Quotes & Notes on:     John 2:12   

• John Wesley's Notes:
  (No comment on this verse).
   

• Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:

  * Capernaum. Joh 6:17; Mt 4:13; 11:23
  * and his brethren. Joh 7:3-5; Mt 12:46; 13:55,56; Mr 6:3; Ac 1:13,14; 1Co 9:5; Ga 1:19
   

• Adam Clarke's Commentary:

    (No comment on this verse).
   

• Family Bible Notes:

   (No comment on this verse).
   

• 1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
  That is, his cousins.
   

• People's New Testament Commentary:

    After this he went down to Capernaum. From the hilly region of Cana to the low-lying shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  
  His mother and his brethren. Catholics and some Protestants have held that these "brethren" were not brothers in the flesh, but kinsmen. The phrase, "his brethren," occurs nine times in the Gospels, and once in Acts. The natural interpretation is always that they were his brothers, sons of Mary. Two places (Mt 13:55; Mr 6:3) mention his sisters. Had it not been for the dogma that Mary remained a virgin, a dogma that has no foundation in the Scriptures, it would never have been doubted that these "brethren" and "sisters" were her children.
   

• Robertson's Word Pictures:
  He went down to Capernaum (katebê eis Kapharnaoum autos). Second aorist active indicative of katabainô. Cana was on higher ground. This brief stay (not many days, ou pollas hêmeras) in this important city (Tell Hum) on the north shore of Galilee was with Christ's mother, brothers (apparently friendly at first) and the six disciples, all in the fresh glow of the glory manifested at Cana. Surely Mary's heart was full.
   

• Albert Barnes' Commentary:

    Not many days. The reason why he remained there no longer was that the Passover was near, and they went up to Jerusalem to attend it.
   

• Jamieson-Faussett Brown:

  (No comment on this verse).
   

• Spurgeon Commentary:

   (No comment on this verse).
   

• William Burkitt's Notes:

  (No comment on this verse).
   

• Matthew Henry's  Commentary:

    The short visit Christ made to Capernaum, Joh 2:12. It was a large and populous city, about a day's journey from Cana; it is called his own city Mt 9:1, because he made it his head quarters in Galilee, and what little rest he had was there. It was a place of concourse, and therefore Christ chose it, that the fame of his doctrine and miracles might thence spread the further. Observe,
  
  1a) The company that attended him thither: his mother, his brethren, and his disciples. Wherever Christ went,
  
  1a1) He would not go alone, but would take those with him who had put themselves under his guidance, that he might instruct them, and that they might attest his miracles.
  
  1a2) He could not go alone, but they would follow him, because they liked the sweetness either of his doctrine or of his wine, Joh 6:26. His mother, though he had lately given her to understand that in the works of his ministry he should pay no more respect to her than to any other person, yet followed him; not to intercede with him, but to learn of him. His brethren also and relations, who were at the marriage and were wrought upon by the miracle there, and his disciples, who attended him wherever he went. It should seem, people were more affected with Christ's miracles at first than they were afterwards, when custom made them seem less strange.
  
  1b) His continuance there, which was at this time not many days, designing now only to begin the acquaintance he would afterwards improve there. Christ was still upon the remove, would not confine his usefulness to one place, because many needed him. And he would teach his followers to look upon themselves but as sojourners in this world, and his ministers to follow their opportunities, and go where their work led them. We do not now find Christ in the synagogues, but he privately instructed his friends, and thus entered upon his work by degrees. It is good for young ministers to accustom themselves to pious and edifying discourse in private, that they may with the better preparation, and greater awe, approach their public work. He did not stay long at Capernaum, because the passover was at hand, and he must attend it at Jerusalem; for everything is beautiful in its season. The less good must give way to the greater, and all the dwellings of Jacob must give place to the gates of Zion.

   

• Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:

   (No comment on this verse).
   

• The Fourfold Gospel:

    After this he went down to Capernaum. The site of Capernaum is generally conceded to be marked by the ruins now called Tel-Hum. Jesus is said to have gone "down" because Cana is among the hills, and Capernaum was by the Lake of Galilee, about six hundred feet below sea level. See TFG for Mt 4:13.
  
  He, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples. There is much dispute as to what the New Testament writers mean by the phrase "the brethren of the Lord." This phrase, found in any other than a Jewish book, would be taken to mean either the full or half brothers of Jesus, and it has probably that meaning here. The Catholic Church, contending for the perpetual virginity of our Lord's mother, has argued that his brethren were either the sons of Joseph by a former marriage, or that they were sons of Alphaeus (also called Clopas) and a sister of our Lord's mother, who, like her, was also called Mary (Joh 19:25). This latter view is based upon the fact that two of the sons of Alphaeus bear the same names as those borne by two of our Lord's brethren, which is far more conclusive, since the names James and Judas were extremely common. Moreover, we learn from Joh 7:5, that the Lord's brethren did not believe on him, and harmonists place the time of this unbelief late in our Lord's ministry, when the sons of Alphaeus were not only believers, but some of them even apostles. Our Lord's brethren are mentioned nine times in the New Testament, and a study of these references will give us some light. Three of them, namely, Joh 7:3,5,10; 1Co 9:5; Ga 1:19, are rather noncommittal. The other six (Mt 12:46; 13:55; Mr 3:32; 6:3; Lu 8:19,20; Joh 2:12) speak of his brethren in connection with his mother, and strongly indicate that Jesus was the first-born son of Mary, and that she had at least four other sons, besides daughters. These brethren of Jesus are constantly represented as attending his mother, without a hint that they were not her children. Against this conclusion there is but one argument which has any force; namely, that our Lord committed his mother into the keeping of the apostle John, rather than to his brethren (Joh 19:25-27), but this fact may be easily accounted for. Many mothers are but scantily and grudgingly supported by their sons.
  
  And there they abode not many days. Because the passover was at hand, and he went up to Jerusalem. This notice of the brief sojourn of Jesus at Capernaum throws light on several things: 1. It shows where Jesus spent most of his time between his baptism and the first passover. 2. It helps to explain how the nobleman, who afterwards sought him at Cana, became acquainted with him. 3. It prepares us to look for his first visit to Nazareth at a later period. 4. It also explains why Jesus sought Capernaum as his place of residence after leaving Nazareth. Moreover, it shows that the natural ties of kindred were not immediately snapped by Christ. Until he went up to the first passover, he abode with his mother and his brethren.