Albert Barnes Commentary John 2:10

"and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when [men] have drunk freely, [then] that which is worse: thou hast kept the good wine until now." — John 2:10 (ASV)

Every man. It is customary, or it is generally done.

When men have well drunk. This word does not necessarily mean that they were intoxicated, though it is usually employed in that sense. It may mean when they have drunk sufficiently, or to satiety, or have drunk so much as to produce hilarity and to destroy the keenness of their taste, so that they could not readily distinguish the good from that which was worse. But this cannot be cited in favor of drunkenness, even if it means to be intoxicated; for:

1. It is not said of those who were present at that feast, but of what generally occurred. From all appearances, at that feast all were perfectly temperate and sober.
2. It is not the saying of Jesus that is recorded here, but of the governor of the feast, who is declaring what usually occurred as a fact.
3. There is not any expression of opinion regarding its propriety, or in approval of it, even by that governor.
4. It does not appear that our Saviour even heard the observation.
5. Still less is there any evidence that he approved such a state of things, or that he designed that it should take place here.

Further, the word translated "well drunk" cannot be shown to mean intoxication; but it may mean when they had drunk as much as they judged proper or as they desired, then the other was presented.

It is clear that neither our Saviour, nor the sacred writer, nor the speaker here expresses any approval of intemperance, nor is there the least evidence that anything of the kind occurred here.

It is not proof that we approve of intemperance when we mention, as this man did, what usually occurs among men at feasts.

Is worse. It is of an inferior quality.

The good wine. This shows that this had all the qualities of real wine. We should not be deceived by the phrase "good wine." We often use the phrase to denote that it is good in proportion to its strength and its power to intoxicate; but no such sense is to be attached to the word here.

Pliny, Plutarch, and Horace describe wine as good, or mention that as the best wine, which was harmless or innocent—poculo vini innocentis. The most useful wine—utilissimum vinum—was that which had little strength; and the most wholesome wine—saluberrimum vinum—was that which had not been adulterated by "the addition of anything to the must or juice." Pliny expressly says that a "good wine" was one that was destitute of spirit (Book 4, Chapter 13).

It should not be assumed, therefore, that the "good wine" was stronger than the other; it is rather to be presumed that it was milder. The wine referred to here was doubtless such as was commonly drunk in Palestine. That was the pure juice of the grape. It was not brandied wine, nor drugged wine, nor wine compounded of various substances, such as we drink in this country.

The common wine drunk in Palestine was the simple juice of the grape. We use the word wine now to denote the kind of liquid that passes under that name in this country — always containing a considerable portion of alcohol — not only the alcohol produced by fermentation, but alcohol added to keep it or make it stronger.

But we have no right to take that sense of the word and use it in the interpretation of the Scriptures.

We should endeavor to place ourselves in the exact circumstances of those times, ascertain precisely what idea the word would convey to those who used it then, and apply that sense to the word in interpreting the Bible.

There is not the slightest evidence that the word, when used in that way, would have conveyed any idea other than that of the pure juice of the grape; nor is there the slightest circumstance mentioned in this account that would not be fully met by such a supposition.

No one should cite this instance in favor of drinking wine unless he can prove that the wine made in the "water-pots" of Cana was just like the wine he proposes to drink. The Saviour's example may always be pleaded JUST AS IT WAS; but it is a matter of obvious and simple justice that we should find out exactly what the example was before we plead it.

Moreover, there is no evidence that any other part of the water was converted into wine than that which was drawn out of the water-casks for the use of the guests. On this supposition, certainly, all the circumstances of the case are met, and the miracle would be more striking.

All that was needed was to furnish a supply when the wine that had been prepared was nearly exhausted. The object was not to furnish a large quantity for future use. The miracle, too, would in this way be more apparent and impressive. On this supposition, the casks would appear to be filled with water only; as it was drawn out, it was pure wine.

Who could doubt, then, that there was an exertion of miraculous power? Therefore, all that has been said about the Redeemer's furnishing a large quantity of wine for the newly-married pair, and about his benevolence in doing it, is wholly gratuitous. There is no evidence of it whatever, and it is not necessary to suppose it in order to explain the circumstances of the case.