Water
WATER
See CISTERN and WELLS.In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for “parched ground” that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Jer 22:1 . Compare Isa 29:8 Jer 15:18 .
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Water
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In the NT, after the Gospels, water is nearly always used in a figurative or symbolical sense.
1. The words employed by Christ in Act 1:5 seem to echo Mat 3:11, Mar 1:8, Luk 3:16, Joh 1:33. Water was the element in which John baptized his penitents, and the best that he had; but he was profoundly conscious of its inadequacy, and eagerly expectant of an altogether different kind of baptism, to be introduced by the Messiah. It has been contended that the and the which he desired were the sweeping wind and the destroying fire of judgment (so, e.g., A. B. Bruce, EGT , Matthew, London, 1897, p. 84), but it is more likely that what he longed for was the life-giving breath and the purifying fire of the Messianic era. If we must not read into his words the Pentecostal and similar experiences, we need not eliminate from them the highest prophetic ideals. When Christ confirms His forerunners distinction between baptism in water and baptism in the Holy Spirit (Act 1:5), He certainly regards the latter not as a blast of judgment but as the supreme gift of Divine grace; and Peter, who remembered the word of the Lord, and no doubt the tone in which He uttered it, quotes it not as a menace but as an evangelical promise (Act 11:16). Water is referred to in connexion with the baptism of the eunuch (Act 8:36; Act 8:38-39) and of Cornelius (Act 10:47). In the latter case the baptism in water is the immediate sequel to the earliest baptism of the Gentiles with the Holy Spirit, which was attended with the rapturous utterances known as glossolalia.
2. In Eph 5:26 the Church is said to be cleansed by the washing (or laver, ) of water with the word, baptism being regarded as the seal and symbol of a spiritual experience which is mediated by faith in the gospel.
3. The writer of Hebrews (Heb 9:19) says that water was used along with blood-either to prevent coagulation or as a symbol of purity-at the institution of the ancient covenant, a detail which is not mentioned in Exo 24:3 ff. It is a striking fact that in his review of the Levitical ordinances this writer never quotes the LXX phrase , water of sprinkling, which occurs four times in Numbers 19, but coins in its place the phrase , blood of sprinkling (Heb 12:24). It is his conviction that, while the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer (according to a Scripture which he does not question) cleanse the flesh (Heb 9:13), and while water purifies the body (Heb 10:22), only the blood of Christ can sprinkle the heart from an evil conscience (Heb 9:14, Heb 10:22). He does not, as F. Delitzsch (Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, ii. [Edinburgh, 1870] 179) thinks, suggest that the water of baptism has cleansing virtue because sacramentally impregnated with the blood of Christ. Just as he altogether ignores the sacramental value of the Levitical rites which he enumerates, it is not his task to give a philosophy of the Christian sacraments. His distinctive doctrine, to the enforcement of which he devotes his whole strength, is that, while all ritual is at the best but outward and symbolic, the spiritual appropriation of Christ and His atonement by faith has virtue to penetrate and purify the whole personality, beginning with the heart.
4. Peter sees a parallel between the water of Noahs flood and that of baptism (1Pe 3:20), and Paul finds a mystical and sacramental meaning in the sea and the cloud, in both of which the Israelites may be said to have been baptized into Moses (1Co 10:2).
5. It is the teaching of John that Jesus Christ came by () water and blood, not with () the water only, but with the water and the blood (1Jn 5:6). Historically the baptism and death of the Messiah were crises in His activity, occurring once for all at the beginning and the end of His ministry, but spiritually He ever abides with and in the water and the blood, which are the two wells of life in His Church, His baptism being repeated in every fresh act of baptism, and His blood of atonement never failing in the communion cup (H. J. Holtzmann, Handkomm. zum NT, Freiburg i. B., 1891, ii. 236).
6. James (Jam 3:11-12) illustrates the moral law that the same heart cannot overflow in both blessings and curses by the natural law that the same fountain cannot send forth both sweet water and bitter-a variation on Christs words in Mat 7:16-17.
7. The prophet of the Revelation (recalling Eze 1:24; Eze 43:2) once compares the voice of Christ (Rev 1:15), and twice that of the great multitude of the redeemed (Rev 14:2, Rev 19:6), to the voice of many waters, in the one case thinking perhaps of the music of waves quietly breaking, in the other of the thunder of great billows crashing, around the aegean island which was his place of exile. He constantly uses fountains of water, and clear rivers, as symbols of spiritual life and blessing. Per contra, he imagines the angel of the waters turning Romes rivers and fountains of water into blood (Rev 16:4); for, as she has shed the blood of saints like water, it is but just that she should have to drink blood-a grim species of poetic justice. The great star Wormwood falls in Earths sweet waters, turning them to wormwood, and those who drink of them die because they are so bitter (Rev 8:9-11). The waters of the Euphrates are to be dried up, like the Jordan before Joshua, that the powers of the East-Parthia and her confederates-may come to the invasion of the Roman Empire (Rev 16:12). The great harlot, Rome, sits proudly upon many waters-ruling peoples and nations by many rivers and seas (Rev 17:1; Rev 17:15)-but her day of judgment and dethronement is in sight (Rev 17:1).
James Strahan.
