Κανᾶ

Cana

Definition

Κανᾶ (Cana) is a proper noun referring to a village in Galilee, best known as the location of Jesus' first miracle where he turned water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11). It is also the hometown of the disciple Nathanael (John 21:2). In the Gospel of John, Cana serves as the setting for a second miracle, where Jesus healed the son of a royal official from a distance (John 4:46-54). All four New Testament occurrences are in John's Gospel, establishing it as a significant location for Jesus' early ministry and the revelation of his glory.

Biblical Usage

The word Κανᾶ is used exclusively in the Gospel of John, always as a geographical identifier. It appears in three distinct narrative contexts: the wedding miracle (John 2:1, 11), the healing of the official's son (John 4:46), and as the hometown of Nathanael (John 21:2). Its usage consistently anchors specific events and people to a known Galilean village, providing a concrete setting for Jesus' miraculous signs.

Etymology

Κανᾶ is a Greek transliteration of a Semitic place name, likely derived from Hebrew or Aramaic, meaning 'place of reeds'. The name reflects the local geography, possibly indicating an area with marshy vegetation. As a proper noun borrowed into Greek, it carries no further morphological derivation within the language itself.

Semantic Range

Cana is theologically significant as the location of Jesus' first public miracle, which 'manifested his glory' and led his disciples to believe in him (John 2:11). The two Cana miracles in John's Gospel—the wedding at Cana and the healing of the official's son—serve as 'bookends' to a major section of Jesus' ministry, both demonstrating his power over natural elements and distance. Understanding Cana as a specific, known village grounds the theological truth of the Incarnation—God's glory revealed in a tangible, historical place and through ordinary circumstances like a wedding.

As a village in Galilee, Cana would have been part of a predominantly Jewish region with a mixed cultural influence due to nearby Gentile populations. A wedding feast, as described in John 2, was a major multi-day community celebration. The mention of 'six stone water jars' used for Jewish purification rites (John 2:6) places the miracle firmly within Jewish cultural and religious practice, which Jesus fulfills and transforms.

No direct synonyms as it is a proper place name. Related geographical terms include: Γαλιλαία (Galilaia, G1056) — the region where Cana was located; Ναζαρέτ (Nazaret, G3478) — a nearby and more prominent town in Galilee.

Word Details

Scripture References