John 1:48

Nathanael acted surprised that Jesus knew who he was. Evidently they had not met previously. Jesus explained that He had seen Nathanael under a fig tree where he had been before Philip had called him to come and see Jesus. Some commentators have interpreted Jesus’ reference to this fig tree figuratively as an allusion to Nathanael’s house. Ancient Near Easterners sometimes referred to peaceful habitation figuratively as resting under one’s vine and fig tree (1 Kings 4:25; Isaiah 36:16; Zechariah 3:10). However there seems to be no good reason to prefer a figurative rather than a literal meaning here.