Fuente: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
Water
(, ), universally one of the chief necessaries of life. No one can read far in the Sacred Scriptures without being reminded of the vast importance of water to the Hebrews in Palestine, and, indeed, in every country ton which, their history introduces us; but more particularly in the deserts in which they wandered on leaving Egypt, as well as those into which they before or afterwards sent their flocks for pasture.
I. Supply. In our temperate climate, surrounded as we are with perpetual verdure and never-failing streams, we can scarcely conceive the value of water in Palestine and other regions of the East. During summer and autumn, when the small streams are dried up through want of rain, the inhabitants are entirely dependent upon the water derived from wells, or preserved in cisterns or reservoirs, which sometimes becomes unpleasant. SEE CISTERN. Hence the water of running streams and fountains, as opposed to that of stagnant cisterns, pools, or marshes, is called living water (Gen 26:19; Zec 14:8; Joh 4:10-11; Joh 7:38; Rev 7:17). SEE POOL. Water is commonly drawn out of the wells or cisterns by females, and carried, upon the shoulder or head; large leathern or earthen vessels (Gen 24:45). SEE WELL.
In the hot countries of the East, the assuaging of thirst is one of the first delightful sensations that can be felt (Psa 143:6; Pro 25:25); and every attention which humanity and hospitality can suggest is paid to furnish travelers with water; and public reservoirs or pools are opened in several parts of Egypt and Arabia (Mat 10:42). SEE FOUNTAIN. Water was sometimes paid for, and is now occasionally in the East (Num 20:17; Num 20:19; Lamentation 5:4). SEE DRAWER OF WATER.
II. Peculiar Usages. Among the optical illusions which the deserts of the East have furnished is the mirage. This phenomenon of waters that fail, or are not sure, was called by the Hebrews sharb, i.e. heat, and is rendered the parched ground (Isa 35:7); properly, And the mirage shall become a pool, i.e. the desert which presents the appearance of a lake shall be changed into real water. SEE MIRAGE.
Throughout the East it is customary to irrigate their fields and gardens by means of small canals or rivulets, which distribute the water in every direction (Psa 1:3). Allusion is probably made to this custom in Eze 31:3-4. Sometimes the channels are bordered with stone, and accompanied with troughs; at other times they are mere ridges of earth, to regulate the flow (Pro 21:1). Thus, in Deu 11:10, it is said the land of Canaan is not like Egypt, where thou sowest thy seed, and waterest it with thy foot. Palestine is a country which has rains, plentiful dews, springs, rivulets, and brooks, which supply the earth with the moisture necessary to its fruitfulness; whereas Egypt has no river but the Nile; and, as it seldom rains, the lands which are not within reach of the inundation continue parched and barren (see Hackett, Illustur. of Script. p. 151 sq.). SEE IRRIGATION.
III. Metaphorical and Symbolical Phrases. Water sometimes signifies literally the element of water (Gen 1:10), and occasionally its parallel in tears (Jer 9:1; Jer 9:7); hence, figuratively, trouble (Psa 56:1) and misfortune (Lam 3:54; Psa 69:1; Psa 124:4-5). Water is put for children or posterity (Num 24:7; Isa 48:1); for the clouds (Psa 104:3); for the ordinances of the Gospel (Isa 12:3; Isa 35:6-7; Isa 55:1; Joh 7:37-38). Stolen waters denote unlawful pleasures with strange women (Pro 9:17). The Israelites are reproached with having forsaken the fountain of living water to quench their thirst at broken cisterns (Jer 2:13); that is, with having quitted the worship of the all-sufficient God for the worship of vain and senseless idols.
Water is used in the sense of purification, as the washing away of sin. SEE BAPTISM. When clear, cool, and pleasant, it is the symbol of great good; and, when muddy and thick, it denotes disease and affliction (as above). Hence, the torments of wicked men after this life were by the ancients represented under the symbol of a lake whose waters were full of mud and filth (Isa 57:20). Many waters, on account of their noise, number, disorder, and the confusion of the waves, are the symbols of peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (Rev 17:15; Jer 47:2); waters signifying an army or multitude (Isa 17:12-13).
As in Scripture bread is put for all sorts of food or solid nourishment, so water is used for all sorts of drink. The Moabites and Ammonites are reproached for not meeting the Israelites with bread and water; that is, with proper refreshments (Deu 23:4). Nabal says, insulting David’s messengers, Shall I then take my bread and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be? (1Sa 25:11).
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Water
The heat of summer and many mouths of drought necessitated also appliances for storing and conveying water; and remains still exist of the (See POOLS of Solomon situated near Bethlehem, and of the aqueduct near Jericho which was constructed by the Romans.
Fuente: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
WATER
In a hot and dry country such as Palestine, water was extremely important. God promised his people that if they were obedient to him, he would always send them enough rain to ensure a constant supply for all their needs. But if they were disobedient, he would send them droughts and famine (Deu 28:12-24; Joe 2:23; Amo 4:7-8). (For further details concerning the problems of water in Palestine see PALESTINE; WEATHER.)
The refreshing and life-giving benefits of water made it a popular biblical symbol to picture the spiritual refreshment and eternal life that God gives to those who trust in him (Psa 1:3; Psa 23:1-3; Isa 44:3; Isa 55:1; Jer 17:13; Joh 4:14; Joh 7:37-39; Rev 21:6; Rev 22:1-2). Water could, however, be a means of judgment (Gen 6:17; Exo 14:23; Exo 14:26-27; Psa 32:6; Mat 7:24-27; 2Pe 2:5).
