Albert Barnes Commentary John 1:46

"And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see." — John 1:46 (ASV)

Can any good thing ... — The character of Nazareth was proverbially bad. To be a Galilean or a Nazarene was an expression of decided contempt (John 7:52). See the notes at Matthew 2:23. Nathanael therefore asked whether it was possible that the Messiah could come from a place proverbially wicked. This way of judging was not uncommon. It is not based on examining evidence, but on prejudice. Many people allow their minds to be filled with prejudice against religion, and then judge at once without examination. They refuse to examine the subject, because they have already concluded that it cannot be true. It does not matter where a teacher comes from, or what the place of his birth is, provided he is authorized by God and qualified for his work.

Come and see — This was the best way to answer Nathanael. He did not sit down to reason with him, or speculate about the possibility that a good thing could come from Nazareth; but he asked him to go and examine for himself, to see the Lord Jesus, to hear him converse, to lay aside his prejudice, and to judge from a fair and candid personal inquiry. So we should implore sinners to lay aside their prejudices against religion, and to be Christians, and thus to test it for themselves. If people can be persuaded to come to Jesus, all their petty and foolish objections against religion will vanish. They will be satisfied from their own experience that it is true, and only in this way will they ever be satisfied.