YHN 2:11 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) This event in Cana, Galilee, was the first of the miracles that Yeshua did, and it revealed his greatness and his followers believed that he was from God.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT This beginning of the signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

UST That was the first of the miraculous signs that Jesus did. He did it in the town of Cana, which is in the region of Galilee. There he showed how great he is. So his disciples trusted in him.

BSB Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

MSB Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

BLB This was the beginning of the signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and He revealed His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.

AICNT The [[first]][fn] beginning of the signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

2:11, first: Some manuscripts include. 𝔓66 Latin(b)

OEB This, the first sign of his mission, Jesus gave at Cana in Galilee, and by it revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

LSB Jesus did this in Cana of Galilee as the beginning of His signs, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

WEBBE This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

WMBB This beginning of his signs Yeshua did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

NET Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

LSV This [is the] beginning of the signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him;

FBV This was the very first of Jesus' miraculous signs, and was performed in Cana of Galilee. Here he revealed his glory, and his disciples put their trust in him.

TCNT Jesus did this in Cana of Galilee as the first of his signs. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

T4T That was the first miracle that Jesus did. He did it in Cana town, in Galilee district. By doing it he showed how awesome he is, and as a result, we his disciples believed that he truly was the Messiah.

LEB This beginning of signs Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee, and revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

BBE This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee and let his glory be seen openly; and his disciples put their faith in him.

Moff Jesus performed this, the first of his Signs, at Cana in Galilee, thereby displaying his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Wymth This, the first of His miracles, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee, and thus displayed His glorious power; and His disciples believed in Him.

ASV This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

DRA This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee; and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

YLT This beginning of the signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him;

Drby This beginning of signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

RV This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

SLT This beginning of signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Wbstr This beginning of miracles Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

KJB-1769 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

KJB-1611 This beginning of miracles did Iesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory, and his disciples beleeued on him.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps This begynnyng of miracles dyd Iesus in Cana of Galilee, and shewed his glory, & his disciples beleued on hym.
(This beginning of miracles did Yesus/Yeshua in Cana of Galilee, and showed his glory, and his disciples believed on him.)

Gnva This beginning of miracles did Iesus in Cana a towne of Galile, and shewed forth his glorie: and his disciples beleeued on him.
(This beginning of miracles did Yesus/Yeshua in Cana a town of Galilee, and showed forth his glory: and his disciples believed on him. )

Cvdl This is the first token that Iesus dyd at Cana in Galile, and shewed his glory, and his disciples beleued on him.
(This is the first token that Yesus/Yeshua did at Cana in Galilee, and showed his glory, and his disciples believed on him.)

TNT This beginnynge of miracles dyd Iesus in Cana of Galile and shewed his glory and his disciples beleved on him.
(This beginning of miracles did Yesus/Yeshua in Cana of Galilee and showed his glory and his disciples believed on him. )

Wycl Jhesus dide this the bigynnyng of signes in the Cane of Galilee, and schewide his glorie; and hise disciplis bileueden in hym.
(Yhesus did this the beginning of signs in the Cane of Galilee, and showed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.)

Luth Das ist das erste Zeichen, das JEsus tat, geschehen zu Kana in Galiläa und offenbarte seine Herrlichkeit. Und seine Jünger glaubten an ihn.
(The is the first sign, the Yesus did, happen to/for Kana in Galilee and revealede his glory/splendour. And his disciple believed at/to him/it.)

ClVg Hoc fecit initium signorum Jesus in Cana Galilææ; et manifestavit gloriam suam, et crediderunt in eum discipuli ejus.[fn]
(This he_did the_beginning sign/seal(v)rum Yesus in/into/on Cana Galilee; and obviousvit glory his_own, and they_believed in/into/on him students his. )

2.11 Hoc fecit. HIER. In initio signorum quæ mortalis mortalibus erat daturus, aquam vertit in vinum, sicut jam immortalis discipulis aperuit sensum, ut in lege et prophetis intelligerent Christum, ita carnales mentes prius sapore sapientiæ imbuit, postea resuscitatos majori gloria completurus.

