John 7:52

PLUS
Art thou also of Galilee? (Mh kai su ek th Galilaia ei;). Formally negative answer expected by mh, but really they mean to imply that Nicodemus from local feeling or prejudice has lined himself up with this Galilean mob (oclo) of sympathizers with Jesus and is like Jesus himself a Galilean. "These aristocrats of Jerusalem had a scornful contempt for the rural Galileans" (Bernard). That out of Galilee ariseth no prophet (oti ek th Galilaia prophth ouk egeiretai). As a matter of fact Jonah, Hosea, Nahum, possibly also Elijah, Elisha, and Amos were from Galilee. It was simply the rage of the Sanhedrin against Jesus regardless of the facts. Westcott suggests that they may have reference to the future, but that is a mere excuse for them.