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 ) ( Joshua 19:10 Joshua 19:13 Joshua 19:16 ) . And the Jews F26 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 F1; 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 Isaiah 9:2 ) ; and they themselves say, that the Messiah should be revealed in Galilee; (See Gill on John 7:41).