Worthy.Bible » STRONG » John » Chapter 2 » Verse 1-11

John 2:1-11 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And G2532 the third G5154 day G2250 there was G1096 a marriage G1062 in G1722 Cana G2580 of Galilee; G1056 and G2532 the mother G3384 of Jesus G2424 was G2258 there: G1563

2 And G1161 both G2532 Jesus G2424 was called, G2564 and G2532 his G846 disciples, G3101 to G1519 the marriage. G1062

3 And G2532 when they wanted G5302 wine, G3631 the mother G3384 of Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto G4314 him, G846 They have G2192 no G3756 wine. G3631

4 Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto her, G846 Woman, G1135 what G5101 have I G1698 to do with G2532 thee? G4671 mine G3450 hour G5610 is G2240 not yet G3768 come. G2240

5 His G846 mother G3384 saith G3004 unto the servants, G1249 Whatsoever G3748 G302 he saith G3004 unto you, G5213 do G4160 it.

6 And G1161 there were G2258 set G2749 there G1563 six G1803 waterpots G5201 of stone, G3035 after G2596 the manner of the purifying G2512 of the Jews, G2453 containing G5562 two G1417 or G2228 three G5140 firkins G3355 apiece. G303

7 Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto them, G846 Fill G1072 the waterpots G5201 with water. G5204 And G2532 they filled G1072 them G846 up G1072 to G2193 the brim. G507

8 And G2532 he saith G3004 unto them, G846 Draw out G501 now, G3568 and G2532 bear G5342 unto the governor of the feast. G755 And G2532 they bare G5342 it.

9 G1161 When G5613 the ruler of the feast G755 had tasted G1089 the water G5204 that was made G1096 wine, G3631 and G2532 knew G1492 not G3756 whence G4159 it was: G2076 (but G1161 the servants G1249 which G3588 drew G501 the water G5204 knew;) G1492 the governor of the feast G755 called G5455 the bridegroom, G3566

10 And G2532 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Every G3956 man G444 at the beginning G4412 doth set forth G5087 good G2570 wine; G3631 and G2532 when G3752 men have well drunk, G3184 then G5119 that which is worse: G1640 but thou G4771 hast kept G5083 the good G2570 wine G3631 until G2193 now. G737

11 This G5026 beginning G746 of miracles G4592 did G4160 Jesus G2424 in G1722 Cana G2580 of Galilee, G1056 and G2532 manifested forth G5319 his G846 glory; G1391 and G2532 his G846 disciples G3101 believed G4100 on G1519 him. G846

Commentary on John 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 2

Joh 2:1-12. First Miracle, Water Made WineBrief Visit to Capernaum.

1. third day—He would take two days to reach Galilee, and this was the third.

mother there—it being probably some relative's marriage. John never names her [Bengel].

3. no wine—evidently expecting some display of His glory, and hinting that now was His time.

4, 5. Woman—no term of disrespect in the language of that day (Joh 19:26).

what … to do with thee—that is, "In my Father's business I have to do with Him only." It was a gentle rebuke for officious interference, entering a region from which all creatures were excluded (compare Ac 4:19, 20).

mine hour, &c.—hinting that He would do something, but at His own time; and so she understood it (Joh 2:5).

6. firkins—about seven and a half gallons in Jewish, or nine in Attic measure; each of these huge water jars, therefore, holding some twenty or more gallons, for washings at such feasts (Mr 7:4).

7, 8. Fill … draw … bear—directing all, but Himself touching nothing, to prevent all appearance of collusion.

9, 10. well drunk—"drunk abundantly" (as So 5:1), speaking of the general practice.

10. the good wine … until now—thus testifying, while ignorant of the source of supply, not only that it was real wine, but better than any at the feast.

