John 7:52
They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
They answered and said unto him,.... Being displeased with him, and as reproaching him, though they could not deny, or refute what he said:
Art thou also of Galilee? a follower of Jesus of Galilee, whom, by way of contempt, they called the Galilean, and his followers Galilaeans, as Julian the apostate after them did; for otherwise they knew that Nicodemus was not of the country of Galilee;
search and look; into the histories of former times, and especially the Scriptures:
for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet; but this is false, for Jonah the prophet was of Gathhepher, which was in the tribe of Zebulun, which tribe was in Galilee; see 2 Kings 14:25. And the Jews {z} themselves say, that Jonah, the son of Amittai, was, Nwlwbzm, of "Zebulun", and that his father was of Zebulun, and his mother was of Asher {a}; both which tribes were in Galilee: and if no prophet had, as yet, arose from thence, it did not follow that no one should arise: besides, there is a prophecy in which it was foretold, that a prophet, and even the Messiah, the great light, should arise in Galilee; see Isaiah 9:1; and they themselves say, that the Messiah should be revealed in Galilee;
See Gill on "John 7:41".
{z} T. Hieros. Succa, fol. 55. 1,
{a} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 98. fol. 85. 4.