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Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
John 2:7 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” They filled them up to the brim.
  • BSB Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.
  • NKJV Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
  • NASB Jesus *said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.
  • NLT Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled,

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

Jesus tells the servants to fill the jars with water, and they fill them to the brim. The miracle works through ordinary obedience to His command.

Overview

Jesus chooses to act through the servants' simple compliance, having them fill the jars completely. Their full obedience, filling to the brim, sets the stage for the abundance of the sign. The episode shows that God often works His wonders as people obey His word, however ordinary the task may seem.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 10

  • 2 Kgs 4:2–6And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
  • John 2:5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
  • John 2:3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
  • 1 Kgs 17:13And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
  • Mark 14:12–17And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
  • Mark 11:2–6And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.
  • 2 Kgs 5:10–14And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
  • Josh 6:3–5And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
  • Acts 8:26–40And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
  • Num 21:6–9And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

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 2:7YouTube · 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 2:7 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.