Ἰωάννην 1:51

Greek Modern Translation

Και λεγει προς αυτον· Αληθως, αληθως σας λεγω· απο του νυν θελετε ιδει τον ουρανον ανεωγμενον και τους αγγελους του Θεου αναβαινοντας και καταβαινοντας επι τον Υιον του ανθρωπου.

Parallel Translations

SBL Greek New Testament (2010)
καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ⸀ὑμῖν, ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.

Tischendorf 8th Edition
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ὅτι εἶπόν σοι ὅτι εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς, πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων ὄψῃ.

Textus Receptus (1550/1894)
και λεγει αυτω αμην αμην λεγω υμιν απ αρτι οψεσθε τον ουρανον ανεωγοτα και τους αγγελους του θεου αναβαινοντας και καταβαινοντας επι τον υιον του ανθρωπου

Westcott/Hort UBS4 (1881)
και λεγει αυτω αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οψεσθε τον ουρανον ανεωγοτα και τους αγγελους του θεου αναβαινοντας και καταβαινοντας επι τον υιον του ανθρωπου

Byzantine/Majority Text
και λεγει αυτω αμην αμην λεγω υμιν απ αρτι οψεσθε τον ουρανον ανεωγοτα και τους αγγελους του θεου αναβαινοντας και καταβαινοντας επι τον υιον του ανθρωπου

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Verily: John 3:3, John 3:5, John 5:19, John 5:24, John 5:25, John 6:26, John 6:32, John 6:47, John 6:53, John 8:34, John 8:51, John 8:58, John 10:1, John 10:7, John 12:24, John 13:16, John 13:20, John 13:21, John 13:38, John 14:12, John 16:20, John 16:23, John 21:18

Hereafter: Ezekiel 1:1, Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:21, Acts 7:56, Acts 10:11, Revelation 4:1, Revelation 19:11

and the: Genesis 28:12, Daniel 7:9, Daniel 7:10, Matthew 4:11, Luke 2:9, Luke 2:13, Luke 22:43, Luke 24:4, Acts 1:10, Acts 1:11, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:14, Jude 1:14

the Son: John 3:13, John 3:14, John 5:27, John 12:23, John 12:24, Daniel 7:13, Daniel 7:14, Zechariah 13:7, Matthew 9:6, Matthew 16:13-16, Matthew 16:27, Matthew 16:28, Matthew 25:31, Matthew 26:24, Mark 14:62, Luke 22:69

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:20 - toward Exodus 37:9 - cherubims spread Matthew 5:18 - verily Matthew 18:3 - Verily Matthew 26:64 - Hereafter Mark 8:38 - when Mark 14:18 - Verily

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he saith unto him, verily, verily, I say unto you,.... Not only to Nathanael, but to the rest of the disciples that were then with him; and to show himself to be the "Amen", and faithful witness, as well as more strongly to asseverate what he was about to say, he doubles the expression:

hereafter you shall see heaven open; either in a literal sense, as it had been at his baptism; or, in a mystical sense, that there should be a clearer manifestation of heavenly truths made by his ministry; and that the way into the holiest of all should be made more manifest; and a more familiar intercourse he opened between God and his people; and also between angels and saints:

and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man; or to the son of man, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions render it; meaning himself in human nature; the second Adam, and seed of the woman; and is expressive both of the truth, and infirmity of that nature. Reference may here be had to the ladder Jacob dreamed of, in Genesis 28:12, which was a representation of Christ, in his person, as God-man; who, as God, was in heaven, whilst he, as man, was on earth; and in his office, as Mediator between God and man, making peace between them both; and in the ministration of angels to him in person, and to his body the church. And it is observable, that some of the Jewish writers y understand the ascent, and descent of the angels, in Genesis 28:12, to be, not upon the ladder, but upon Jacob; which makes the phrase there still more agreeable to this; and so they render עליו, in Genesis 28:13, not "above it", but "above him". Or the, sense is, that there would be immediately made such clearer discoveries of his person, and grace by his ministry, and such miracles would be wrought by him in confirmation of it, that it would look as if heaven was open, and the angels of God were continually going to and fro, and bringing fresh messages, and performing miraculous operations; as if the whole host of them were constantly employed in such services: and this the rather seems to be the sense, since the next account we have, is, of the beginning of Christ's miracles to manifest forth his glory in Cana of Galilee, where Nathanael lived; and since the word, rendered "hereafter", signifies, "from henceforward"; or, as the Persic version renders it, "from this hour"; though the word is left out in the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions.

y Bereshit Rabba, sect. 68. fol. 61. 2. & sect. 69. fol. 61. 3, 4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Verily, verily - In the Greek, “Amen, amen.” The word “amen” means “truly, certainly, so be it” - from the Hebrew verb to confirm, to establish, to be true. It is often used in this gospel. When repeated it expresses the speaker’s sense of the importance of what he is saying, and the “certainty” that it is as he affirms.

