Jamieson, Fausset and Brown on John 2

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.

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.

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.

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.