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 2Ki 14:25.
And the Jews 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 ; 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 Isa 9:1; and they themselves say, that the Messiah should be revealed in Galilee;See Gill on "Joh 7:41".
T. Hieros. Succa, fol. 55. 1, Bereshit Rabba, sect. 98. fol. 85.