Reference: Cistern
Easton
the rendering of a Hebrew word bor, which means a receptacle for water conveyed to it; distinguished from beer, which denotes a place where water rises on the spot (Jer 2:13; Pr 5:15; Isa 36:16), a fountain. Cisterns are frequently mentioned in Scripture. The scarcity of springs in Palestine made it necessary to collect rain-water in reservoirs and cisterns (Nu 21:22). (See Well.)
Empty cisterns were sometimes used as prisons (Jer 38:6; La 3:53; Ps 40:2; 69:15). The "pit" into which Joseph was cast (Ge 37:24) was a beer or dry well. There are numerous remains of ancient cisterns in all parts of Palestine.
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and took him, and cast him into the pit, but the pit, was empty, there was in it no water.
Let me pass through thy land we will not turn aside into field or into vineyard, nor will we drink the water of a well, - by the kings road, will we go, until we get through thy boundary.
So he brought me up, Out of the destroying pit, Out of the swampy mire, - And set, upon a cliff, my feet, Making firm my steps:
Let not a flood of waters overflow me, And let not the depth swallow me up, Neither let the well close, over me, her mouth.
Drink thou water out of thine own cistern, and flowing streams out of the midst of thine own well.
Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, - for, thus, saith the king of Assyria, Deal with me thankfully, and come out unto me, Then shall ye eat, Every one of his own vine and Every one of his own fig-tree, And drink every one the Waters of his own cistern:
For two wicked things, have my people committed, - Me, have they forsaken a fountain of living water, To hew out for themselves cisterns broken cisterns, that cannot hold water.
Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king, which was in the guard-court, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, - now, in the dungeon, was no water only mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.
They have cut off, in the dungeon, my life, and have cast a stone upon me;
Fausets
Bor, a dug pit for receiving water conducted from a spring or the rainfall. (See CONDUIT.) The dryness between May and September in Palestine makes reservoirs necessary; of which the larger are called "pools," the smaller "cisterns." The rocky soil facilitates their construction. The top, with stonework and a round opening, has often a wheel for the bucket; an image of the aorta or great artery circulating the blood from the ventricle of the heart, or the wheel expresses life in its rapid motion (Jas 3:6; Ec 12:6). The rain is conducted to them from the roofs of the houses, most of which are furnished with them; from whence is derived the metaphor, Pr 5:15, "drink waters out of thine own cistern," i.e. draw thy enjoyments only from the sources that are legitimately thine.
Hezekiah stopped the water supply outside Jerusalem at the invasion of Sennacherib, while within there was abundant water (2Ch 32:3-4). So it has been in all the great sieges of Jerusalem, scarcity of water outside, abundance within. Empty cisterns were used as prisons. So Joseph was cast into a "pit" (Ge 37:22); Jeremiah into one miry at the bottom, and so deep that he was let down by cords (Jer 38:6), said to be near "Herod's gate." Cisterns yield only a limited supply of water, not an everflowing spring; representing creature comforts soon exhausted, and therefore never worth forsaking the never failing, ever fresh supplies of God. for (Jer 2:13). The stonework of tanks often becomes broken, and the water leaks into the earth; and, at best, the water is not fresh long. Compare Isa 55:1-2; Lu 12:33.
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And Reuben said unto them Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness, but put not forth, a hand, against him! that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him unto his father.
And Reuben said unto them Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness, but put not forth, a hand, against him! that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him unto his father.
he took counsel with his captains and his heroes, to stop the waters of the fountains, which were outside the city, - -and they helped him.
he took counsel with his captains and his heroes, to stop the waters of the fountains, which were outside the city, - -and they helped him. And there were gathered together much people, so they stopped all the fountains, and the torrent that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, - Wherefore should the kings of Assyria come, and find many waters?
And there were gathered together much people, so they stopped all the fountains, and the torrent that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, - Wherefore should the kings of Assyria come, and find many waters?
Drink thou water out of thine own cistern, and flowing streams out of the midst of thine own well.
Drink thou water out of thine own cistern, and flowing streams out of the midst of thine own well.
