John 7:52

Art thou also of Galilee? By this question the leaders seek to evade Nicodemus’ question, a question for which there could be but one answer. The Pharisees imply that Nicodemus has joined the Galilean sympathizers of Jesus. Their provincial jealousy is reflected in their disdain of the less cultured Galilean Jews (see on eh. 7 :49).

Ariseth. Textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 146) for the reading “has arisen.” Such a reading would emphasize the confusion of their thinking, for, such a generalization they would be unable to defend. Jonah is described (2 Kings 14:25) as of Gath-hcpher, a town of Zebulun, in lower Galilee (see Vol. IV, p. 995). Possibly Elkosh, the birthplace of Nahum the prophet, was also in Galilee (see on Nahum 1:1). Against the generalization is also the testimony of Rabbi Eliezer (c. A.D. 90): ‘“There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets’” (Talmud Sukkah 27b, Soncino ed., p. 121). If the reading “ariseth” is adopted, then the application may be to the future, that is, one would not expect a future prophet to arise from Galilee.