Governor of the Feast

Concise Bible Dictionary:

The word is ἀρχιτρίκλινος, literally “head of three couches.” Three couches were set round the dining table, leaving the fourth side for the access of the servants; hence the president or ruler of a feast (John 2:8-9⁸And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. ⁹When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, (John 2:8‑9)).

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

John 2:8⁸And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. (John 2:8). He saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.

Among the Greeks, at all formal feasts, there was a “symposiarch,” who was one of the guests, and was selected to take charge of the feast. It was his duty to preserve order, to maintain liveliness among the guests, to assign each one his proper place, to decide what proportion of water should be mingled with the wine, and how much each of the company was to drink. Among the Romans was a corresponding officer who was called rex convivii or arbiter bibendi. It is thought by many that the ἀρχιτρίκλινος or “governor of the feast” mentioned in the text, was an officer of the same kind. This, however, is denied by other authorities, who assert that the ἀρχιτρίκλινος was not a guest, but a servant hired for the purpose, whose business it was to take charge of the other servants and see that they properly performed their work. He had some duties in common with the symposiarch, among which was that of tasting the wine before it was offered to the guests. Thus when Jesus had miraculously changed the water into wine, he directed the servants to take some of it to “the governor of the feast.”

Governor of the Feast

Concise Bible Dictionary:

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

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