Discovery BoxJohn 4:46-49 
Context4:46 Now he came again to Cana 1 in Galilee where he had made the water wine. 2 In 3 Capernaum 4 there was a certain royal official 5 whose son was sick. 4:47 When he heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him 6 to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. 4:48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people 7 see signs and wonders you will never believe!” 8 4:49 “Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my child dies.”
1 map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.
2 sn See John 2:1-11.
3 tn Grk “And in.”
4 sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
5 tn Although βασιλικός (basiliko") has often been translated “nobleman” it is almost certainly refers here to a servant of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee (who in the NT is called a king, Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29). Capernaum was a border town, so doubtless there were many administrative officials in residence there.
6 tn The direct object of ἠρώτα (hrwta) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
7 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than the royal official alone).
8 tn Or “you never believe.” The verb πιστεύσητε (pisteushte) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.
