ( John 1:49). This straightforward Jew had believed that Jesus was the Messiah because of very little evidence. Jesus would give him a more solid basis for his faith in the future (cf. John 20:29). John did the same for his readers by recording several of these "greater things" in the chapters that follow.

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 1:50

Answered and said [απεκριτη και ειπεν]
This redundant use of both verbs (cf. John 1:26) occurs in the Synoptics also and in the lxx also. It is Aramaic also and vernacular. It is not proof of an Aramaic original as Burney argues (Aramaic Origin, etc., p. 53). Because Causal use of οτι — hoti at beginning of the sentence as in John 14:19; John 15:19; John 16:6. The second οτι — hoti before ειδον — eidon (I saw) is either declarative (that) or merely recitative (either makes sense here). Thou shalt see greater things than these Perhaps volitive future middle indicative of οραω — horaō (though merely futuristic is possible as with οπσεστε — opsesthe in John 1:51) ablative case of τουτων — toutōn after the comparative adjective μειζω — meizō The wonder of Nathanael no doubt grew as Jesus went on. [source]
Under the fig tree [ὑπὸ τῆς συκῆς]
Compare John 1:48. Here the same preposition is used with the genitive case, indicating rest, without the suggestion of withdrawal to. [source]
Believest thou? []
Rightly so, though some render affirmatively, thou believest. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 1:50

Luke 6:22 Son of Man []
The phrase is employed in the Old Testament as a circumlocution for man, with special reference to his frailty as contrasted with God (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 8:4; Job 25:6; Job 35:8; and eighty-nine times in Ezekiel). It had also a Messianic meaning (Daniel 7:13 sq.), to which our Lord referred in Matthew 24:30; Matthew 26:64. It was the title which Christ most frequently applied to himself; and there are but two instances in which it is applied to him by another, viz., by Stephen (Acts 7:56) and by John (Revelation 1:13; Revelation 14:14:); and when acquiescing in the title “Son of God,” addressed to himself, he sometimes immediately after substitutes “Son of Man” (John 1:50, John 1:51; Matthew 26:63, Matthew 26:64). The title asserts Christ's humanity - his absolute identification with our race: “his-DIVIDER-
having a genuine humanity which could deem nothing human strange, and could be touched with a feeling of the infirmities of the race which he was to judge” (Liddon, “Our Lord's Divinity”). It also exalts him as the representative ideal man. “All-DIVIDER-
human history tends to him and radiates from him; he is the point in which humanity finds its unity; as St. Irenaeus says, ' He recapitulates it.' He closes the earlier history of our race; he inaugurates its future. Nothing local, transient, individualizing, national, sectarian dwarfs the proportions of his world-embracing character. He rises above the parentage, the blood, the narrow horizon which bounded, as it seemed, his human life. He is the archetypal man, in whose presence distinction of race, intervals of ages, types of civilization, degrees of mental culture are as nothing” (Liddon). -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
But the title means more. As Son of Man he asserts the authority of judgment over all flesh. By virtue of what he is as Son of Man, he must be more. “The absolute relation to the world which he attributes to himself demands an absolute relation to God … .He is the Son of Man, the Lord of the world, the Judge, only because he is the Son of God” (Luthardt). Christ's humanity can be explained only by his divinity. A humanity so unique demands a solution. Divested of all that is popularly called miraculous, viewed simply as a man, under the historical conditions of his life, he is a greater miracle than all his miracles combined. The solution is expressed in Hebrews 1:1-14. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

