John 2:4

Woman (gunai). Vocative case of gunh, and with no idea of censure as is plain from its use by Jesus in Luke 19:26 . But the use of gunai instead of mhter (Mother) does show her she can no longer exercise maternal authority and not at all in his Messianic work. That is always a difficult lesson for mothers and fathers to learn, when to let go. What have I to do with thee? (Ti emoi kai soi;). There are a number of examples of this ethical dative in the LXX ( Judges 11:12 ; 2 Samuel 16:10 ; 1 Kings 17:18 ; 2 Kings 3:13 ; 2 Chronicles 35:21 ) and in the N.T. ( Mark 1:24 ; Mark 5:7 ; Matthew 8:29 ; Matthew 27:19 ; Luke 8:28 ). Some divergence of thought is usually indicated. Literally the phrase means, "What is it to me and to thee?" In this instance F.C. Burkitt (Journal of Theol. Studies, July, 1912) interprets it to mean, "What is it to us?" That is certainly possible and suits the next clause also. Mine hour is not yet come (oupw hkei h wra mou). This phrase marks a crisis whenever it occurs, especially of his death ( Luke 7:30 ; Luke 8:20 ; Luke 12:23 ; Luke 13:1 ; Luke 17:1 ). Here apparently it means the hour for public manifestation of the Messiahship, though a narrower sense would be for Christ's intervention about the failure of the wine. The Fourth Gospel is written on the plane of eternity (W. M. Ramsay) and that standpoint exists here in this first sign of the Messiah.