2.11 This he_did. HIER. In at_first/in_the_beginning sign/seal(v)rum which mortalis mortals was about_to_give, water turns in/into/on wine, like already immortalis students opened sense, as in/into/on lawfully and prophets they_would_understand Christ/Messiah, so/thus carnal minds first/before sapore of_wisdom imbuit, afterwards resuscitatos older glory completurus.

UGNT ταύτην ἐποίησεν ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἐφανέρωσεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ; καὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
(tautaʸn epoiaʸsen arⱪaʸn tōn saʸmeiōn ho Yaʸsous en Kana taʸs Galilaias, kai efanerōsen taʸn doxan autou; kai episteusan eis auton hoi mathaʸtai autou.)

SBL-GNT ταύτην ⸀ἐποίησεν ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ ἐφανέρωσεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
(tautaʸn ⸀epoiaʸsen arⱪaʸn tōn saʸmeiōn ho Yaʸsous en Kana taʸs Galilaias kai efanerōsen taʸn doxan autou, kai episteusan eis auton hoi mathaʸtai autou.)

RP-GNT Ταύτην ἐποίησεν τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν Κανᾷ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἐφανέρωσεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
(Tautaʸn epoiaʸsen taʸn arⱪaʸn tōn saʸmeiōn ho Yaʸsous en Kana taʸs Galilaias, kai efanerōsen taʸn doxan autou; kai episteusan eis auton hoi mathaʸtai autou.)

TC-GNT Ταύτην ἐποίησε [fn]τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν Κανᾷ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἐφανέρωσε τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
(Tautaʸn epoiaʸse taʸn arⱪaʸn tōn saʸmeiōn ho Yaʸsous en Kana taʸs Galilaias, kai efanerōse taʸn doxan autou; kai episteusan eis auton hoi mathaʸtai autou. )

2:11 την ¦ — CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Miraculous Signs in the Gospel of John

The Gospels use three words to describe Jesus’ miraculous works. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Greek word dunamis (“power”) describes an act of raw force that amazes observers and leads to the inevitable conclusion that God must be at work in Jesus (see Mark 6:2).

John, however, does not use the popular term dunamis in relation to Jesus’ miracles. Instead, he labels each of Jesus’ miracles as a “sign” (Greek sēmeion), an event that has a deeper meaning. John also describes Jesus’ miracles as “works” (Greek erga, see John 10:38; see also 7:3, translated “miracles”; 9:3, translated “power”). Christ’s miracles were part of the work that God gave him to do (17:4), revealing the Father to the world.

John selectively records seven miraculous signs that occurred during Jesus’ ministry: (1) changing water to wine (2:1-11); (2) healing an official’s son (4:46-54); (3) healing a paralyzed man (5:1-17); (4) feeding five thousand (6:1-15); (5) walking on water (6:16-21); (6) healing a blind man (9:1-41); and (7) raising Lazarus from the dead (11:1-44). John also records a miraculous catch of fish after Jesus’ resurrection (21:4-14). Most of the seven signs were met with belief (2:11; 4:53; 11:45-48). However, Jesus’ purposes extended beyond the signs themselves. The miraculous signs are like physical roadsigns: They are messages that point to a greater reality. Thus, a miraculous sign is usually accompanied by a discourse from Jesus in which he explains the truth that the sign points to. For example, Jesus fed the five thousand not just to meet their needs but also so that people would see him as the bread of life (6:35), given for them when he died on the cross (6:51).

Passages for Further Study

Exod 4:8-31; 7:3; Num 14:11, 22; Deut 4:34; Pss 74:9; 78:43; Matt 12:38-39; John 2:1-11, 18, 23; 3:2; 4:48, 54; 6:2, 14, 26, 30; 7:31; 9:16; 10:41; 11:47; 12:18, 37; 15:24; 20:30; Acts 2:43; 4:16, 22, 30; 5:12; 8:6; 14:3; 15:12; Rom 15:19

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:1–12: Jesus changed water into wine

In this section Jesus, his disciples, and his mother went to a wedding. The guests there drank all the wine that the host had provided. Jesus’ mother told Jesus that there was no more wine, and then she told the servants to obey Jesus.

