성경 주석서

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

There was a marriage — Whether St John’s marriage, I have not to say. Some will have it so.

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And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

Jesus was called — That was the way to have all sanctified, 1 Timothy 4:3 , and disorders prevented. Cave, spectat Cato, Beware, Cato is wating, was the old watchword.

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And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

And when they wanted wine — Wine then may be wanting, though Christ be at the wedding; yea, bread, though Christ be at the board. But the hidden manna is ever ready; and anon in our Father’s house will be bread enough, and wine, God’s plenty. Mendicato pane hic vivamus, annon hoc pulchre sarcitur, in eo quod pascimur pane cum angelis? … Luther. What though we beg our bread here, heaven will make up all; and it is but winking, and we are there presently, said that martyr.

The mother of Jesus saith unto him — To show her authority belike over him. Howsoever, she was too hasty with him, and is taken up for halting. It is not for us to set the sun by our dial.

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Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

What have I to do with thee? … — Is it fit to prescribe to the only wise God? to send for the king by a post? The Chinese whip their gods if they come not at a call.

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His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it .

His mother saith to the servants — Not a word to her Son, though he had publicly reproved her. "Once I have spoken, but I will not answer," saith Job, Job 40:5 . Jonah, reprehended by God, shuts up his prophecy in silence, in token of his true repentance. David was dumb because it was God’s doing, Psalms 39:9 . Bring God into the heart, and all will be hushed.

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And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

After the manner of the purifying, … — But who required these things at their hands? Men are apt to over do in externals. The devil strove to bring this superstition into the Christian Church by the heretic Ebion, and hath done it by the pseudo-Catholics, with their lustral water and sprinkling of sepulchres, for the rise whereof Baronius refers us, not to the Jews, but to Juvenal’s sixth satire.

Containing two or three firkius — For ostentation’ sake. Superstition is pompous and ambitious.

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Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

Up to the brim — God permits his people an honest affluence. Christ supplies them here with great store of wine, to the quantity of a thousand and eight hundred pounds, as Beza computes, Nimirum ad libras mille octingentas: quod pertinet ad miraculi magnitudinem. No small gifts fall from so great a hand, James 1:5 .

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And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it .

The governor of the feast — The Jews had a sort of officers at their feasts, called praefecti morum, οινοπται, οφθαλμοι , the eyes and overseers of the feast, that took care that none should drink too much. The Latins called them dictators; the Greeks, symposiarchs. Howbeit, among the Greeks, those officers’ power extended no further than to see that at feasts or banquets men drank small draughts only at first, which by degrees they increased till they came to their height of intemperance; at which point, when they were arrived, they kept no rule nor order: whereas, before, to drink out of one’s turn, or beyond his allowance, was counted incivility. a

a Hinc pergraecari: and as merry as a Greek.

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