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John 2:6
ESV Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
NIV Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
NASB Now there were six stone waterpots standing there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing two or three measures each.
CSB Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.
NLT Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons.
KJV And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
NKJV Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.

What does John 2:6 mean?

Turning water into wine was the first of John's seven highlighted miracles—called "signs"—meant to prove Jesus' divinity. This miracle is not only a kind gift to the bride and groom. It is also a powerful metaphor for Jesus' role as Savior. The water jars were used for ritual purification, holding around twenty-five gallons, or nearly ninety-five liters, each. Six is the biblical number of man; it can also represent imperfection. Seven is the "perfect" number: the number of God. Wine is a common biblical symbol of blood.

Jesus transformed water, meant for ritual cleansing, into wine, representing blood. In a symbolic way, this mirrors how Jesus' sacrifice transformed the rituals of the law into the gospel of grace.

According to John 2:11, this was the first miracle Jesus had ever performed. Later verses will explain that only the servants, Mary, and the disciples would have known about the event. True miracles are always a message from God, and this miracle is meant to teach the new disciples about Jesus.
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