πηγή (pēgē)
pēgē
flow
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 11 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun pēgē refers to a spring or fountain, specifically the source from which water flows. In the New Testament, it appears in contexts ranging from physical geography to spiritual metaphor. Jesus uses the image when speaking to the Samaritan woman about living water that becomes "a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14), contrasting a temporary supply with a permanent source.
The word carries a sense of origin and continuous movement. Mark describes a woman healed by Jesus as feeling the "flow" of her bleeding stop, using pēgē to denote the source of the hemorrhage (Mark 5:29). This usage highlights the word’s focus on the point of emergence rather than just the water itself.
In Revelation, John employs pēgē to describe major disruptions in creation. Three times, a star named Wormwood falls and poisons "the spring" of waters, turning them bitter (Revelation 8:10; 10:8; 16:4). These passages use the physical reality of a contaminated source to illustrate spiritual corruption, showing how the origin of a community’s life can be tainted.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word pēgē points to the source rather than just the flow. In John 4:14, Jesus describes a spring welling up inside those who trust Him. This image suggests that spiritual life does not come from external efforts but from an internal source that never runs dry. When you feel spiritually thirsty, this promise offers a steady supply that outlasts temporary relief.
James 3:11 reminds us that a true spring produces one kind of water. It does not switch between fresh and bitter streams. This consistency helps believers understand the importance of integrity in their daily walk. A life rooted in Christ reflects His character steadily, without contradiction or hidden bitterness.
Revelation 21:6 promises that God will give freely from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. This final hope assures us that our current struggles do not define our eternal destiny. The source remains pure and abundant, offering rest and renewal for all who seek it.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 11 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- springs4×
- spring3×
- well;1×
- fountains1×
- flow1×
- a spring1×
- [the] well1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πηγὴ5×
- πηγὰς4×
- πηγῆς1×
- πηγῇ·1×
- πηγαὶ1×
Key Verses
-
John 4:14
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Jesus uses pēgē to describe an internal, perpetual source of spiritual life that prevents future thirst.
-
James 3:11
Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water?
The rhetorical question highlights the impossibility of a single source producing both fresh and bitter water simultaneously.