5 His G846 mother G3384 saith G3004 unto the servants, G1249 Whatsoever G3748 G302 he saith G3004 unto you, G5213 do G4160 it.
And G2532 Simon G4613 answering G611 said G2036 unto him, G846 Master, G1988 we have toiled G2872 all G3650 G1223 the night, G3571 and have taken G2983 nothing: G3762 nevertheless G1161 at G1909 thy G4675 word G4487 I will let down G5465 the net. G1350 And G2532 when they had G4160 this G5124 done, G4160 they inclosed G4788 a great G4183 multitude G4128 of fishes: G2486 and G1161 their G846 net G1350 brake. G1284
And G1161 why G5101 call ye G2564 me, G3165 Lord, G2962 Lord, G2962 and G2532 do G4160 not G3756 the things which G3739 I say? G3004 Whosoever G3956 cometh G2064 to G4314 me, G3165 and G2532 heareth G191 my G3450 sayings, G3056 and G2532 doeth G4160 them, G846 I will shew G5263 you G5213 to whom G5101 he is G2076 like: G3664 He is G2076 like G3664 a man G444 which G3739 built G3618 an house, G3614 and G2532 digged G4626 deep, G900 and G2532 laid G5087 the foundation G2310 on G1909 a rock: G4073 and G1161 when the flood G4132 arose, G1096 the stream G4215 beat vehemently G4366 upon that G1565 house, G3614 and G2532 could G2480 not G3756 shake G4531 it: G846 for G1063 it was founded G2311 upon G1909 a rock. G4073 But G1161 he that heareth, G191 and G2532 doeth G4160 not, G3361 is G2076 like G3664 a man G444 that without G5565 a foundation G2310 built G3618 an house G3614 upon G1909 the earth; G1093 against G4366 which G3739 the stream G4215 did beat vehemently, G4366 and G2532 immediately G2112 it fell; G4098 and G2532 the ruin G4485 of that G1565 house G3614 was G1096 great. G3173
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on John 2
Commentary on John 2 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 2
Joh 2:1-12. First Miracle, Water Made Wine—Brief 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 Passover—First 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.