בֹּאר (bor)
bor
cistern
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun bor refers to a man-made reservoir for storing water, typically known in English as a cistern or well. In the ancient Near East, where rainfall was seasonal and unpredictable, these structures were vital for survival. The sources define it simply as a "cistern, pit, well," highlighting its function as a container that holds water rather than a spring that produces it naturally.
Its theological weight emerges in how Scripture uses this image to contrast human effort with divine provision. A cistern requires digging and maintenance; if the walls are cracked, the water leaks away. This physical reality makes it a powerful metaphor for spiritual emptiness when one turns away from God, who is described as the "fountain of living waters" in Jeremiah 2:13. The word appears in contexts where the stability of the stored water depends on the integrity of the vessel itself.
While bor can sometimes translate to "pit," the context usually distinguishes a water-holding structure from a grave or trap. In II Samuel and Jeremiah, the term anchors discussions about reliability and source. It reminds readers that true sustenance comes not from human-made containers that may fail, but from the original source of life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
In ancient times, a bor was more than just a hole in the ground; it was a carefully dug reservoir designed to catch and keep rainwater. This image reminds us that human efforts to find security are often like these cisterns: they require hard work to dig, but they can crack and leak if not maintained. We might build our own reserves of success or comfort, only to find they do not hold what we need when the drought comes.
Scripture uses this contrast to point us toward a better source. While we labor to fill our own containers, God offers living water that does not run dry. This word invites us to examine where we are digging. Are we relying on our own strength, or are we resting in the one who provides sustenance from above? It is a gentle call to trust the Creator rather than the created.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- from/ [the] well of2×
- cisterns2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִ/בֹּ֥אר1×
- מִ/בֹּ֤אר1×
- בֹּארֹת֙1×
- בֹּאר֔וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 2:13
“For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.
This verse defines the word by contrasting God as the source of living water with human-made cisterns that fail to hold anything.
-
II Samuel 23:15
David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
Here the term refers to a specific well, showing how deeply these water sources were tied to identity and longing for home.
-
II Samuel 23:16
The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Yahweh.
The narrative highlights the cost of retrieving water from this specific location, emphasizing the value placed on what came from it.