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On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
John 2:1 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there.
  • KJV And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
  • NKJV On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
  • NASB On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
  • NLT The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus' mother was present. This sets the scene for Jesus' first miraculous sign.

Overview

John locates Jesus' first sign at an ordinary village wedding, with His mother already there. The setting affirms the goodness of marriage and everyday life. By beginning Jesus' public ministry at a celebration, John signals that Christ brings joy and the abundance of the new covenant into human life.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • John 4:46So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.
  • Prov 31:10–12A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
  • John 21:2Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.
  • Prov 18:22He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
  • Matt 12:46While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to Him.
  • John 1:43The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”
  • Ps 128:1–4A song of ascents. Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways!
  • John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
  • Gen 2:18–25The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”
  • 1 Tim 4:1–3Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
  • Heb 13:4Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
  • Eph 5:30–33For we are members of His body.
  • Prov 19:14Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
  • Gen 1:27–28So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
  • John 1:35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
  • Josh 19:28It went on to Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 2:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 2:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.