John 2:12

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and 1his brothers[a] and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

John 2:12 Meaning and Commentary

John 2:12

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 went lower into the country of Galilee, to Capernaum, a city near the sea of Tiberias; and which, from henceforward, he made the more usual place of his residence, and whither he frequently resorted, and therefore it is called his city, ( Matthew 9:1 ) . This refers not to the same journey recorded in ( Matthew 4:12 Matthew 4:13 ) , for that was after John was cast into prison, whereas this was before; see ( John 3:24 ) ; the company that went with him, are as follow,

he, and his mother;
who had been with him at Cana, and was a principal person at the wedding: and she now returning home, he accompanies her, to see her to her own habitation; or to settle her in Capernaum, whilst he went about discharging his public ministry.

And his brethren;
or near kinsmen, according to the flesh, the sons of Alphaeus, or Cleophas, and Mary, sister to the mother of our Lord; whose names were James, Joses, Simon, and Judas, three of which afterwards became his apostles:

and his disciples:
as many as he had yet called, which were Andrew, and the disciple that followed Jesus with him, and Simon Peter, and Philip, and Nathanael,

and they continued there not many days;
not because of the impenitence, unbelief, and wickedness of the place, but for the reason following.

John 2:12 In-Context

10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now."
11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.

Cross References 1

  • 1. See Matthew 12:46

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated "brothers") refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.