מָקוֹר (ma.qor)
ma.qor
fountain
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun maqor refers to a spring, fountain, or source of flowing water. In the Old Testament it appears fourteen times, often carrying rich symbolic weight beyond its literal meaning. It describes not just a pool of standing water, but the origin point from which life-giving fluid emerges.
This word frequently serves as a metaphor for spiritual vitality and wisdom. Proverbs 13:14 calls wise instruction a "fountain of life," while Proverbs 18:4 likens words to deep waters that rise from a hidden source. The imagery suggests that true understanding flows steadily from a reliable origin, much like a natural spring in the desert.
Maqor also appears in ritual contexts, such as Leviticus 15, where it denotes the bodily source of discharge requiring purification. This usage highlights the word’s connection to purity and life force. Jeremiah 2:13 famously contrasts God with broken cisterns, calling Him the "spring of living water," emphasizing that only He provides continuous, refreshing sustenance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word maqor points to the source rather than the container. It describes a spring bursting from the ground, not a static pool. This distinction matters because it shifts our focus from trying to hold onto blessings to connecting with the One who provides them. When we seek God, we are looking for that living origin point where true life begins.
In Proverbs, this imagery helps us understand wisdom and speech. The teaching of the wise is called a spring of life because it flows steadily from a reliable source. Similarly, Jeremiah reminds us that God is the spring of living waters. He does not offer a broken cistern that leaks; He offers a continuous flow that sustains us through dry seasons.
This promise remains true today. You do not need to manufacture your own spiritual vitality. Instead, you can rest in the assurance that God’s grace is always available at the source. By staying connected to Him, you find refreshment that does not run dry, even when circumstances around you feel arid.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [is] a fountain of4×
- [the] spring of2×
- spring/ your1×
- spring/ its1×
- spring/ his1×
- spring/ her1×
- from/ [the] spring of1×
- and/ a fountain1×
- a spring of1×
- a fountain of1×
- a fountain1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מְק֣וֹר6×
- מָק֣וֹר1×
- מִ/מְּקֹ֣ר1×
- מְקוֹרָֽ/הּ\׃1×
- מְקוֹרְ/ךָ֥1×
- מְקוֹר/וֹ֙1×
- מְקֹרָ֣/הּ1×
- מְק֥וֹר1×
- מְק֣וֹר\׀1×
- וּ/מָק֣וֹר1×
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 establishes the core metaphor by contrasting God as the reliable source of living water with human attempts to create inadequate substitutes.
-
Proverbs 13:14
The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, to turn from the snares of death.
Here the word describes wise instruction as a life-giving spring that actively protects the listener from fatal errors.
-
Zechariah 13:1
“In that day there will be a fountain opened to David’s house and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
This prophetic promise looks forward to a divine fountain opened specifically for cleansing from sin and impurity.
-
Proverbs 25:26
Like a muddied spring and a polluted well, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
The metaphor is used negatively here to show how compromising with wickedness pollutes the righteous person's moral source.