John 2:9 kjv
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
John 2:9 nkjv
When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
John 2:9 niv
and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside
John 2:9 esv
When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom
John 2:9 nlt
When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over.
John 2 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:16-17 | The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat..." | Early divine command & consequence. |
| Exo 7:20 | Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded… and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. | God transforming water (judgment). |
| Exo 15:25 | He cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. | God making bitter water sweet (provision). |
| Num 20:11 | Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly. | God providing water from rock. |
| Deut 29:2-4 | “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt… But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand… and eyes to see…” | God reveals, yet understanding requires His enabling. |
| Ps 23:5 | You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. | Abundant provision and blessing. |
| Ps 78:15-16 | He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock. | God's miraculous and abundant provision. |
| Isa 25:6 | On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine... | Prophecy of future eschatological feast. |
| Isa 62:5 | For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride... | God's relationship with His people as bridegroom and bride. |
| Jer 17:9-10 | The heart is deceitful above all things... I the LORD search the heart and test the mind... | Human inability to fully know and discern. |
| Joel 3:18 | “And in that day… the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk...” | Prophecy of overflowing blessings in the future. |
| Amos 9:13-14 | “Behold, the days are coming… when the plowman shall overtake the reaper… and the mountains shall drip sweet wine...” | Abundance and restoration in God's Kingdom. |
| Matt 9:17 | Nor is new wine put into old wineskins; if it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed... | New wine (Jesus' teaching) requires new vessels/understanding. |
| Mk 2:22 | And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins... | Same as Matthew 9:17. |
| Lk 5:37-38 | And no one puts new wine into old wineskins... but new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. | Same as Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22. |
| John 1:14 | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father... | Revelation of Jesus' glory, key theme in John. |
| John 2:5 | His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” | Command to obey, crucial for the miracle and knowledge. |
| John 2:11 | This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. | The purpose and effect of the miracle – revelation of glory. |
| John 9:36-39 | The blind man believed, while the Pharisees remained spiritually blind. | Contrast of spiritual sight/knowledge and spiritual blindness. |
| John 13:13-17 | "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet." | Call to servant leadership and obedience. |
| Rom 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind... | Theme of transformation by God's power. |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him... | Inability of natural mind to grasp spiritual truths. |
| Rev 19:7-9 | “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come...” | Wedding symbolism as the climax of God's redemptive plan. |
John 2 verses
John 2 9 Meaning
John 2:9 describes the critical moment when the master of the feast tasted the water that had been miraculously transformed into wine. He did not know its origin, but the servants who had drawn the water did. This highlights a fundamental contrast between natural understanding and experiential knowledge gained through obedience and participation in God's work, setting the stage for the revelation of Jesus' divine power and glory.
John 2 9 Context
John 2:9 is situated within the narrative of the wedding at Cana, the setting for Jesus' first miraculous "sign" (John 2:11). This event occurs early in Jesus' public ministry. Jewish weddings were significant social events, often lasting several days, and running out of wine would have brought great shame upon the bridegroom's family. The presence of six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial purification, provides a rich backdrop. These jars symbolize the Old Covenant rituals of cleansing. The miracle not only alleviates a social embarrassment but primarily serves to reveal Jesus' divine power and identity. The master of the feast represents conventional authority and human judgment, while the servants embody simple obedience and direct witness to the divine.
John 2 9 Word analysis
- When: Establishes the timing of the master's action immediately following the water's transformation.
- the master of the feast (ἀρχιτρίκλινος, architriklinos): Meaning "chief of the three couches" (referring to dining couches). He was the supervisor or steward responsible for the smooth running of the banquet, including ensuring the quality of the food and drink. His role was of authority and discernment.
- tasted (γεγευμένος, gegeumenos): A perfect participle, signifying a completed action with lasting results. He didn't just sip but fully sampled and assessed the quality of the drink. This implies a thorough human evaluation of the wine.
- the water now become wine: This phrase precisely identifies the subject of the taste test. It emphasizes the miraculous transformation, not just a substitution of water with pre-existing wine. The source was the ceremonial water; the outcome was high-quality wine.
- and did not know (οὐκ ᾔδει, ouk ēdei): Edei (imperfect form of oida) means "to know by observation or understanding," suggesting a state of ignorance. The master, despite his position of discernment, lacked knowledge of the origin due to his limited perspective.
- where it came from (πόθεν ἦν, pothen ēn): Emphasizes the origin or source of the wine. The mystery of its sudden appearance and superior quality puzzled the master.
- though: Introduces a sharp contrast in knowledge.
- the servants (οἱ διάκονοι, hoi diakonoi): Refers to the household attendants. These individuals were directly involved in filling the water jars as instructed by Jesus (John 2:7). They represent those who obey God's commands.
- who had drawn the water: Further specifies which servants are being referred to, linking their knowledge directly to their participation in the initial step of the miracle.
- knew (ᾔδεισαν, ēdeisan): Edeisan (pluperfect form of oida) indicates that they "had known" or "had come to know" definitively and continually. Their knowledge was firsthand, complete, and derived from direct experience and obedience.
Words-group analysis:
- "master of the feast... did not know" vs. "the servants... knew": This juxtaposition is central. It highlights the spiritual truth that understanding of divine action often bypasses conventional authority or human reasoning. True knowledge of God's works is frequently granted to those who are humble and obedient participants (the servants) rather than those who rely solely on worldly discernment or status (the master of the feast).
- "the water now become wine": This phrase succinctly captures the essence of the miracle: a fundamental change in nature. It points to transformation as a hallmark of God's power, capable of elevating the ordinary and commonplace (water) into something extraordinary and celebratory (fine wine).
John 2 9 Bonus section
- Best wine last: Culturally, the best wine was typically served first. Jesus' miracle provided superior wine at the end, demonstrating His extravagant abundance and the qualitative superiority of what He brings. This contrasts sharply with human depletion and decline, signifying that God's best is yet to come.
- The architriklinos as an unbiased witness: His judgment of the wine's quality is crucial because he was unaware of its origin. This ensures the miracle's authenticity is affirmed by an objective, expert appraiser, dismissing any notion of a mere substitution or pre-arrangement.
- Implication for Christian living: Just as the servants participated in the miracle by simply doing what Jesus told them (filling the jars), Christians are called to simple obedience. Such obedience often grants an inner understanding and experiential knowledge of God's workings that is inaccessible to those who merely observe or intellectually critique.
John 2 9 Commentary
John 2:9 marks a pivotal point in Jesus' first public miracle. The master of the feast's unwitting endorsement of the miraculously created wine, due to its exceptional quality, provides independent, objective testimony to its superiority. His ignorance of its divine source, in stark contrast to the servants' full awareness, illustrates a profound spiritual principle: understanding God's mighty acts is often granted to those who humbly obey and participate in His will, rather than those who observe from a detached, merely human perspective. This first "sign" powerfully revealed Jesus' glory (John 2:11), not as a flamboyant display, but through an act of abundant, unexpected provision that transcended normal expectations, symbolically initiating the New Covenant era of grace and super-abundant blessing over the former order.