And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

JOHN 2:10KJV
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John 2:10 (KJV)

What does John 2:10 mean?

John 2:10 describes a guest at the wedding feast commenting that usually people serve the best wine first and bring out cheaper wine after guests have had plenty to drink, but in this case, the best wine has been saved until now. This highlights the unusual quality and timing of the wine Jesus provided.

The speaker in John 2:10 is the master of the banquet, addressing the bridegroom after tasting the wine that Jesus miraculously supplied. The setting is a wedding in Cana, where Jesus has just turned water into wine. The verse draws attention to the surprising excellence of the new wine, which stands out from normal custom and points to something extraordinary happening at this event.

The Greek behind John 2:10

  • καλὸν (kalon, "good"): This word is used twice in the verse and means "good" or "excellent." The Greek emphasizes not just basic quality but something genuinely fine or noble, underlining how remarkable the wine Jesus provided was.
  • μεθύσκω (methysko, "drunk"): This word means "to drink freely" or "to become drunk." The Greek here suggests that after people have had plenty to drink and their senses are dulled, hosts would normally serve inferior wine, making the choice to serve the best wine last even more striking.
  • τηρέω (tēreō, "kept"): This word means "to keep" or "to reserve." The master of the banquet notes that the bridegroom has "kept" the good wine until now, highlighting the deliberate nature of this action and the surprise it causes.

Why John 2:10 matters

  • John 2:10 clears up the common misunderstanding that Jesus simply made more wine; the verse emphasizes that the wine was of unusually high quality, not just quantity.
  • The verse draws attention to the reversal of expectations, which fits with the larger theme in John's Gospel of Jesus bringing something new and better than what came before.
  • By focusing on the timing and quality of the wine, John 2:10 helps readers notice the significance of Jesus' first public miracle and how it reveals his identity in a subtle but powerful way.

Where else these words appear

“worse” Greek G1640 · used in 4 verses

  • Romans 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
  • 1 Timothy 5:9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
  • Hebrews 7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

“drunk” Greek G3184 · used in 7 verses

  • Matthew 24:49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
  • 1 Corinthians 11:21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
  • Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

“wine” Greek G3631 · used in 25 verses

  • Matthew 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
  • John 2:3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
  • Revelation 6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

“now” Greek G737 · used in 35 verses

  • Matthew 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
  • John 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
  • 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.