John 4:46

So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. SO JESUS CAME AGAIN INTO CANA OF GALILEE (SEE THE NOTE AT JOHN 2:1 ), WHERE HE MADE THE WATER WINE. AND THERE WAS A CERTAIN NOBLEMAN [ basilikos (G937)] - 'courtier,' or king's servant, one connected with a royal household; such as "Chuza" (Luke 8:3) or Manaen (Acts 13:1). So Josephus often uses the word. WHOSE SON WAS SICK AT CAPERNAUM....

46._And there was a certain courtier. _This is a more correct rendering, though Erasmus thinks differently, who has translated βασιλικός by a Latin word, _Regulus_, which means a little king. (89) I acknowledge indeed that, at that time, they gave the name of _Reguli _(or, _little kings_) to those who are now called Dukes, or Barons, or Earls; but the state of Galilee at that time was such that there could be no person of that rank dwelling in Capernaum. I think that he was some nobleman (90) of the court of Herod; for there is some plausibility in the opinion of those who think that he was sent by Caesar. (91) This is expressly mentioned by the Evangelist, because the rank of this personage made the miracle the more illustrious....

43-54 The father was a nobleman, yet the son was sick. Honours and titles are no security from sickness and death. The greatest men must go themselves to God, must become beggars. The nobleman did not stop from his request till he prevailed. But at first he discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of Christ. It is hard to persuade ourselves that distance of time and place, are no hinderance to the knowledge, mercy, and power of our Lord Jesus. Christ gave an answer of peace. Christ's saying that the soul lives, makes it alive. The father went his way, which showed the sincerity of his faith. Being satisfied, he did not hurry home that night, but returned as one easy in his own mind. His servants met him with the news of the child's recovery. Good news will meet those that hope in God's word. Diligent comparing the works of Jesus with his word, will confirm our faith. And the br...

Verse 46. _WHERE HE MADE THE WATER WINE._] John 2:1, c. Cana was on the road from Nazareth to Capernaum and the Sea of Tiberias. _A CERTAIN NOBLEMAN_] An officer of the king's court: for this is the meaning of the original word, βασιλικος, which the Vulgate translates _regulus_, a little king. This officer belonged to Herod Antipas, who was then tetrarch of Galilee. Jerome calls him _Palatinus_, and says he was an officer of the king's palace. Others think it was _Chuza_, mentioned Luke 8:3 and others think it was _Manaen_, spoken of Acts 13:1. One of these opinions may be true, but all solid proof is wanting. This officer, whoever he was, appears to have had his ordinary abode at Capernaum, and

A CERTAIN NOBLEMAN - One who was of the royal family, connected by birth with Herod Antipas; or one of the officers of the court, whether by birth allied to him or not. It seems that his ordinary residence was at Capernaum. Capernaum was about a day’s journey from Cana, where Jesus then was....

EXPOSITION JOHN 4:1 7. _The ministry and revelation of the Lord to those beyond the strict compass of the theocracy. _This passage describes an incident of consummate interest, and records a specimen of our Lord's intercourse with individuals, and the reaction of that instruction upon the disciples. The event is a solitary chink through which the light of historical fact falls upon an otherwise darkened and unknown period of the Saviour's life. When we skirt a forest we see at intervals, where by some accident of growth the light falls upon a narrow space, a miniature world of life and loveliness of every kind, suggesting what might happen if every square yard of the forest could receive a similar illumination. Every day of that wondrous life of Christ may have been equally full of meaning to some souls. "These things are written, that

SO JESUS CAME AGAIN UNTO CANA OF GALILEE,.... Where he had been once before; see John 2:1. The Syriac version here, as there, calls it "Kotne" of Galilee; and the Persic version, "Catneh" of Galilee: WHERE HE MADE THE WATER WINE; see John 2:9; THERE WAS A CERTAIN NOBLEMAN; the Vulgate Latin renders it, "a petty king"; the Arabic version, and Nonnus, call him, "a royal man"; and the Syriac version renders it, "a king's servant"; with which agrees the Ethiopic, calling him "a minister, a steward, the king's domestic". The Persic version makes it to be his name, reading it, "there was a great man, whose name was Abdolmelic", which signifies a king's servant: from the whole he seems to be one that belonged to the palace of Herod Antipas, and was one of his courtiers; who, though he was but t

NOBLEMAN Or, courtier, or, ruler....

CHAPTER 4 _ 1. He Must Needs Pass Through Samaria. (John 4:1 .)_ 2. At Sychar's Well; Jesus and the Samaritan Woman. (John 4:6 .) 3. The Woman's Witness and the Believing Samaritans. (John 4:27 .) 4. His Return to Galilee. (John 4:43 .) 5. The Second Miracle, the Healing of the Nobleman's Son. (John 4:46 .) In the Gospel of Matthew the Lord told His disciples not to go into the way of the Gentiles and not to enter into any city of the Samaritans. (Matthew 10:5

THE WITNESS OF THE SAMARITANS AND THE RETURN TO GALILEE. The author records the effect of personal contact with Jesus on the men who come from the city. The expression, Saviour of the World, must come from the author, who uses the incident to emphasize the readiness of non-Jewish peoples to receive the Christ, and the superiority _of_ faith which rests on personal experience. Jesus, in spite of His success, stays only two days. His true work is in Galilee, His own country, where He is not likely to receive honours which at present would be dangerous....