Luke 6:22 For the Son of man‘s sake [ενεκα του υιου του αντρωπου]
Jesus foretold what will befall those who are loyal to him. The Acts of the Apostles is a commentary on this prophecy. This is Christ‘s common designation of himself, never of others save by Stephen (Acts 7:56) and in the Apocalypse (Revelation 1:13; Revelation 14:14). But both Son of God and Son of man apply to him (John 1:50, 52; Matthew 26:63.). Christ was a real man though the Son of God. He is also the representative man and has authority over all men. [source]
Luke 6:22 Cast out your name as evil [εχβαλωσιν το ονομα υμων ως πονηρον]
Second aorist active subjunctive of εκβαλλω — ekballō common verb. The verb is used in Aristophanes, Sophocles, and Plato of hissing an actor off the stage. The name of Christian or disciple or Nazarene came to be a byword of contempt as shown in the Acts. It was even unlawful in the Neronian persecution when Christianity was not a religio licita.For the Son of man‘s sake (ενεκα του υιου του αντρωπου — heneka tou huiou tou anthrōpou). Jesus foretold what will befall those who are loyal to him. The Acts of the Apostles is a commentary on this prophecy. This is Christ‘s common designation of himself, never of others save by Stephen (Acts 7:56) and in the Apocalypse (Revelation 1:13; Revelation 14:14). But both Son of God and Son of man apply to him (John 1:50, 52; Matthew 26:63.). Christ was a real man though the Son of God. He is also the representative man and has authority over all men. [source]
John 1:48 Under the fig tree [ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν]
To be construed with εἶδον σε , I saw thee; i.e., I saw thee under the fig tree. The preposition with the accusative case, which implies motion toward, indicates his withdrawal to the shade of the tree for meditation or prayer. See on John 1:50. The Jewish writings tell of distinguished rabbis who were accustomed to rise early and pursue their studies under the shade of a fig tree. Compare Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10. Augustine, in his “Confessions,” relates of himself: “I cast myself down, I know not how, under a certain fig tree, giving full vent to my tears; and the floods of mine eyes gushed out, an acceptable sacrifice to Thee” (viii. 28). Nathanael asks, “Whence knowest thou me? “Jesus answers, “I saw thee ( εἶδον ).” [source]
John 1:7 For witness [εις μαρτυριαν]
Old word from μαρτυρεω — martureō (from μαρτυς — martus), both more common in John‘s writings than the rest of the N.T. This the purpose of the Baptist‘s ministry. That he might bear witness Final clause with ινα — hina and aorist active subjunctive of μαρτυρεω — martureō to make clearer εις μαρτυριαν — eis marturian Of the light “Concerning the light.” The light was shining and men with blinded eyes were not seeing the light (John 1:26), blinded by the god of this world still (2 Corinthians 4:4). John had his own eyes opened so that he saw and told what he saw. That is the mission of every preacher of Christ. But he must first have his own eyes opened. That all might believe Final clause with ινα — hina and first aorist active subjunctive of πιστευω — pisteuō ingressive aorist “come to believe.” This is one of John‘s great words (about 100 times), “with nine times the frequency with which it is used by the Synoptists” (Bernard). And yet πιστις — pistis so common in Paul, John uses only in 1 John 5:4 and four times in the Apocalypse where πιστευω — pisteuō does not occur at all. Here it is used absolutely as in John 1:50, etc. Through him As the intermediate agent in winning men to believe in Christ (the Logos) as the Light and the Life of men. This is likewise the purpose of the author of this book (John 1:31). The preacher is merely the herald to point men to Christ. [source]
John 1:48 Whence knowest thou me? [Ποτεν με γινωσκεισ]
Nathanael is astonished at this tribute, at any knowledge about himself by Jesus. He had overheard Christ‘s comment and longed to know its source. Before Philip called thee Idiomatic Greek, προ — pro and the ablative case of the articular aorist active infinitive “Being under the fig tree,” accusative present participle agreeing with σε — se The fig tree was a familiar object in Palestine, probably in leaf at this time, the accusative with υπο — hupo may suggest that Nathanael had withdrawn there for prayer. Note genitive with υποκατω — hupokatō in John 1:50. Jesus saw Nathanael‘s heart as well as his mere presence there. He saw him in his worship and so knew him. [source]

What do the individual words in John 1:50 mean?

Answered Jesus and said to him Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree believe you Greater things than these You will see
Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ὅτι εἶπόν σοι ὅτι εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς πιστεύεις μείζω τούτων ὄψῃ

Ἀπεκρίθη  Answered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ὅτι  Because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
εἶπόν  I  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
σοι  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
εἶδόν  I  saw 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
ὑποκάτω  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑποκάτω  
Sense: under, underneath.
συκῆς  fig  tree 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: συκῆ  
Sense: a fig tree.
πιστεύεις  believe  you 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
μείζω  Greater  things 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural, Comparative
Root: μέγας  
Sense: great.
τούτων  than  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ὄψῃ  You  will  see 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.

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