John 2:1-12

§ 19. MARRIAGE FEAST AT CANA OF GALILEE, John 2:1-12 .

1. The third day The third day from the last day mentioned, to wit in John 1:43. For this is the mode of John’s reckoning, John 1:29; John 1:35; John 1:43. But in all those cases he specifies the morrow; whereas he specifies here the next day after the morrow. That is, there was one day intervening, in which he was on his way from the Jordan to Galilee. Jesus, on his arrival at Nazareth with his five disciples, (John 1:40-51,) probably finds his mother to be absent at a wedding in Cana, and soon after receives for himself and his disciples an invitation to attend. There were two Canas in Galilee, not far distant from each other. The one, called at the present day Kefr Kenna, is about four miles northeast of Nazareth, on the road to Tiberias. It is a neat village, pleasantly situated on the descent of a hill, and surrounded with a plenty of olive, pomegranate, and fig trees. There is a large spring in the neighbourhood, whose waters are brought to the village through a subterranean passage, and which, if this be the Cana here mentioned by John, is doubtless that from which the water of this miracle was drawn. Waterpots of compact limestone are still used; and some old ones are exhibited by the lying monks as the waterpots of this miracle. Some biblical geographers of the present day incline to the belief, that the village lying farther to the north of Nazareth, about four hours’ ride, called Cana el Jelil, (which is the Arabic for Cana of Galilee,) is the scene of the present miracle. This spot is now described as completely depopulated.

Mother of Jesus was there She appears from John 2:5 to have had some charge over matters at the wedding. Some say that it was the wedding of John himself; but John was one of the disciples invited as guests. Conjectures on this point are useless.