John Doe asked 2 years ago In the bible the number 6 or multiples of 6 (666) seem to have negative connotations. Is there a negative meaning/message to the 6 stone jars of water at the wedding feast at Cana where The Lord Jesus worked His first miracle? (John 2:1-11)
Nate Guyear Staff answered 2 years ago Thank you for your question! To answer your question, I read two commentaries on this passage and could not find anything helpful regarding the number six specifically. I then remembered that in Scripture, the number six does not necessarily have a negative connotation. For instance, in Genesis 1:31, after God creates man, He looks over all creation and sees that it is “very good.” Before the sixth day, God simply affirmed that the things He created were “good.”
Also, this website gives a list of Bible passages in which the number six is used without a negative connotation. Please click on the link provided. There are quite a few with negative or neutral connotations.
Given the foregoing, I would have to say that we should not automatically assume that just because we see the number six in the Bible, the inspired authors are trying to communicate a hidden message to us.
Finally, the two commentaries I reviewed focused on the sheer volume of wine (20-30 gallons per jar totaling 120-180 gallons) rather than the number of jars. The commentaries went on to say that we should see this historically true miracle as a sign of the Messianic age according to Isaiah 25:6, Joel 3:18, and Amos 9:13, of marital love according to Song of Solomon 1:2, 4:10, and 7:9, and anticipates the transformation of wine into Christ’s body and blood at the Last Supper and at every Mass.
I hope this helps. God bless!