Charles Ellicott Commentary John 1:45

"Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." — John 1:45 (ASV)

Philip finds Nathanael.—See John 1:41; John 1:44. Nathanael is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word Theodorus, meaning God’s gift. The name Nathanael is found in Numbers 1:8 and 1 Chronicles 2:14. The Greek form is preserved in the names Theodore and Dorothea.

Nathanael belonged to Cana of Galilee (John 21:2), the town to which Jesus was going. Philip then probably went with Jesus and found Nathanael at or near Cana (John 1:48). He is, perhaps, the same person as Bartholomew; for more on this, see John 21:2 and the note on Matthew 10:3. The more formal statement of the proof in this instance, compared with that of the two brothers (John 1:41), aligns with Philip's general character and the less close relationship between them.

Of Nazareth.—Better, from Nazareth. Nothing can be argued from these words, or those that follow, regarding ignorance of the fact of the birth at Bethlehem, or of the events attending it. It should be noted that these are Philip’s words, not the writer’s. Very possibly, someone who had been in Jesus's company for only a few hours was then unacquainted with these incidents. In any case, Philip expresses the common belief of the neighbourhood and the time. This is an instance of St. John’s dramatic accuracy, as he records the words as they were spoken and does not attempt to interpret them by later events or his own knowledge. (John 7:52; John 8:53, and other passages.)