---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  John 2"
description: "CHAPTER 2   :-. 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. mot"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/john/2"
---

CHAPTER 2

. 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 ().
**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
[Acts 4:19](../../../kjv/acts/4/19); [Acts 4:20](../../../kjv/acts/4/20)).
**mine hour,** c.—hinting
that He *would* do something, but at His own time and so she
understood it ([John 2:5](../../../kjv/john/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 ([Mark 7:4](../../../kjv/mark/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 [Song of Solomon 5:1](../../../kjv/song-of-solomon/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 ).
**his mother and his
brethren**—(See on , and
).
. CHRIST'S
FIRST PASSOVER—FIRST
CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE.

**14-17. in the temple**—not the
temple itself, as , 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 ) 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 ; 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" (), 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 (), and rising high even in some not worthy to loose the
latchet of His shoes. ([Exodus 32:19](../../../kjv/exodus/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 (), they, at this early stage, only ask a sign.

**19. Destroy this temple,**
&c.—(See on ).

**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 ). 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." ([1 Peter 2:4](../../../kjv/1-peter/2/4);
[1 Peter 2:5](../../../kjv/1-peter/2/5)).

**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
[Jeremiah 17:9](../../../kjv/jeremiah/17/9); [Jeremiah 17:10](../../../kjv/jeremiah/17/10),
and elsewhere, is denied of all mere creatures.

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