John 2:6 Meaning and Explanation
“And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Six large stone jars stand nearby for ceremonial washing, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
What Does John 2:6 Mean?
Stone jars were kept for the washing rites that accompanied a feast — water for cleansing hands and vessels (cf. Mark 7:3-4) — because stone, unlike pottery, was held to stay ritually pure. Six of them stood nearby, each holding twenty or thirty gallons: well over a hundred gallons in all, an enormous reservoir waiting unnoticed at the edge of the celebration.
John records the detail precisely because of what Jesus is about to do with it. Vessels devoted to cleansing will soon brim with the wine of celebration — the water of washing becomes the cup of joy. When Christ takes up what is ordinary and devoted to God, he fills it past all expectation. The sheer scale hints at the abundance he came to bring (John 10:10).
John 2:6 in the Original Language
metretes (μετρητής), 'firkin' -- a liquid measure of roughly nine gallons.
Frequently Asked Questions About John 2:6
What does John 2:6 mean?
Six large stone jars stand nearby for ceremonial washing, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.