Water was also used in the cleansing rituals of the Israelite religion. Ceremonial washings for the priests spoke of the purity required of those in official religious positions (Exo 29:4-5). At times the washing had additional practical benefits (Exo 30:18-21). If people became ceremonially unclean, they had to be ceremonially cleansed with water. Again there were cases where the washing had additional practical benefits (Lev 14:1-9; Lev 15:16-18; Num 19:11-13; see UNCLEANNESS).
Ritual cleansings may have involved bathing the whole body (Num 19:7), bathing only parts of the body (Exo 30:19), or merely sprinkling (Num 8:7). The water used in the rituals in some cases was pure water, in others a specially prepared mixture (Lev 15:13; Num 19:17).
In figurative speech, water was a picture of cleansing from sin (Psa 51:1-2; Eze 36:25-26; Joh 13:5-10; Act 22:16; Eph 5:26; Heb 10:22; see also BAPTISM). Such cleansing can occur only through the activity of God, who in his mercy removes sin and creates new life within the cleansed sinner (Joh 3:5-7; 1Co 6:9-11; Tit 3:5-7; Rev 7:14; Rev 7:17; see REGENERATION).
Fuente: Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
Water
WATER ().For an Eastern country, Palestine (except in the Negeb and the districts which are desert) has a fairly abundant supply of water. It is described as a land of brooks (torrent-valleys), of fountains and depths, that spring out of the valleys and hills (Deu 8:7). It is a matter of dispute whether the climate has changed since OT times. The rainy season is in winter, from November to March, when the rains are generally heavy. At other times there are only occasional showers. The former rain and the latter rain (Deu 11:14) come about the autumn and spring equinox respectively. The rainfall on an average is from 25 to 30 inches in ordinary seasons (the average rainfall in England is less than 30 inches), but there are times of drought which cause great loss and suffering. In Galilee the water supply is much greater than in Judaea. The storage of water is much more imperfect than in former times. In many places the ruins of artificial tanks, pools, and aqueducts are visible. The chief waters which are referred to in the Gospels are those of the Sea of Galilee and the river Jordan.
Water is frequently mentioned in the Gospels (most instances are found in Jn.), both in its literal and figurative meanings. 1. Literally: e.g. Jesus went up straightway out of the water (Mat 3:16 || Mar 1:10); Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water (Luk 16:24); John was baptizing in aenon, near to Salim, because there was much water there (Joh 5:1-7). The water of the pool of Bethesda (Joh 3:23) was supposed to have curative powers. Part of v. 3 (waiting for the moving of the waters) and the whole of v. 4 are now rejected by critical editors. The moving of the water was a natural phenomenon, the flow of the spring being intermittent. The disciples who were sent to prepare for the observance of the Passover were instructed to look for a man bearing a pitcher of water (Mar 14:13 || Luk 22:10). As water is usually carried by women in the East, the man bearing the pitcher would easily be distinguished. It was perhaps a token arranged beforehand, so that the place of observance should not be known till the last moment. See also art. Pitcher. In Joh 19:34 it is recorded that at the crucifixion of Jesus one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and forthwith there came out blood and water; see art. Blood and Water.
2. The figurative use of water in the Gospels is varied. It is a symbol (i.) of the moral cleansing of life in repentance, I baptize you with water unto repentance (Mat 3:11, Mar 1:8, Luk 3:16, Joh 1:23-26); (ii.) its symbolical reference in connexion with the new birth is admitted, but its significance is uncertain, Except a man be born of water and spirit ( ), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (Joh 3:5). The phrase water and spirit has been regarded as an instance of hendiadys, and interpreted as spiritual water (Neil, Figurative Language in the Bible). Others take it as referring to the baptism of John, and as indicating that repentance is an essential factor in the new birth (Expos. Times, vol. iii. p. 318). It has also been interpreted as referring to the sacrament of baptism. This is the most ancient and general view. Wendt and others, however, regard the words as a post-Apostolic interpolation (Gospel according to St. John, ad loc). This is the most probable conclusion, unless the words are interpreted as referring to the baptism of John unto repentance; see Expos. Times, vol. xv. p. 413. (iii.) Water is also used as a symbol of innocence: Pilate took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person (Mat 27:24). (iv.) As a sign of hospitality or respect (see Gen 24:32; Gen 43:24). Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee, I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet (Luk 7:44). (v.) At the supper in the upper room (Joh 13:1-7) the water for the feet had not been provided. The disciples had not noticed the omission, or they were each unwilling to undertake the servile duty. Then Jesus riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that, he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples feet (Joh 13:4-5). The ordered detail of the narrative is an indication of the profound impression which the action of Jesus had made upon the Evangelist. The act was full of significance. It was a symbolic service. It taught the disciples the duty of humility, and the need of daily cleansing from the daily defilement of sin. (vi.) In His conversation with the woman of Samaria, Jesus linked the water which she sought at the well with the living water which He alone could give. He uses it as a symbol of eternal life, the blessings of the gospel in their satisfying and permanent power of good (Joh 4:11-15). (vii.) On the last day of the feast Jesus stood in the Temple and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living Mater (Joh 7:37 f.). The Evangelist interprets the symbol: This spake he of the Spirit, which they which believed on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified (Joh 7:39). The accuracy of the interpretation has been doubted (Wendt, Teaching of Jesus, vol. i. p. 256 n. [Note: note.] ). (viii.) It is also used as a symbol of the smallest service: Whosoever shall give unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward (Mat 10:42 || Mar 9:41). It is possible to punctuate the sentence so that it reads a cup of cold water only or only in the name of a disciple. But the first is greatly to be preferred.
Literature.Conder, Palestine, pp. 2529; Robinson, BRP [Note: RP Biblical Researches in Palestine.] i. 342 f.; Smith, Expositor, 6th ser. vii. [1903] 212 ff.; art. Water in Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible ; Thomson, LB [Note: The Land and the Book.] p. 459; Neil, Figurative Language in the Bible; Expos. Times, vol. iii. [1892] p. 318, vol. vi. [1895] p. 389, vol. xv. [1904] p. 413.
John Reid.
Fuente: A Dictionary Of Christ And The Gospels
Water
WATER.The scarcity of water in the East lends it a special value. Its presence in some form is essential to life. The fruitfulness of the land depends on the quantity available for watering. The Jordan, with its great springs, is too low for the irrigation of anything but the valley. There are many fountains in Palestine, but most fail in summer. The average annual rainfall approaches 30 inches. But this is confined to the months from April till October; and the water would rush down the slopes to the sea, were it not caught and stored for future use. The limestone formation, with its many caves, made easy the construction of cisterns and reservoirs to collect the rain water: thence supplies were drawn as required during the dry months. Wherever water is found, there is greenery and beauty all through the year.
In the Maritime Plain plentiful supplies of water are found on digging (Gen 26:13 ff.). To fill up the wells would make the district uninhabitable. Invading armies were at times reduced to sore straits by the stopping of wells (2Ki 3:19; 2Ki 3:25), or diversion and concealment of the stream from a fountain (2Ch 32:3 f.).
The earliest use of water was doubtless to allay the thirst of man and beast. Refusal of drink to a thirsty man would be universally condemned (Gen 24:17 f., Joh 4:7). It is held a meritorious act to set a vessel of water by the wayside for the refreshment of the wayfarer. The same right does not extend to flocks (Gen 24:19 f.), for which water must often be purchased. Use and wont have established certain regulations for the watering of animals, infringement of which frequently causes strife (Gen 29:2 ff., Exo 2:16 ff.; cf. Gen 26:20 etc.). The art of irrigation (wh. see) was employed in ancient days (Psa 1:3; Psa 65:10, Eze 17:7 etc.), and reached its fullest development in the Roman period. To this time also belong many ruins of massive aqueducts, leading water to the cities from distant sources.
Cisterns and springs are not common property. Every considerable house has a cistern for rain water from roof and adjoining areas. Importance is attached to plunging in the buckets by which the water is drawn up, this preventing stagnation. The springs, and cisterns made in the open country, are the property of the local family or tribe, from whom water, if required in any quantity, must be bought. The mouth of the well is usually covered with a great stone. Drawing of water for domestic purposes is almost exclusively the work of women (Gen 24:11, Joh 4:7 etc.). In crossing the desert, water is carried in bottles of skin (Gen 21:14).
The living, i.e. flowing water of the spring is greatly preferred to the dead water of the cistern, and it stands frequently for the vitalizing Influences of Gods grace (Jer 2:13, Zec 14:3, Joh 4:10 etc.). Many Scripture references show how the cool, refreshing, fertilizing qualities of water are prized in a thirsty land (Pro 25:26, Isa 44:14, Jer 17:8, Luk 16:24 etc.). Water is furnished to wash the feet and hands of a guest (Luk 7:44). To pour water on the hands is the office of a servant (2Ki 3:11). The sudden spates of the rainy season are the symbol of danger (Psa 18:16; Psa 32:6, Isa 28:17 etc.), and their swift passing symbolizes lifes transiency (Job 11:18, Psa 58:7). Water is also the symbol of weakness and Instability (Gen 49:4, Eze 21:7 etc.). Cf. City; Jerusalem, I. 4. For Water-gate see Nethinim, p. 654a.
W. Ewing.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Water
In the language of Scripture, this word hath numberless applications made of it, but in a peculiar manner is principally made use of in relation to the person, work, and offices of God the Holy Ghost. For as water is essentially necessary to animal life, so is the blessed Spirit to spiritual life. But it would form a subject in itself, and fill a volume, to shew how many and how various the ways by which the Holy Ghost is represented in the Bible under this sweet figure, as supplying the church with living water. Hence he is called the “water of life, a well of water springing up in the soul to everlasting life.” And he is described as quickening the marshy ground; cleansing, refreshing, comforting, cooling, and strengthening the souls of his people, by the continued streams of his grace. “There is a river (said the Psalmist) the streams whereof do make glad the city of God…” (Psa 46:4) It should not be overlooked or forgotten also, that each and all of the persons of the GODHEAD are so described in the word of God, and which by the way, let it be observed, becomes a decided proof of the unity of the GODHEAD, while it no less shews the distinction of person. Hence, God the Father is set forth by the prophet as a fountain. (Jer 2:13) God the Son as a fountain. (Zec 13:1; Son 4:15) And God the Holy Ghost as a fountain, filling the hearts of the redeemed, and causing them to overflow in the day of Christ. (Joh 7:38)
Fuente: The Poor Mans Concordance and Dictionary to the Sacred Scriptures
Water
woter (, mayim; , hudor):
(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, From water we have made all things. In the story of the creation (Gen 1:2) water plays an elemental part.
