John 2:8

Draw out now (Antlhsate nun). First aorist active imperative of antlew, from o antlo, bilge water, or the hold where the bilge water settles (so in Homer). The verb occurs in John 4:7 John 4:15 , for drawing water from the well, and Westcott so interprets it here, but needlessly so, since the servants seem bidden to draw from the large water-jars now full of water. Apparently the water was still water when it came out of the jars (verse John 9 ), but was changed to wine before reaching the guests. The water in the jars remained water. Unto the ruler of the feast (twi arcitriklinwi). Dative case. The triklino was a room (oiko) with three couches (klinh) for the feast. The arcitriklino was originally the superintendent of the dining-room who arranged the couches and tasted the food, not the toast-master (sumposiarch). And they bare it (oi de hnegkan). Second aorist active indicative of perw. Apparently not knowing at first that they bore wine.