He came again therefore into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain ruler, whose son was sick at Capharnaum.

He came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain courtier in Capernaum whose son was sick.

Jesus came, therefore, again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine, and there was a certain courtier, whose son was ailing in Capernaum,

So He came once more to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water into wine. Now there was a certain officer of the King's court whose son was ill at Capernaum.

So he came to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And there was a certain man of high position whose son was ill at Capernaum.

Then he went again into Cana of Galilee, where he made water into wine. And there was a certain ruler, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

So Jesus came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. Now there was one of the king's officers whose son was lying ill at Capernaum.

And there was a certain courtier. This is a more correct rendering, though Erasmus thinks differently, who has translated basilikos by a Latin word, Regulus, which means a little king. [1] I acknowledge indeed that, at that time, they gave the name of Reguli (or, little kings) to those who are now called Dukes, or Barons, or Earls; but the state of Galilee at that time was such that there could be no person of that rank dwelling in Capernaum. I think that he was some nobleman [2] of the court of Herod; for there is some plausibility in the opinion of those who think that he was sent by Caesar. [3] This is expressly mentioned by the Evangelist, because the rank of this personage made the miracle the more illustrious.

Footnotes

1 - "Lequel l'a traduit par un mot Latin Regulus, qui signifie un petit Roy."

2 - "Quelque gentil-homme."

3 - "Par l'Empereur;" -- "by the Emperor."

A certain nobleman - One who was of the royal family, connected by birth with Herod Antipas; or one of the officers of the court, whether by birth allied to him or not. It seems that his ordinary residence was at Capernaum. Capernaum was about a day's journey from Cana, where Jesus then was.

Where he made the water wine - See the notes on John 2:1, etc. Cana was on the road from Nazareth to Capernaum and the Sea of Tiberias.
A certain nobleman - An officer of the king's court: for this is the meaning of the original word, βασιλικος, which the Vulgate translates regulus, a little king. This officer belonged to Herod Antipas, who was then tetrarch of Galilee. Jerome calls him Palatinus, and says he was an officer of the king's palace. Others think it was Chuza, mentioned Luke 8:3; and others think it was Manaen, spoken of Acts 13:1. One of these opinions may be true, but all solid proof is wanting. This officer, whoever he was, appears to have had his ordinary abode at Capernaum, and hearing that Christ was at Cana, he came express from Capernaum thither, to entreat him to heal his child.

(9) So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain (l) nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
(9) Although Christ is absent in body, yet he works mightily in the believers by his word.
(l) Some of Herod's royal attendants, for though Herod was not a king, but a Tetrarch, yet he was a king in all respects (or at least the people called him a king) except that he lacked the title of king.

So Jesus came again unto Cana of Galilee,.... Where he had been once before; see John 2:1. The Syriac version here, as there, calls it "Kotne" of Galilee; and the Persic version, "Catneh" of Galilee:
where he made the water wine; see John 2:9;
there was a certain nobleman; the Vulgate Latin renders it, "a petty king"; the Arabic version, and Nonnus, call him, "a royal man"; and the Syriac version renders it, "a king's servant"; with which agrees the Ethiopic, calling him "a minister, a steward, the king's domestic". The Persic version makes it to be his name, reading it, "there was a great man, whose name was Abdolmelic", which signifies a king's servant: from the whole he seems to be one that belonged to the palace of Herod Antipas, and was one of his courtiers; who, though he was but tetrarch of Galilee, yet is sometimes called a king, Mark 6:14;
whose son was sick at Capernaum; some versions, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic, read the phrase, "in Capernaum", with the former clause, "there was a nobleman in Capernaum": and others, as we do with this; and both may be true; for he might be an inhabitant of Capernaum, and his house be there where his son lay sick. Some think this nobleman was either Chuza, Herod's steward, Luke 8:3, or Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod, Acts 13:1.

nobleman--courtier, king's servant, or one connected with a royal household; such as Chuza (Luke 8:3), or Manaen (Acts 13:1).
heard that Jesus was come out of Judea--"where he had doubtless seen or heard what things Jesus had done at Jerusalem" (John 4:45), [BENGEL].
come down--for Capernaum was down on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.

And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick. The Greek word translated "nobleman" is Basileukos, from Basileus, a king, and implies one connected in some way with royalty. It may have been Chuza (Luke 8:3), Herod's steward.