1:46a

Can anything good come from Nazareth?: This is a rhetorical question. Nathanael used it to make fun of Nazareth. He did not think that Nazareth was a good place. The implied answer to the question is “No, nothing good can come from Nazareth.”

There are two ways to translate this scorn:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

‘Nazareth!’ Nathanael exclaimed. ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’ (Revised English Bible)
-or-
From Nazareth? Can anything good come from that place? (New Jerusalem Bible)

• Use a statement. For example:

Everyone knows that nothing good can come from Nazareth.
-or-
Nothing from Nazareth is useful.

Translate this scorn in a way that is most natural in your language. It may have been a common proverb or saying. People from other towns perhaps said this in order to scorn Nazareth. They thought that Nazareth was just an unimportant country village.

good: In this context the word good means useful, deserving, or valuable.

1:46b

Come and see: Philip invited Nathanael to meet Jesus. The commands Come and see are in the singular and refer to Nathanael. Here are some other ways to translate these commands:

Come and meet Jesus
-or-
Come and see for yourself (New Living Translation (2004))

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