AND THE THIRD DAY THERE WAS A MARRIAGE,.... Either from the second testimony bore by John the Baptist concerning Christ, and from the call of Simon Peter, which seem to be of the same date; see John 1:35, or from Christ's coming into Galilee; or from the conversation he had with Nathanael; from eith... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BOTH JESUS WAS CALLED,.... Or invited, as being a relation, according to the flesh: AND HIS DISCIPLES, TO THE MARRIAGE; who were bidden, on his account; and they seem to be these, Andrew, and the other disciple, that followed Jesus, and Simon Peter, and Philip, and Nathanael, who was of this pl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WANTED WINE,.... Or wine was wanting; not through the intemperance of the guests, rather through the poverty of the family, who were not able to provide very largely; and it may be by reason of a larger number of guests than were expected; however, so it was ordered by Divine Providenc... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO HER, WOMAN,.... Calling her "woman", as it was no ways contrary to her being a virgin, Galatians 4:4, so it was no mark of disrespect; it being an usual way of speaking with the Jews, when they showed the greatest respect to the person spoken to; and was used by our Lord when he add... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS MOTHER SAID UNTO THE SERVANTS,.... She took the reproof in good part, and by the words he said, and the manner in which he spoke them, or by the looks he gave, and the gestures he might use, she hoped, and even believed, that the thing she moved for would be done; and therefore went immediately... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WERE SET SIX WATER POTS OF STONE,.... To distinguish them from other vessels made of different matter: for the Jews had "vessels made of dust, and the dung of beasts, כלי אבנים, "vessels of stone", vessels of earth, vessels made of shells, vessels of nitre, vessels made of the bones and s... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM,.... To the servants that waited at the feast, FILL THE WATER POTS WITH WATER. The Ethiopic version adds, "to their brims", as they did. Christ chose the water pots, and not the vessel, or vessels, or bottles, now empty, out of which they had drank their wine; that it might no... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAITH UNTO THEM, DRAW OUT NOW,.... As soon as ever the vessels were filled with water, without any more delay, he ordered the servants to draw out of those larger, into lesser vessels; he does not say what, water or wine: AND BEAR UNTO THE GOVERNOR OF THE FEAST; who either had the ordering a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE RULER OF THE FEAST HAD TASTED THE WATER,.... The Persic version reads, "tasted of the wine", and adds, what is not in the text, "it was of a very grateful savour": but the sense is, he tasted of that which was before water, but now WAS MADE WINE; not in such sense as the Papists pretend th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAITH UNTO HIM,.... The following words; expressing the common custom used at feasts: EVERY MAN AT THE BEGINNING DOTH SET FORTH GOOD WINE; that is, it is usual with men, when they make entertainments, first to give the guests the best, the most generous, and strongest bodied wine; as being most... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS BEGINNING OF MIRACLES,.... This miracle of turning water into wine, was the first miracle Christ ever wrought, either in public or private; for as for what miracles he is said to do in his infancy, there is no reason to give credit to them: and this he DID IN CANA OF GALILEE; not that this was... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS HE WENT DOWN TO CAPERNAUM,.... After he had been at Cana, and at the wedding there: after he had wrought the miracle of turning water into wine; and after he had manifested forth the glory of his deity thereby, and had confirmed the faith of his disciples, he departed from thence, and wen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE JEWS' PASSOVER WAS AT HAND,.... That feast which was kept on the fourteenth day of Nisan, in commemoration of the Lord's passing over, and by the houses of the Israelites, when he slew the firstborn in Egypt: and it is called the Jews' passover, because they only were obliged to keep it: nor... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FOUND IN THE TEMPLE,.... Not in the holy place itself, nor in the court of the priests, where the sacrifices were offered, nor in the court of the women, nor in the court of the Israelites, where the people worshipped; but in the court of the Gentiles, or the outward court, even all that space o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD MADE A SCOURGE OF SMALL CORDS,.... That is, Jesus, as the Persic version expresses it. This scourge might be made either of thongs cut out of the hides of beasts slain in sacrifice; or of the cords, with which the owners of the cattle had brought them to this place; or with which the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAID UNTO THEM THAT SOLD DOVES,.... For as these were kept in coups, or cages, they could not be drove, as the sheep and oxen, nor could they be let out, and fly, without the loss of the owners: and therefore Christ said to them, TAKE THESE THINGS HENCE; not only the doves, but the pens, coups,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS DISCIPLES REMEMBERED THAT IT WAS WRITTEN,.... In Psalms 69:9, which Psalm belongs to the Messiah, as is manifest from the citations out of it in the New Testament, and the application of them to Christ, as in John 15:25, compared with Psalms 69:4. Christ is represented in it, as suffering... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN ANSWERED THE JEWS, AND SAID UNTO HIM,.... They did not lay hands on him, or offer any violence to him; they did not, as the inhabitants of Nazareth did, thrust him out, and lead him to a precipice, to cast him down headlong; nor did they take up stones to stone him, as they afterwards did, when... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THEM,.... In a dark and enigmaticai way, though very properly and pertinently; since it was with respect to the temple, and his power over it, and right to purge it, that a sign was required of him: DESTROY THIS TEMPLE; pointing, as it were, with his finger to his body;... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE JEWS,.... Unto him, as read the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions: FORTY AND SIX YEARS WAS THIS TEMPLE IN BUILDING; which cannot be understood of the temple as built by Solomon, for that was but seven years in building, 1 Kings 6:37. But rather of the temple, as built by Z... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE SPOKE OF THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY. Which was the antitype of the material temple; and might well be called so, since the bodies of the saints are called temples, 1 Corinthians 3:16 2 Corinthians 6:16; and the human nature of Christ is called a tabernacle, Hebrews 8:2; and he himself, in prophec... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEREFORE HE WAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD,.... Which was three years after this: HIS DISCIPLES REMEMBERED THAT HE HAD SAID THIS UNTO THEM; either to the Jews, or to them the disciples; though the phrase "to them", is not in the Vulgate Latin, nor in any of the Oriental versions. The disciples thems... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN HE WAS IN JERUSALEM AT THE PASSOVER,.... Whither he went, in order to keep it, that being at hand, and now come; see John 2:13; IN THE FEAST DAY; either on the day the Chagigah was eaten, which was sometimes emphatically called "the feast", as in Numbers 28:16, "and in the fourteenth day... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT JESUS DID NOT COMMIT HIMSELF UNTO THEM,.... The sense according to some of the ancients is, that he did not commit the whole of the Gospel to them; he did not make known to them all his mind and will; this he only did to the twelve apostles, his special disciples and friends; nor was the time co... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NEEDED NOT THAT ANY SHOULD TESTIFY OF MAN,.... Of this or the other man, that he was a good or a bad man; he needed no proofs to be made, or testimonies bore, or evidence given of men's characters and actions; he was of quick understanding, and could distinguish at once between a wicked man and... [ Continue Reading ]