Ye shall see - Not, perhaps, with the bodily eyes, but you shall have “evidence” that it is so. The thing shall take place, and you shall be a witness of it.

Heaven open - This is a figurative expression, denoting “the conferring of favors.” Psalms 78:23-24; “he opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down manna.” It also denotes that God was about to work a miracle in attestation of a particular thing. See Matthew 3:16. In the language, here, there is an evident allusion to the ladder that Jacob saw in a dream, and to the angels ascending and descending on it, Genesis 28:12. It is not probable that Jesus referred to any particular instance in which Nathanael should literally see the heavens opened. The baptism of Jesus had taken place, and no other instance occurred in his life in which it is said that the “heavens were” opened.

Angels of God - Those pure and holy beings that dwell in heaven, and that are employed as ministering spirits to our world, Hebrews 1:14. Good men are represented in the Scriptures as being under their protection, Psalms 91:11-12; Genesis 28:12. They are the agents by which God often expressed his will to men, Hebrews 2:2; Galatians 3:19. They are represented as strengthening the Lord Jesus, and ministering unto him. Thus they aided him in the wilderness Mark 1:13, and in the garden Luke 22:43, and they were present when he rose from the dead, Matthew 28:2-4; John 20:12-13. By their ascending and descending upon him it is probable that he meant that Nathanael would have evidence that they came to his aid, and that he would have “the” kind of protection and assistance from God which would show “more fully that he was the Messiah.” Thus his life, his many deliverances from dangers, his wisdom to confute his skilled and cunning adversaries, the scenes of his death, and the attendance of angels at his resurrection, may all be represented by the angels descending upon him, and all would show to Nathanael and the other disciples most clearly that he was the Son of God.

The Son of man - A term by which lie often describes himself. It shows his humility, his love for man, his willingness to be esteemed “as a man,” Philippians 2:6-7.

From this interview with Nathanael we may learn:

1.That Jesus searches the heart.

2.That he was truly the Messiah.

3.That he was under the protection of God.

4.That if we have faith in Jesus, it will be continually strengthened the evidence will grow brighter and brighter.

5.That if we believe his word, we shall yet see full proof that his word is true.

1. Since Jesus was under the protection of God, so all his friends will be. God will defend and save us also if we put our trust in Him.
2. Jesus applied terms expressive of humility to himself. He was not solicitous even to be called by titles which he might claim.

So we should not be ambitious of titles and honors. Ministers of the gospel most resemble him when they seek for the fewest titles, and do not aim at distinctions from each other or their brethren. See the notes at Matthew 23:8.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 1:51. Verily, verily — Amen, amen. The doubling of this word probably came from this circumstance: that it was written both in Hebrew אמן and in Greek αμην, signifying, it is true.

Heaven open — This seems to be a figurative expression:

1. Christ may be understood by this saying to mean, that a clear and abundant revelation of God's will should be now made unto men; that heaven itself should be laid as it were open, and all the mysteries which had been shut up and hidden in it from eternity, relative to the salvation and glorification of man; should be now fully revealed.

2. That by the angels of God ascending and descending, is to be understood, that a perpetual intercourse should now be opened between heaven and earth, through the medium of Christ, who was God manifested in the flesh. Our blessed Lord is represented in his mediatorial capacity as the ambassador of God to men; and the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man, is a metaphor taken from the custom of despatching couriers or messengers from the prince to his ambassador in a foreign court, and from the ambassador back to the prince.

This metaphor will receive considerable light when compared with 2 Corinthians 5:19-20: God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself:- We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God. The whole concerns of human salvation shall be carried on, from henceforth, through the Son of man; and an incessant intercourse be established between heaven and earth. Some have illustrated this passage by the account of Jacob's vision, Genesis 28:12. But though that vision may intimate that God had established at that time a communication between heaven and earth, through the medium of angels, yet it does not appear that our Lord's saying here has any reference to it; but that it should be understood as stated above.

What a glorious view does this give us of the Gospel dispensation! It is heaven opened to earth; and heaven opened on earth. The Church militant and the Church triumphant become one, and the whole heavenly family, in both, see and adore their common Lord. Neither the world nor the Church is left to the caprices of time or chance. The Son of man governs as he upholds all. Wherever we are praying, studying, hearing, meditating, his gracious eye is upon us. He notes our wants, our weakness, and our petitions; and his eye affects his heart. Let us be without guile, deeply, habitually sincere, serious, and upright; and then we may rest assured, that not only the eye, but the hand, of our Lord shall be ever upon us for good. Happy the man whose heart can rejoice in the reflection, Thou God seest me!