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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comFausset Bible Dictionary: Well
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(See FOUNTAIN.) As ''Ayin, "fount," literally, "eye", refers to the water springing up to us, so beer, "well," from a root "to bore," refers to our finding our way down to it. The Bir- and the En- are always distinct. The rarity of wells in the Sinaitic region explains the national rejoicings over Beer or the well, afterward Beer-Elim, "well of heroes" (-17-18,22). God commanded Moses to cause the well to be dug; princes, nobles, and people, all heartily, believingly, and joyfully cooperated in the work. Naming a well marked right of property in it. To destroy it denoted conquest or denial of right of property (-31; -33; ; ; ; ; ). "Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well," i.e. enjoy the love of thine own wife alone.
Wells and cisterns are the two sources of oriental supply, each house had its own cistern (); to thirst for filthy waters is suicidal. ; in Palestine wells are excavated in the limestone, with steps descending to them (). A low stone wall for protection () surrounds the brim; on it sat our Lord in conversing with the Samaritan woman (; ). A stone cover was above; this the woman placed on the well at Bahurim (), translated "the woman spread the covering over the well's mouth." A rope and bucket or water skin raised the water; the marks of the rope are still visible in the furrows worn in the low wall. See , "he shall stream with water out of his two buckets," namely, suspended from the two ends of a pole, the usual way of fetching water from the Euphrates in Balaam's neighbourhood.
Wells are often contended for and are places of Bedouin attacks on those drawing water (-17; ; -16). Oboth (-11) means holes dug in the ground for water. Beerlahairoi is the first well mentioned (). Beersheba, Rehoboth, and Jacob's well are leading instances of wells (; ). They are sunk much deeper than ours, to prevent drying up. Jacob's well is 75 ft. deep, seven feet six inches in diameter, and lined with rough masonry; a pitcher unbroken at the bottom evidenced that there was water at some seasons, otherwise the fall would have broken the pitcher.