John 1:47

George Lamsa Translation

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and he said of him, Behold truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile!

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said, "This man coming is a true Israelite, one you can trust."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Iesus sawe Nathanael commynge to him and sayde of him. Beholde a ryght Israelite in who is no gyle.

Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua saw Natan'el coming to him, and said about him, "Behold, an Yisra'elite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"

International Standard Version
Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said about him, "Look, a true Israelite, in whom there is no falsehood!"Psalm 32:2; 73:1; John 8:39; Romans 2:28-29; 9:6;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!"

New Century Version
As Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, "Here is truly an Israelite. There is nothing false in him."

Update Bible Version
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him, Look, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Webster's Bible Translation
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

English Standard Version
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"

World English Bible
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.

Weymouth's New Testament
Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, and said of him, "Look! here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceitfulness!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Filip seide to hym, Come, and se. Jhesus siy Nathanael comynge to hym, and seide to hym, Lo! verili a man of Israel, in whom is no gile.

English Revised Version
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Berean Standard Bible
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit."

Contemporary English Version
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, "Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn't deceitful."

Amplified Bible
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor duplicity!"

American Standard Version
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Bible in Basic English
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, See, here is a true son of Israel in whom there is nothing false.

Complete Jewish Bible
Yeshua saw Natan'el coming toward him and remarked about him, "Here's a true son of Isra'el — nothing false in him!"

Darby Translation
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him, Behold [one] truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile.

Etheridge Translation
And Jeshu saw Nathanael as he was coming to him, and said of him, Behold truly a son of Isroel who hath no guile in him.

Murdock Translation
And Jesus saw Nathaniel coming towards him, and said of him: Behold a real Israelite, in whom is no deceit.

King James Version (1611)
Iesus saw Nathaneel comming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile.

New Living Translation
As they approached, Jesus said, "Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity."

New Life Bible
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and said, "See! There is a true Jew. There is nothing false in him."

New Revised Standard
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Iesus sawe Nathanael comming to him, and saide of him, Beholde in deede an Israelite, in whom is no guile.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Jesus saw Nathanael coming unto him, and saith concerning him - See! Truly, an Israelite, in whom is no guile.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.

Revised Standard Version
Jesus saw Nathan'a-el coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Iesus sawe Nathanael commyng to hym, & sayeth of hym: Beholde a ryght Israelite, in whom is no guile.

Good News Translation
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, he said about him, "Here is a real Israelite; there is nothing false in him!"

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite

King James Version
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Lexham English Bible
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, "Look! A true Israelite in whom is no deceit!"

Literal Translation
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, Behold, truly an Israelite in whom is no guile!

Young's Literal Translation
Jesus saw Nathanael coming unto him, and he saith concerning him, `Lo, truly an Israelite, in whom guile is not;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iesus sawe Nathanael comynge to him, and sayde of him: Beholde, a righte Israelite, in whom is no gyle.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus seeing Nathanael coming, said of him, there's a true Israelite, in whom is no guile. how do you know me?

THE MESSAGE
When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body."

New English Translation
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, "Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"

New King James Version
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"

Simplified Cowboy Version
When they rode up, Jesus said, "Now there is an authentic cowboy from Israel—honest, sincere, and full of integrity."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"

Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said about him, "Behold, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"

Contextual Overview

⁴³ The next day Jesus wanted to leave for Galilee, and he found Philip, and said to him, Follow me. ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Simon. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, We have found that Jesus, the son of Joseph, of Nazareth, is the one concerning whom Moses wrote in the law and the prophets. ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and you will see. ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and he said of him, Behold truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile! ⁴⁸ Nathanael said to him, Whence do you know me? Jesus said to him. Even before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you. ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered, saying to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? you shall see greater things than these. ⁵¹ He said to him, Truly, truly, I say to all of you, that from now on you will see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending to the Son of man.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Behold: John 8:31, John 8:39, Romans 2:28, Romans 2:29, Romans 9:6, Philippians 3:3

in: Psalms 32:2, Psalms 73:1, 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 2:22, Revelation 14:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 27:36 - Jacob 1 Samuel 12:24 - in truth 2 Samuel 22:24 - upright 2 Kings 20:3 - in truth 1 Chronicles 12:33 - expert in war 1 Chronicles 28:9 - serve him 1 Chronicles 29:17 - hast pleasure 2 Chronicles 31:20 - wrought Job 1:8 - a perfect Psalms 17:1 - not out of feigned lips Psalms 24:6 - that seek Psalms 119:1 - undefiled Psalms 119:80 - sound Psalms 125:4 - upright Proverbs 20:6 - but Isaiah 38:3 - I have Isaiah 48:1 - which are Isaiah 63:8 - children Hosea 14:8 - I have Zephaniah 3:13 - nor Matthew 15:8 - draweth John 1:42 - Thou art John 2:24 - because John 3:21 - he that John 4:16 - Go John 5:42 - I know John 6:55 - meat Romans 9:4 - are Israelites 1 Corinthians 5:8 - but 1 Corinthians 14:24 - he is convinced Galatians 6:16 - the Israel Ephesians 4:15 - speaking the truth Ephesians 5:9 - truth Philippians 1:10 - that ye may be 1 Timothy 5:3 - indeed 2 Timothy 1:5 - unfeigned James 3:17 - hypocrisy 1 Peter 3:10 - speak

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him,.... For notwithstanding his prejudices, he was a man of so much uprightness and honesty, that he thought Philip's request was very reasonable; and that it was but right, and fair, that he should see, and hear, and judge, for himself, whether the person Philip spoke of was the Messiah, or not; and therefore he came along with him; and as he was coming, Jesus saw him, who knew all that had passed between him and Philip:

and saith of him; to those that were standing by him, and in the hearing of Nathanael,

behold an Israelite indeed! a son of Israel, as the Syriac and Persic versions read; a true son of Jacob's; an honest, plain hearted man, like him; one that was an Israelite at heart; inwardly so; not one after the flesh only, but after the Spirit; see Romans 2:28; and which was a rare thing at that time; and therefore a note of admiration is prefixed to it; for all were not Israel, that were of Israel; and indeed but a very few then: and so,

בן ישראל, "a son of Israel", and ישראל גמור, "a perfect Israelite", are s said of such who have regard to the articles of the Jewish faith, though not even of the seed of Israel: it is added,

in whom there is no guile; not that he was without sin; nor is this said of him; nor was he in such sense without guile, as Christ himself was; but guile was not a governing sin in him: the course of his life, and conversation, was with great integrity, and uprightness, and without any prevailing hypocrisy and deceit, either to God, or men. This Christ said to show how much such a character is approved by him; and that he knew the secrets of men's hearts, and the inward frames of their minds.

s Addareth Eliahu apud Trigland de Sect. Karaeorum, c. 10. p. 175, 176.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

An 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 does not live up to. He does not say that Nathanael was without guilt or sin, but that he had no disguise, no trick, no deceit - he was sincere and upright. This was a most honorable testimony. How happy would it be if he, who knows the hearts of all as he did that of Nathanael, could bear the same testimony of all who profess the religion of the gospel!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 47. Behold 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 himself. Behold this man! and, while you see and admire, imitate his conduct.