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we have forgotten, or we would have given him his due, but, seeing that in "that day"
sower and reaper shall stand together, all is well.
The water pots were first of all filled to the brim with water. This water must have
been drawn from a well, and the fact that the servants passed and repassed from the well
to the water pots would suffice to show that there had been no tampering with the water
beforehand. When the last drop of water was emptied into the water pots, the Lord said
"Draw out now", and the reader, in spite of the statement that the water pots were
for purification, jumps to the conclusion that He meant the servants to "draw out of the
water pots". This however, we believe, is not so, and here is the reason for our belief.
The word translated "draw out" is antleo. Antleo is derived from antlos, "the hold of a
ship where bilge water settles", and so came to stand for "the bilge water" itself. Antlema
is "a bucket", and antleo meant in the classics "to bale" out a ship. In the LXX version of
the Old Testament it is confined to the one idea of drawing water from a well.
"Moses stood up and helped them, and drew water for them and watered their flock"
(Exod. 2: 17).
"An Egyptian . . . . . drew water for us, and watered our sheep" (Exod. 2: 19).
"Lo, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of them that inhabit the city come
forth to draw water . . . . . she ran to
"Therefore with joy, shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation" (Isa. 12: 3).
The only other occurrence in the LXX is Prov. 9: 12, where the word is used in a
highly figurative sense "to bear" evil, a use of that word that demands a deeper
acquaintance with manners and customs than we possess. We have recorded the passage
for the sake of completeness, but it makes no contribution to the point at issue.
We now come to the use of antleo in the New Testament and find that there are four
occurrences, John 2: 8, 9; 4: 7 and 15; and one occurrence of antlema, "a bucket",
"something to draw with" (John 4: 11). The references in John 4: are, confessedly, to
drawing water out of a very deep well, and the references in the LXX of the
Old Testament all speak to the same effect.
With this information we return to the marriage at Cana and understand what the Lord
did. After the servants had filled the water pots to the brim, in full view of the guests, He
said, in effect, "Go now once more to the well, and draw out again, but, this time, take it
to the governor of the feast". Having tasted it the governor expressed astonishment at its
excellent quality, and that his testimony was entirely unbiased is clear from the words,
and "knew not whence it was". We are told however that the servants which drew
(antleo, drew out of a well, with an antlema, a bucket) knew.
The method adopted by our Lord was such that everyone must have admitted the
genuineness of the miracle. In John's Gospel we are dealing with "testimony", hence this
very evident miracle is brought forward.
"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth His
glory; and His disciples believed on Him" (John 2: 11).