Original Word: φρέαρ
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: phrear
Pronunciation: fray'-ar
Phonetic Spelling: (freh'-ar)
Definition: a pit, well, cistern.
Meaning: A well or pit, typically used for drawing water or as a cistern.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb φράσσω (phrasso), meaning "to fence in" or "to enclose."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H875: בְּאֵר (be'er) • A Hebrew term for a well, often used in the Old Testament to describe a source of water, such as in Genesis 21:19, where God opens Hagar's eyes to see a well of water.
- H953: בּוֹר (bor) • A Hebrew term for a pit or cistern, used in various contexts, including water storage and as a metaphor for danger or imprisonment, as seen in Genesis 37:24, where Joseph is cast into a pit.

Usage: The term φρέαρ is used in the New Testament to refer to a well or pit, often in the context of a water source. It appears in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Context: The Greek word φρέαρ (phrear) is used in the New Testament to denote a well or pit, primarily as a source of water. This term appears in several key passages, illustrating both physical and spiritual themes.

In John 4:11, the Samaritan woman at the well refers to the "deep well" (φρέαρ) when speaking with Jesus: "Sir," the woman replied, "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?" (BSB). Here, the well serves as a backdrop for Jesus' teaching on the living water, symbolizing eternal life and spiritual sustenance.

In Luke 14:5, Jesus uses the imagery of a well in a parable: "And He asked them, 'Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit (φρέαρ) on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?'" (BSB). This rhetorical question highlights the importance of compassion and mercy over strict Sabbath observance.

The term φρέαρ also appears in Revelation 9:1, where it describes the "shaft of the abyss" (BSB), a symbolic representation of a place of confinement and judgment: "Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit (φρέαρ) of the abyss."

Throughout the New Testament, φρέαρ is used to convey both the practical necessity of water and the deeper spiritual truths associated with Jesus' teachings. The imagery of wells and pits serves as a powerful metaphor for the provision of life-giving sustenance and the depths of divine mystery.

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
a well
NASB Translation
pit (4), well (3).

STRONGS NT 5421: φρέαρ

φρέαρ, φρεαρατος, τό, from the Homer hymn Cer. 99 and Herodotus 6, 119 down; the Sept. for בְּאֵר and (in 1 Samuel 19:22; 2 Samuel 3:26; Jeremiah 48:7, 9 () בּור (a pit, cistern), a well: Luke 14:5; John 4:11f; φρέαρ τῆς ἀβύσσου, the pit of the abyss (because the nether world is thought to increase in size the further it extends from the surface of the earth and so to resemble a cistern, the orifice of which is narrow), Revelation 9:1f.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

well, pit.

Of uncertain derivation; a hole in the ground (dug for obtaining or holding water or other purposes), i.e. A cistern or well; figuratively, an abyss (as a prison) -- well, pit.

Forms and Transliterations

φρεαρ φρεάρ φρέαρ φρέατα φρέατι φρεατος φρέατος φρέατός φρεάτων phrear phréar phreatos phréatos

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts