Last updated on April 8th, 2023 at 08:03 pm
Are you curious about the number 6 and the biblical meaning of the number 6? Let’s get right to the question and answer.
What does the number 6 mean in the bible?
What does the number 6 mean in the bible?
In the bible, the number 6 is the number of man, and typically has a negative sentiment connected to human weakness, sin, and works. The number six however shouldn’t always be seen as bad because it represents a nail which provides two symbols of hope.
- The first symbol is that Christ went to the cross and provided salvation and redemption because his skin was pierced with a nail. This gives us a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11) and it also could be symbolic of a turnaround in your situation…God is in the business of redemption.
- The second symbol of the nail is that it connects two things. Vav which is the Hebrew symbol for the number 6 is a picture of a nail and often this is a picture of overlap or redemption. Something needs to be redeemed. For us seeing the number 6 repeatedly could be the spirit telling us our situation will be turned around, or we need to recognize the manly nature of our circumstance and turn it to a spirit situation by allowing God to enter into it.
The Number 6’s Pictograph
As we have seen from other numbers in our series, the number sis is also represented by a picture. In this case the number 6 is represented by a nail. Vav is the numerical value of six, and had this image below which looks like a hook or a nail. This is used to connect things, as a tent peg or to attach. Vav literally means “and” which is like the nail between two things.
The number six gives us a question which is are we connected to Christ or are we connected to man?
Notable Instances of the Number 6
- On the sixth day of creation, the beasts of the field and making were created.
- The first word in the Bible is Bereishit which means in the beginning and in Hebrew is 6 letters
- The sixth word in the Bible starts with vav
- Moses had to wait 6 days before he could go up the mountain to meet God (Ex 21:2)
- Witchcraft is the 6th vice listed in Galatians chapter 5 – Witchcraft was sauls issue in 1 Sam 15:23
- Man is to work six days and rest on the seventh
- Noah was 600 years old when the flood came
- Leah bore Jacob 6 sons
- The mark of the beats is 666 the number of man. This is a much more complex issue and has less to do with the number 6 itself. However, it is a direct mockery of Shaddai and the number 21.
- The sixth feast is Yom HaKippurim – DAy of Atonements Lev 23
- Sith Spirit of God is Da’at which is knowledge and sacrificial love) Is 11:2
- The sixth church in Revelation is Philidelphia
The Meaning of the Number 6
Numbers in the bible generally have a starting point and a main idea that contributes to what it means. The real nuance of numbers in the bible however is that they can have multiple meanings and convey different ideas based on the context. In the English language, these are known as homonyms, and sometimes they require additional context to really understand what is going on.
A good example of this is the word ‘bark’ If you just say the word it does have an intrinsic meaning, but you really don’t know for sure until someone adds the word ‘dog’ or the word ‘tree’.
Man’s Weakness
To get an understanding of a number prophetically we usually go back to the first time that the number appears in scripture. In the case of the number 6 it is in Genesis 1:31 and it is the sixth day. On this day God created man in His own image. the number 7 typically refers to something being complete, so the number 6 is just one shy of that…incomplete. A man without rest is incomplete.
This sense of being incomplete referees to man’s weakness, and his need for something more, ie God, in order to really fulfill his purpose. Man’s weakness is why the number 6 is the number of men.
Man’s Works
This is a huge topic, but for the purposes of this study and when thinking about the number 6 we should think about our works. Works as a biblical term simply refers to the idea that we can do something that will earn either God’s love, or his forgiveness.
The idea that we can somehow buy our way out of sin through what we do.
Salvation by faith and the idea of grace are polar opposites of this idea. It’s is a gift. It is not earned, it is received.
If you are seeing the number 6 repeatedly the Spirit of God may be trying to remind you to step back from striving and working and step into his grace.
Connection and Relationship
The Hebrew understanding of the letter ‘vav‘ in the bible is about connection, it literally means ‘and‘. This also leads us back to the two ideas above that 6 is incomplete, and 6 is about God adding grace. The is something that needs to be added.
If you are seeing the number 6 in this context it could be that you are unequally yoked to something or someone that needs to be re-evaluated. Or, it could mean that a new connection is dangerous and you need to be careful.
I am Seeing the Number 6, What Does that Mean?
It’s a great question, and if you are seeing the number six repeatedly or in dreams then it is wise to search for the answer.
Six is a reference to man, and the works of man but it also represents sacrificial love and intimate knowledge. God made man in his own image, but we are incomplete without Him.
When you remove God or His spirit you are left with idolatry or works or the flesh. 6 is as far away from 7 as you can get. That seems counterintuitive, but the reality is without God everything is lost.
If you are seeing the number six here are a few thoughts and questions that we propose as to why
- What is the context around the number that you are seeing? Colour and shape are always included in the interpretation and discernment of numbers. What else is happening when you see the number, what is the situation?
- Is it about your connections – is there another person or thing involved in the scene? This would lead us to believe that you are connected to something you shouldn’t be.
- Is there a heaviness to the context? This would mean that you’re striving, and trying too hard and not relying on God. He is trying to tell you to let go of your own works and lean into Him
- Idolatry – Is there something in the way you are seeing the number that suggests you have an idol in your life? This could be money, a relationship or a way of thinking. Idols are not just graven images but they can be things that we put before God.
FAQ for the Number 6 in the Bible
What is the Hebrew number for 6?
The Hebrew number for six is actually a letter and it is the 6th letter in the Hebrew alphabet called ‘vav’. Vav means ‘and’ and is used as a connector like in Heaven and Earth. It is the picture of a nail that would connect things together.
What does 6 mean in Judaism?
The gematria of the Hebrew number six are found in the books of the Mishnah – the six working days of the week, the six days of creation and the six days of man.
What does the number 6 mean prophetically?
Prophetically the number six is the number of man, the number of works and the number of being incomplete. It has references to intimate knowledge and sacrificial love, but those things are the reflection of God upon man, meaning that the number six represents the part just before God intervenes.
Prophetically speaking the number six requires context. All on its own it would be considered a warning to pay attention to what God is going to say next. Typically that means that you are striving, that you are putting your faith in things of this world instead of things of His world.
What do the numbers mean in gematria?
Gematria is a Jewish form of numerology in which the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are substituted with corresponding numbers. The first ten letters are given number values that increase consecutively from 1 to 10. The next eight letters are given number values that increase by a factor of ten from 20 to 90. – From Yale University
Further Reading
We have a whole series on biblical numbers. Numbers like the number 2, the number 4, the number 9 and the number 3. Click on these to get more insight into the biblical numbers.
