“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”
20. Forty and six years. The computation of Daniel agrees with this passage, (Daniel 9:25;) for he reckons seven weeks, which make Forty-nine years; but, before the last of these weeks had ended, the temple was finished. The time described in the history of Ezra is much shorter; but, though it has some appearance of contradiction, it is not at all at variance with the words of the Prophet.
Here we have, I. The short visit Christ made to Capernaum, Joh 2:12. It was a large and populous city, about a day's journey from Cana; it is called his own city (Mat 9:1), because he made it his head-quarters in Galilee, and what little rest he had was there.
Commenting on John 2:12-22
Then said the Jews,.... Unto him, as read the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions: forty and six years was this temple in building; which cannot be understood of the temple as built by Solomon, for that was but seven years in building, Kg1 6:37.