John 2:8

8 and then he told them, "Now draw some water out and take it to the man in charge of the feast." They took him the water,

John 2:8 Meaning and Commentary

John 2:8

And he saith unto them, draw out now
As soon as ever the vessels were filled with water, without any more delay, he ordered the servants to draw out of those larger, into lesser vessels; he does not say what, water or wine:

and bear unto the governor of the feast;
who either had the ordering and management of the feast, and the command of the whole affair; hence the Ethiopic version calls him, "the master of the waiters", or servants: or he was the chief guest, as the word seems to import, who sat, or rather lay, on the chief couch at the table; and so a proper person to begin with, and put the cup round: or else he might be doctor or chaplain: for such an one was necessary at a marriage; since there were six or seven benedictions to be pronounced; and particularly a blessing was said over the cup of wine; for if there was any wine, a cup of it was brought, and he blessed over it first, and ordered every thing concerning the cup: and this made up seven blessings at such a time ^F25; and therefore was a very fit person to bear the wine to first:

and they bore it;
the servants having drawn out of the stone vessels, by cocks, into smaller ones, carried the liquor, as they were ordered, to the above person.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Maimon. Hilchot Ishot, c. 10. sect. 3, 4.

John 2:8 In-Context

6 The Jews have rules about ritual washing, and for this purpose six stone water jars were there, each one large enough to hold between twenty and thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill these jars with water." They filled them to the brim,

8 and then he told them, "Now draw some water out and take it to the man in charge of the feast." They took him the water,

9 which now had turned into wine, and he tasted it. He did not know where this wine had come from (but, of course, the servants who had drawn out the water knew); so he called the bridegroom

10 and said to him, "Everyone else serves the best wine first, and after the guests have drunk a lot, he serves the ordinary wine. But you have kept the best wine until now!"