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, - or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, - or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;
Ho! every one that thirsteth! Come ye to the waters, Yea he that hath no money, - Come ye - buy corn, and eat, Yea come - buy corn without money, And without price, wine and milk,
Ho! every one that thirsteth! Come ye to the waters, Yea he that hath no money, - Come ye - buy corn, and eat, Yea come - buy corn without money, And without price, wine and milk, Wherefore should ye spend, Money, for that which is not bread? Or your labour, for that which, satisfieth not? Keep on hearkening unto me, And, so eat that which is good, And let your soul take exquisite delight in fatness:
Wherefore should ye spend, Money, for that which is not bread? Or your labour, for that which, satisfieth not? Keep on hearkening unto me, And, so eat that which is good, And let your soul take exquisite delight in fatness:
For two wicked things, have my people committed, - Me, have they forsaken a fountain of living water, To hew out for themselves cisterns broken cisterns, that cannot hold water.
For two wicked things, have my people committed, - Me, have they forsaken a fountain of living water, To hew out for themselves cisterns broken cisterns, that cannot hold water.
Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king, which was in the guard-court, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, - now, in the dungeon, was no water only mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.
Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king, which was in the guard-court, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, - now, in the dungeon, was no water only mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.
Sell your possessions, and give alms, make for yourselves purses that wax not old, - treasure unfailing, in the heavens, where, thief, doth not draw near, and, moth, doth not spoil.
Sell your possessions, and give alms, make for yourselves purses that wax not old, - treasure unfailing, in the heavens, where, thief, doth not draw near, and, moth, doth not spoil.
And, the tongue, is a fire, - as , the world of unrighteousness, the tongue, becometh fixed among our members, that which defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the wheel of our natural life, and is set on fire, by gehenna!
And, the tongue, is a fire, - as , the world of unrighteousness, the tongue, becometh fixed among our members, that which defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the wheel of our natural life, and is set on fire, by gehenna!
Hastings
In Palestine, the climate and geological formation of the country render the storage of water a prime necessity of existence. Hence cisterns, mostly hewn in the solid rock, were universal in Bible times, and even before the Hebrew conquest (De 6:11; Ne 9:25, both RV). Thus at Gezer it has been found that 'the rock was honeycombed with cisterns, one appropriated to each house [cf. 2Ki 18:31] or group of houses
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Now, therefore, come! let us slay him and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say A cruel beast, hath devoured him, - And let us see what will become of his dreams.
And when a man openeth a pit, or when a man diggeth a pit, and doth not cover it, - and there falleth thereinto an ox or an ass,
and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and hewn cisterns which thou hewedst not, vineyards and oliveyards which thou plantedst not, - and shalt eat and be full,
Do not hearken unto Hezekiah, - for, thus, saith the king of Assyria, Deal with me thankfully, and come out unto me, then shall ye eat - every one of his own vine, and every one of his own fig-tree, and drink every one the waters of his own cistern;
and they captured fortified cities and a fat soil, and took possession of houses full of every good thing, wells digged, vineyards and oliveyards and fruit-trees, in abundance, - so they did eat and were filled and became fat, and luxuriated in thy great goodness.
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, - or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;
Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king, which was in the guard-court, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, - now, in the dungeon, was no water only mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.
Smith
Cistern,
a receptacle for water, either conducted from an external spring or proceeding from rain-fall. The dryness of the summer months and the scarcity of springs in Judea made cisterns a necessity, and they are frequent throughout the whole of Syria and Palestine. On the long-forgotten way from Jericho to Bethel, "broken cisterns" of high antiquity are found at regular intervals. Jerusalem depends mainly for water upon its cisterns, of which almost every private house possesses one or more, excavated in the rock on which the city is built. The cisterns have usually a round opening at the top, sometimes built up with stonework above and furnished with a curb and a wheel for a bucket.
Empty cisterns were sometimes used as prisons and places of confinement. Joseph was cast into a "pit,"
as was Jeremiah.
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And Reuben said unto them Do not shed blood! Cast him into this pit, which is in the wilderness, but put not forth, a hand, against him! that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him unto his father.
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, - or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;
Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah son of the king, which was in the guard-court, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, - now, in the dungeon, was no water only mire, so Jeremiah sank in the mire.
Watsons
CISTERN, a reservoir chiefly for rain water. Numbers of these are still to be seen in Palestine, some of which are a hundred and fifty paces long, and sixty broad. The reason of their being so large was, that their cities were many of them built in elevated situations; and the rain falling only twice in the year, namely, spring and autumn, it became necessary for them to collect a quantity of water, as well for the cattle as for the people. A broken cistern would of course be a great calamity to a family, or in some cases even to a town; and with reference to this we may see the force of the reproof, Jer 2:13.
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For two wicked things, have my people committed, - Me, have they forsaken a fountain of living water, To hew out for themselves cisterns broken cisterns, that cannot hold water.