(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as light, heavy, etc.
(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow. This supplies the springs and fountains. The rivers are mostly small and have little or no water in summer. For the most part springs supply the villages, but in case this is not sufficient, cisterns are used. Most of the rain falls on the western slopes of the mountains, and most of the springs are found there. The limestone in many places does not hold the water, so wells are not very common, though there are many references to them in the Bible.
(4) Cisterns are usually on the surface of the ground and vary greatly in size. Jerusalem has always had to depend for the most part on water stored in this way, and carried to the city in aqueducts. A large number of cisterns have been found and partially explored under the temple-area itself. The water stored in the cisterns is surface water, and is a great menace to the health of the people. During the long, dry summer the water gets less and less, and becomes so stagnant and filthy that it is not fit to drink. In a few instances the cisterns or pools are sufficiently large to supply water for limited irrigation. See CISTERN.
(5) During the summer when there is no rain, vegetation is greatly helped by the heavy dews. A considerable amount of irrigation is carried on in the country where there is sufficient water in the fountains and springs for the purpose. There was doubtless much more of it in the Roman period. Most of the fruit trees require water during the summer.
(6) Many particular wells or pools are mentioned in the Bible, as: Beersheba (Gen 21:19), Isaac’s well (Gen 24:11), Jacob’s well (Joh 4:6), Pool of Siloam (Joh 9:7), waters of Nephtoah (Jos 15:9).
(7) Washing with water held a considerable place in the Jewish temple-ceremony (Lev 11:32; Lev 16:4; Lev 17:15; Lev 22:6; Num 19:7; Exo 30:18; Exo 40:7). Sacrifices were washed (Exo 29:4; Lev 1:9; Lev 6:28; Lev 14:5).
(8) The lack of water caused great suffering (Exo 15:22; Deu 8:15; 2Ki 3:9; Psa 63:1; Pro 9:17; Eze 4:11; Lam 5:4). See also FOUNTAIN; PIT; POOL; SPRING; WELL.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Water
No one can read far in the sacred Scriptures without being reminded of the vast importance of water to the Hebrews in Palestine, and indeed in every country to which their history introduces us; and more particularly in the deserts in which they wandered on leaving Egypt, as well as those into which they before or afterwards sent their flocks for pasture. The natural waters have already been disposed of in the articles Palestine and Rivers of Palestine; and in Cistern and Jerusalem notice has been taken of some artificial collections. It now remains to complete the subject, under the present head, by the addition of such details as may not have been comprehended under the articles referred to.
It has been shown that the absence of small rivers, through the want of rain in summer, renders the people of the settled country, as well as of the deserts, entirely dependent upon the water derived from wells, and that preserved in cisterns and reservoirs, during the summer and autumn; and gives an importance unknown in our humid climate to the limited supply thus secured.
With respect to reservoirs, the articles to which reference has been made, will supply all the information necessary, except that we may avail ourselves of this opportunity of noticing the so-called Pools of Solomon, near Bethlehem. ‘They consist of three enormous tanks,’ says Dr. Wilde, ‘sunk in the side of a sloping ground, and which from time immemorial have been considered to be the workmanship of Solomon; and certainly they are well worthy the man to whom tradition has assigned their construction. These reservoirs are each upon a distinct level, one above the other, and are capable of holding an immense body of water. They are so constructed, both by conduits leading directly from one another, and by what may be termed anastomosing branches, that when the water in the upper one has reached to a certain height, the surplus flows off into the one below it, and so on into the third. These passages were obstructed and the whole of the cisterns were out of repair when we visited them, so that there was hardly any water in the lowest, while the upper one was nearly full of good pure water. Small aqueducts lead from each of these cisterns to a main one that conducts the water to Jerusalem. They are all lined with a thick layer of hard whitish cement, and a flight of steps leads to the bottom of each, similar to some of those in the holy city. Where the lowest cistern joins the valley of Etham it is formed by an embankment of earth, and has a sluice to draw off the water occasionally. A short distance from the upper pool I descended into a narrow stone chamber, through which the water passes from the neighboring spring on its course to the cisterns.
‘On our return to the city we followed the track of the aqueduct as far as Bethlehem, and afterwards crossed it in several places on the road. It is very small, but the water runs in it with considerable rapidity, as we could perceive by the open places left in it here and there. From the very tortuous course that this conduit takes in following the different sinuosities of the ground, being sometimes above and sometimes beneath the surface, it is difficult to persuade oneself that it does not run up hill, as many have supposed. Finally, it crosses over the valley of Rephaim, on a series of arches, to the north of the lower pool of Gihon, and winding round the southern horn of Zion, is lost to view in the ruins of the city. It very probably supplied the pool of Bethesda, after having traversed a course of certainly not less than from thirteen to fifteen miles.’
