Put, fontein, gat of wat? b'r in die Massoretiese teks

Abstract

Well, spring, pit or whatever? b'r in the Masoretic text The Hebrew noun b'r is ojten in translations of the Bible translated with “well” although other translation equivalents, like “spring” and “pit”, are also used in some instances. The treatment of the word in a number of dictionaries for Biblical Hebrew is discussed (Koehler and Baumgartner, Brown, Driver and Briggs and the Theologisches Worterbuch zum Alten Testament). Five meanings of the word is defined The word is used for constructions made by man, and the following meanings are distinguished: a construction related to the exploitation of metals and minerals (“loam-pit”), a construction for the storage of spring water (“well”) a construction for getting access to subterranean water (“well”), a subterranean construction for the storage of rain water or grain (“cistern”), and a construction for burial (“grave”).