John 4:46

The Second Sign: Healing an Official's Son

46 Then He went again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum.

John 4:46 Meaning and Commentary

John 4:46

So Jesus came again unto Cana of Galilee
Where he had been once before; see ( John 2:1 John 2:2 ) . The Syriac version here, as there, calls it "Kotne" of Galilee; and the Persic version, "Catneh" of Galilee:

where he made the water wine;
see ( John 2:9 John 2:11 ) ;

there was a certain nobleman;
the Vulgate Latin renders it, "a petty king"; the Arabic version, and Nonnus, call him, "a royal man"; and the Syriac version renders it, "a king's servant"; with which agrees the Ethiopic, calling him "a minister, a steward, the king's domestic". The Persic version makes it to be his name, reading it, "there was a great man, whose name was Abdolmelic", which signifies a king's servant: from the whole he seems to be one that belonged to the palace of Herod Antipas, and was one of his courtiers; who, though he was but tetrarch of Galilee, yet is sometimes called a king, ( Mark 6:14 ) ;

whose son was sick at Capernaum;
some versions, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic, read the phrase, "in Capernaum", with the former clause, "there was a nobleman in Capernaum": and others, as we do with this; and both may be true; for he might be an inhabitant of Capernaum, and his house be there where his son lay sick. Some think this nobleman was either Chuza, Herod's steward, ( Luke 8:3 ) , or Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod, ( Acts 13:1 ) .

John 4:46 In-Context

44 Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

45 When they entered Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him because they had seen everything He did in Jerusalem during the festival. For they also had gone to the festival.

46 Then He went again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum.

47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and pleaded with Him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.

48 Jesus told him, "Unless you [people] see signs and wonders, you will not believe."