Fig. 340Well and Bucket at Jaffa
With respect to wells, their importance is very great, especially in the desert, where the means of forming them are deficient, as well as the supply of labor necessary for such undertakings, which, after all, are not always rewarded by the discovery of a supply of water. Hence in such situations, and indeed in the settled countries also, the wells are of the utmost value, and the water in most cases is very frugally used (Num 20:17-19; Deu 2:6; Deu 2:28; Job 22:7). We are not, however, to seek an explanation of the contests about wells which we find in the histories of Abraham and Isaac (Gen 21:25-31; Gen 26:15-22) merely in the value of the well itself, but in the apprehension entertained by the Philistines that by the formation of such wells the patriarchs would be understood to create a lien on the lands in which they lay, and would acquire an indefeasible right of occupation, or rather of possession; and it might seem to them inconvenient that so powerful a clan should acquire such a right in the soil of so small a territory as that which belonged to them. Hence their care, when Abraham afterwards left their part of the country, to fill up the wells which he had digged; and hence, also, the renewed and more bitter strife with Isaac when he, on arriving there, proceeded to clear out those wells and to dig new ones himself.
It appears in Scripture that the wells were sometimes owned by a number of persons in common, and that flocks were brought to them for watering on appointed days, in an order previously arranged. A well was often covered with a great stone, which being removed, the person descended some steps to the surface of the water, and on his return poured into a trough that which he had brought up (Gen 24:11-15; Gen 29:3-10; Exo 2:16; Jdg 5:11). There is, in fact, no intimation of any other way of drawing water from wells in Scripture. But as this could only be applicable in cases where the well was not deep, we must assume that they had the use of those contrivances which are still employed in the East, and some of which are known from the Egyptian monuments to have been very ancient. This conclusion is the more probable as the wells in Palestine are mostly deep (Pro 20:5; Joh 4:11). Jacob’s well near Shechem is said to be 120 feet deep, with only fifteen feet of water in it; and the labor of drawing from so deep a well probably originated the first reluctance of the woman of Samaria to draw water for Jesus: ‘Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.’ From this deeper kind of well the water is drawn by hand in a leathern bucket not too heavy, sometimes by a windlass, but oftener, when the water is only of moderate depth, by the shadoof, which is the most common and simple of all the machines used in the East for raising water, whether from wells, reservoirs, or rivers. This consists of a tapering lever unequally balanced upon an upright body variously constructed, and from the smaller end of which is suspended the bucket by a rope. This, when lowered into the well, is raised full of water by the weight of the heavier end. By this contrivance the manual power is applied in lowering the bucket into the well, for it rises easily, and it is only necessary to regulate the ascent. This machine is in use under slight modifications from the Baltic to the Yellow Sea, and was so from the most remote ages to the present-day. The specimen in the annexed woodcut occurs in the neighborhood of Jaffa. The water of wells, as well as of fountains, was by the Hebrews called ‘living water,’ translated ‘running water,’ and was highly esteemed (Lev 14:5; Num 19:17). It was thus distinguished from water preserved in cisterns and reservoirs.
Fuente: Popular Cyclopedia Biblical Literature
Water
Creation of
Psa 148:4-5
Covered the whole earth
Gen 1:9
Daily allowance of
Eze 4:11
City waterworks
2Ki 20:20
Vision of, by Ezekiel
Eze 47:1-5
Of separation
Num 19:2-22
Libation of
1Sa 7:6
Irrigation with
Irrigation
Miraculously supplied:
– To the Israelites
Exo 17:1; Exo 17:6; Num 20:11
– To Samson
Jdg 15:19
– To Jehoshaphat’s army
2Ki 3:16-20
Purified by Elisha
2Ki 2:19-22
Red Sea divided
Exo 14:21-22
The river Jordan divided
Jos 3:14-17; 2Ki 2:6-8; 2Ki 2:14
Jesus walks on
Mat 14:25
Jesus changed water to wine
Joh 2:1-11
Jesus changed water to blood
Rev 16:3-5
Figurative:
– Water of life
Joh 4:14; Joh 7:37-39; Rev 21:6; Rev 22:17
– Of affliction
2Sa 22:17; Psa 69:1; Isa 30:20; Isa 43:2
– Of salvation
Isa 12:3; Isa 49:10; Isa 55:1; Eze 36:25; Joh 4:10; Joh 7:38
– Of domestic love
Pro 5:15
Symbolic
Isa 8:7; Rev 8:11; Rev 12:15; Rev 16:4; Rev 17:1; Rev 17:15
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
WATER
Water is so necessary to life, that the Oneirocritics make it, when clear, cold, and pleasant, the symbol of great good, Thus, according to the Indian, in ch. 28., “To dream of quenching one’s thirst with pure water,” denotes a greater joy than can be procured by any worldly affluence; and, in ch. 187., it is said, “If a king dreams that he makes an aqueduct for his people of pure water, and they being thirsty drink of, it, it signifies that he will relieve, set at liberty, and make joyful the oppressed.” And on the other hand, in ch. clxxxii., muddy waters denote diseases and afflictions. Hence the torments of wicked men after this life, were, by the ancients, represented under the symbol of a lake, whose waters were full of mud and dung.f1
Living or quick springs of water, are such as have their water continually springing up, and running, in opposition to standing waters, which are called dead, and to such fountains as are dried up in summer. Such perennial fountains flowed with the most clear, cool, and pleasant water, and gave the greatest refreshment to travellers in hot countries. Hence in Artemidorus, L. ii. c. 27, such springs are the symbol of health to the sick, and riches to the poor. And in the Sacred Writings they denote the perpetuity and inexhaustibleness of spiritual comforts and refreshments afforded to good persons by the Holy Spirit,f2 and by the public worship of God; after which, the royal Psalmist,f3 when persecuted and driven from his throne, thirsted and panted as the hart after the water brooks; God being “the fountain of living waters.f4 After the same manner wisdom, upon the account of its usefulness and delight, is compared, in Prov. xviii. 4, to a flowing brook.
