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The biblical Nathanael depicted in stained glass in the transept of St. John's Anglican Church, Ashfield, New South Wales. Nathanael, [Note 1] also known as Nathaniel [Note 2] of Cana was a disciple of Jesus, mentioned only in chapters 1 and 21 of the Gospel of John. He is typically viewed as the same person as Bartholomew. [1]
Bartholomew [a] was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, [6] who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). [7] [8] [9] Bartholomew the Apostle, detail of the mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, 6th century
Chrysostom: "Nathanael knew from the Scriptures, that Christ was to come from Bethlehem, according to the prophecy of Micah, And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,—out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel . On hearing of Nazareth, then, he doubted, and was not able to reconcile Philip's tidings with prophecy.
Philip seeks out Nathanael, and likely found him at Cana of Galilee, the native place of Nathanael (John 21:2). There are a variety of opinions on who exactly Nathanael is. However, according to Lapide most believe he is the Apostle Bartholomew. First, because the other gospels always join Philip and Bartholomew.
It is guile, when we say one thing, and think another. How then was there no guile in him? Because, if he was a sinner, he confessed his sin; whereas if a man, being a sinner, pretends to be righteous, there is guile in his mouth. Our Lord then commended the confession of sin in Nathanael; He did not pronounce him not a sinner." [3]
Fig leaves then signify sins; and Nathanael, when he was under the fig tree, was under the shadow of death: so that our Lord seemeth to say, O Israel, whoever of you is without guile, O people of the Jewish faith, before that I called thee by My Apostles, when thou wert as yet under the shadow of death, and sawest Me not, I saw thee." [2]
Chrysostom: "That our Lord then had this knowledge, had penetrated into his mind, had not blamed but praised his hesitation, proved to Nathanael that He was the true Christ: Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel: as if he said, Thou art He who was expected, thou art He who was sought ...
If Jacob, who was named Israel, saw the ladder, and Nathanael was an Israelite indeed, there was a fitness in our Lord telling him Jacob’s dream; as if he said, Whose name thou art called by, his dream hath appeared unto thee: for thou shalt see the heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.