Jesus told the servants to fill the water jars with water. When they did that, he told them to serve some to the man in charge of the wedding. The man tasted it and said that the bridegroom had saved the best wine until the end of the wedding. This miracle convinced Jesus’ disciples to believe in him.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus did a miracle at a wedding

The wedding at Cana

Paragraph 2:11

This verse forms the conclusion of this first miracle. It tells the result of Jesus’ doing the miracle. The result was that the disciples put their faith in him in a stronger way. The miracle proved to them that he was the Messiah.

2:11a

Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee.

¶ This is the first miracle that Jesus did. He did it in Cana of Galilee.
¶ It was in the town of Cana in the province of Galilee that Jesus did his first powerful sign/work.

Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee: The Greek expression that the BSB translates as Jesus performed this, the first of His signs is more literally “Jesus did this the beginning of the signs.” This indicates that the first sign that Jesus gave was in Cana, in Galilee. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

This was the first of Jesus’ signs: it was at Cana in Galilee. (NJB)

This was Jesus’ first miracle, and he did it in the village of Cana in Galilee. (CEV)

Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. (NET)

signs: The Greek word that the BSB translates as signs refers to miraculous events that point to some truth beyond themselves. In this context the miracle that Jesus did pointed to his greatness. See KBT Miracle, Sign, Wonder, Mighty Work A.1.

Here are other ways to translate this word:

great deeds that reveal

powerful works that teach

miracles that tell something

at Cana in Galilee: Cana was a small town and Galilee a province. See the notes on 2:1a. It may be natural to make one or both of these facts explicit. For example:

in the village of Cana in Galilee (CEV)

2:11b

He thus revealed His glory,

And in this way Jesus showed his glory,
By it he demonstrated how great he was,
By doing this amazing deed, Jesus allowed people/others to see his glory/greatness,

He thus revealed His glory: This expression indicates that Jesus showed people how great, wonderful, and glorious he was. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

showed his glory (NCV)

demonstrated/displayed how glorious he was

thus: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as thus is more literally “and.” This conjunction does not introduce a second and different event but rather it introduces another way to understand the same event. The miracle can be seen both as a sign and as a revelation of Jesus’ glory. For example:

the first of the signs which revealed his glory (REB)

glory: The Greek word the BSB translates as glory refers to something wonderful that reveals the presence of God. It is also visible evidence of the power of God. By this miracle Jesus showed that he was God’s Messiah. See how you translated glory in John 1:14. See also KBT glory, A2(b).

Here are other ways to translate this word:

greatness

divine majesty

2:11c

and His disciples believed in Him.

and as a result, his disciples believed in him.
and his disciples then trusted him.
and his followers believed that he deserved their trust.

and His disciples believed in Him: Jesus’ disciples believed as a result of seeing this miracle. They saw Jesus’ glory, and so they trusted in him. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

and his disciples put their faith in him (NIV)

and as a result, his followers trusted in him

believed in: This phrase includes the idea of believing the facts about who Jesus was and what he did. But it also includes the idea of trusting Jesus instead of trusting oneself or someone else. Both ideas are very closely related. If someone believes the facts about Jesus, it should result in trusting him. See how you translated this idea in 1:7b and 1:12b. See the examples above for other ways to translate this idea here.

General Comment on 2:11a–c

In the Greek, this is one long sentence (see the NRSV). In some languages it may be natural to break it into two or more sentences. For example:

So in Cana of Galilee Jesus did his first miracle. There he showed his glory, and his followers believed in him. (NCV)

This was Jesus’ first miraculous sign. He did it in the town of Cana in the province of Galilee. There he revealed how great he was, and his disciples trusted in him.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-background

In this verse John provides background information about the events described in [2:1–10](../02/01.md). Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ταύτην ἐποίησεν ἀρχήν τῶν σημείων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν Κανά τῆς Γαλιλαίας καί ἐφανέρωσεν τήν δόξαν αὐτοῦ καί ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν οἱ μαθηταί αὐτοῦ)

John wrote much about the miraculous signs Jesus did. Turning water into wine at the wedding is the first of those signs. See the discussion of signs in Part 3 of the General Introduction to the Gospel of John. Alternate translation: [significant miracles]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐφανέρωσεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ

revealed (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ταύτην ἐποίησεν ἀρχήν τῶν σημείων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν Κανά τῆς Γαλιλαίας καί ἐφανέρωσεν τήν δόξαν αὐτοῦ καί ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν οἱ μαθηταί αὐτοῦ)