MANY WATERS, upon the account of their noise, number, and disorder, and confusion of their waves, are the symbol of peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. The symbol is so explained in Rev 17:15. And in Jer 47:2, waters signify an army, or multitude of men. The comparison of the noise of a multitude to the noise of mighty or many waters, is used by Isaiah in Isa 17:12-13, much after the same manner as Homer compares the noise of a multitude to the noise of the waves of a sea in a storm.f5
Sea, in the Hebrew language, is any collections of waters; as in Gen 1:10, “The collections of waters he called seas.” So likewise that which St. Matthew, Mat 8:24, calls , sea, is by St. Luke, Luk 8:23, Called , a lake
The Colchi also, as Bochart proves, called lakes by the name of sea.f6 And , lake, in Hesiod, stands for the ocean.f7
Sea, clear and serene, denotes an orderly collection of men in a quiet and peaceable state.
Sea troubled and tumultuous, a collection of men in motion and war. Either way, the waters signifying people, and the sea being a collection of waters, the sea becomes the symbol of people, gathered into one body Politic, kingdom, or jurisdiction, or united in one design. And therefore the Oneirocritics, in ch. 178. say, “If any dream he is master of the sea, he will be entire successor in the whole kingdom.” And again, “If a king see the sea troubled by a wind from a known quarter, he will be molested by some nation from that quarter. But if he see the sea calm, he will enjoy his kingdom in peace.” And in the same chapter the sea and deep are interpreted of a great king. Agreeably to this, in Dan 7:2, the great sea agitated by the four winds is a comprehension of several kings or kingdoms in a state of war; one kingdom fighting against another to enlarge their dominions.
A sea being thus considered as a kingdom or empire, the living creatures in it, must be the typical fishes, or men.
But if a sea be considered in respect only of the waters, of which it is a collection, then the waters will signify the common people; and the fishes, or the creatures in the sea, living as having a power to act, will denote their rulers. And in this sense are the fishes mentioned in Eze 29:4, explaind by the Targum of the princes of Pharaoh.
The resemblance between the noise of an enraged sea, and the noise of an army or multitude in commotion, is obvious, and frequently taken notice of by the prophets.f8
RIVER may be considered in several views;
1. In respect of its original, and recourse thither: “All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again,” Ecc 1:7.
According to this consideration, the sea being a symbol of the extent of the jurisdiction or empire of any potentate, rivers will signify any emissary powers from thence, whether armies or provincial magistrates, or what agents abroad soever that are under this chief power, and so act in reference to it. These may, according to exact analogy, be called rivers, because both themselves and their affairs have recourse to the main sea, the amplitude of that jurisdiction to which they belong.
The Oneirocritics in ch. 278. say, “The sea is the symbol of a great king; and as all rivers run into the sea, so the wealth of the world flows to him.” And again, “New rivers running into the sea, signify new revenues accruing to the king or kingdom from distant nations.”
2. A. river may be considered in respect of its rising, overflowing, and drowning the adjacent parts. And in this view it is the symbol of the invasion of an army. Thus, in Isa 8:7, God’s bringing upon the Jews the waters of the river, signfies the warlike expedition of the Assyrians against the Jews. The symbol is used in several other places; as in Isa 28:2; Isa 59:19; Jer 46:7-8; Jer 47:2; Amo 9:5; Nah 1:8; and in Dan 9:26, flood is immediately explained by war.f9 So Plutarch compares Hannibal’s expedition into Italy to a torrent.f10 Horace compares Tiberius driving the enemies, to an overflowing river.f11 And Virgil speaks of the fall of Troy under the similitude of a deluge.f12 And lastly, in Artemidorus, L. ii. c. 27′, where the symbol is adapted to private life, “A troubled and violent river running into a house, and carrying off or removing the moveables therein, denotes an enraged enemy.”
3. A river may be considered as the barrier of a nation or kingdom. And in this respect, if a river or sea be dried up, it is a symbol of ill to the land adjoining. It signifies that its enemies will easily make a conquest thereof, when they find no water to stop their passage. So Jordan was dried up to give the Israelites passage, and possession of the Holy Land. So Isa 44:27, speaking of the conquest of Cyrus and destruction of the Babylonian monarchy, has these words, “That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers.”
The prophet Zechariah, Zec 10:11, explains the symbol; And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river he shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the sceptre of Egypt shall depart away.” See to the same purpose, Isa 11:15-16, and Isa 19:5-6.
river sometimes symbolizes a kingdom, as in Jer 2:18, where Sihor signifies the Nile, and the river the Euphrates. drink the waters of these rivers is to obtain succour from Egypt and Assyria, of which kingdoms they are the symbols.