11. manifested forth his glory—Nothing in the least like this is said of the miracles of prophet or apostle, nor could without manifest blasphemy be said of any mere creature. Observe, (1) At a marriage Christ made His first public appearance in any company, and at a marriage He wrought His first miracle—the noblest sanction that could be given to that God-given institution. (2) As the miracle did not make bad good, but good better, so Christianity only redeems, sanctifies, and ennobles the beneficent but abused institution of marriage; and Christ's whole work only turns the water of earth into the wine of heaven. Thus "this beginning of miracles" exhibited the character and "manifested forth the glory" of His entire Mission. (3) As Christ countenanced our seasons of festivity, so also that greater fulness which befits such; so far was He from encouraging that asceticism which has since been so often put for all religion. (4) The character and authority ascribed by Romanists to the Virgin is directly in the teeth of this and other scriptures.

12. Capernaum—on the Sea of Galilee. (See on Mt 9:1).

his mother and his brethren—(See on Lu 2:51, and Mt 13:54-56).

Joh 2:13-25. Christ's First PassoverFirst Cleansing of the Temple.

14-17. in the temple—not the temple itself, as Joh 2:19-21, but the temple-court.

sold oxen, &c.—for the convenience of those who had to offer them in sacrifice.

changers of money—of Roman into Jewish money, in which the temple dues (see on Mt 17:24) had to be paid.

15. small cords—likely some of the rushes spread for bedding, and when twisted used to tie up the cattle there collected. "Not by this slender whip but by divine majesty was the ejection accomplished, the whip being but a sign of the scourge of divine anger" [Grotius].

poured out … overthrew—thus expressing the mingled indignation and authority of the impulse.

16. my Father's house—How close the resemblance of these remarkable words to Lu 2:49; the same consciousness of intrinsic relation to the temple—as the seat of His Father's most august worship, and so the symbol of all that is due to Him on earth—dictating both speeches. Only, when but a youth, with no authority, He was simply "a Son in His own house"; now He was "a Son over His own house" (Heb 3:6), the proper Representative, and in flesh "the Heir," of his Father's rights.

house of merchandise—There was nothing wrong in the merchandise; but to bring it, for their own and others' convenience, into that most sacred place, was a high-handed profanation which the eye of Jesus could not endure.

17. eaten me up—a glorious feature in the predicted character of the suffering Messiah (Ps 69:9), and rising high even in some not worthy to loose the latchet of His shoes. (Ex 32:19, &c.).

18-22. What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?—Though the act and the words of Christ, taken together, were sign enough, they were unconvinced: yet they were awed, and though at His very next appearance at Jerusalem they "sought to kill Him" for speaking of "His Father" just as He did now (Joh 5:18), they, at this early stage, only ask a sign.

19. Destroy this temple, &c.—(See on Mr 14:58, 59).

20. Forty and six years—From the eighteenth year of Herod till then was just forty-six years [Josephus, Antiquities, 15.11.1].

21. temple of his body—in which was enshrined the glory of the eternal Word. (See on Joh 1:14). By its resurrection the true Temple of God upon earth was reared up, of which the stone one was but a shadow; so that the allusion is not quite exclusively to Himself, but takes in that Temple of which He is the foundation, and all believers are the "lively stones." (1Pe 2:4, 5).

22. believed the scripture—on this subject; that is, what was meant, which was hid from them till then. Mark (1) The act by which Christ signalized His first public appearance in the Temple. Taking "His fan in His hand, He purges His floor," not thoroughly indeed, but enough to foreshadow His last act towards that faithless people—to sweep them out of God's house. (2) The sign of His authority to do this is the announcement, at this first outset of His ministry, of that coming death by their hands, and resurrection by His own, which were to pave the way for their judicial ejection.

23-25. in the feast day—the foregoing things occurring probably before the feast began.

many believed—superficially, struck merely by "the miracles He did." Of these we have no record.

24. did not commit—"entrust," or let Himself down familiarly to them, as to His genuine disciples.

25. knew what was in man—It is impossible for language more clearly to assert of Christ what in Jer 17:9, 10, and elsewhere, is denied of all mere creatures.