4. river may be considered in respect of the clearness, coolness, and excellent taste of its water, and of its usefulness in watering the grounds, and making them verdant and fertile. And in this view a river may become the symbol of the greatest good. Hence in the Oneirocritics,
To dream of drinking of the pure clear water of a river, denotes an obtainment of joy and happiness by means of a great man.”f13
The Egyptian, in ch. clxxvi., says, ” Rivers that water the soil are interpreted of man’s livelihood; and that if one dream of seeing a river, that uses to water the country, dried up, it denotes famine, anxiety, and affliction.” To the same purpose speaks also Artemidorus, in L. ii. c. 27, “If any one dreams of a clear river running into his house, it denotes the entrance of some rich man into his house, to the advantage of his family.” And again, “If a rich person dream of a clear river running out of his house, it signifies that he shall have authority in the place he belongs to, and abound in acts of beneficence and liberality.” So Artemidorus, restraining the symbol to a private case. But others of the heathen took the symbol in the most extensive view; and therefore, in order to represent the universal power and beneficence of Jupiter, used the symbol of a river flowing from his throne; and to this the sycophant in Plautus alludes, in his saying that he had been at the head of that river;-
Ad caput amnis, quod de clo exoritur, sub solio Jovis.”f14
But with God only is the fountain of life, from whom proceeds a river of pleasures, representing the comforts and gifts of the Holy Spirit.f15 And therefore, in relation to private persons receiving the Holy Spirit to their own joy, and to the advantage of others, says our Saviour, Joh 7:38, “He that believeth in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” And in relation to all the inhabitants of the new Jerusalem, the abundance and inexhaustible fund of their happiness is described in Rev 22:1, “by their having a river of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb.”
ABYSS, in several places signifies the deep, or great sea, in opposition to little waters or seas. Thus in Isa 44:27 what in the LXX. is Abyss, is, in the Hebrew, Deep; that is the great sea; meaning Babylon, as the Targum turns it. And in a like place for sense, Isa 19:5, both the Hebrew and the LXX. have sea; which shews that the deep signifies the great sea.
The abyss is frequently used by the LXX. as synonymous with the sea. Dr. Henry More cites the following passages to shew this sense of the word ; Job 38:30; Job 41:31; Psa 106:9; Isa 63:13; Jon 2:5.
In the New Testament frequently signifies the invisible receptacle of departed spirits, or Hades in general, or that part f Hades in particular where the wicked spirits are reserved in. chains unto the judgment of the great day, Rom 10:7; Luk 8:31; Rev 9:1; Rev 20:3. This abyss is situated in the central regions of the earth, and therefore is below the sea (See Horsley’s Sermon on the Descent of our Lord into Hell). It is therefore not impossible that in the ascent of the beast (Rev 13:1; Rev 17:8) two different ideas may be combined. He might be described as arising out of the sea in reference to his secular and political resurrection; and as ascending out of the abyss, or regions of condemned spirits, with relation to his spiritual revival. Moreover, even if he ascended from Hades, the sea might be the medium of his ascent; and there is a peculiar fitness in its being so represented, to denote his arising out of the commotions and struggles of the nations, the symbolical sea.”
According to the Jews, the abyss was a place under the earth, in the most internal parts of it, and was thought to be a great receptacle of waters as a reservatory to furnish a11 the springs r rivers. And this opinion was not only held by the Egyptians, Homer, and Plato, but also by some of the modern philosophers.* And Seneca seems to be of the same opinion.f17 And in this sense the abyss symbolically signifies a hidden multitude of confused men.
F1 Virgil. n. L. vi. ver. 296. Diogen. Laert. L. vi. 39. Plutarch, de audiend. Poet. p. 19. Ald.
F2 Isa 12:3. Joh 4:14.
F3 Psa 42:1-2.
F4 Jer 17:13.
F5 IL . ver. 394.
F6 Boch. in Phaleg. L. iv. c. 31.
F7 Hesiod. Theogon. ver. 365.
F8 Isa 5:30; Isa 17:12; Jer 6:23; Jer 50:42.
F9 The accomplishment of a prophecy must be considered, and consequently applied according to the signification of the terms by which it is expressed. This signification is either symbolical or literal. But it happens sometimes that there are occasions in which the event appears to be suitable to both these. The first signification, if the terms are in their nature symbolical, is the principle in the intention; the second, if joined with the other, is only concurrent. If both suit the terms, the first must always have the preference, as being the more noble, and worthy of the Holy Ghost’s care to foretell it; and then we may give way to the latter, where it will concur. The principal event is, that which answers fully to the majesty and first intention of the symbols; in which God does, as it were, speak in his own dialect, and so is always of greater extent, and more comprehensive than any other. The secondary event of a symbolical prediction is, when such an event, being also concomitant with the other, answers more nearly to the literal signification of the terms in which the symbolical prediction is expressed; and, as it were, alters the nature of the symbols, as if they were literal characters of the things meant by them. An example will set this in a clear light. The Prophet Nahum predicts the overthrow of Nineveh in these words; “With an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof,” Nah 1:8. An overrunning flood is the symbol of desolation by a victorious enemy. The accomplishment, however, shewed the signification to be two-fold, i.e. symbolical and also literal. Diodorus informs us, that in the third year of the siege, the river being swoln with continual rains overflowed part of the city, and broke down the wall for twenty furlongs; and the enemy entered the breach that the waters had made, and took the city.-Daubuz’s Discourse on the Symbolical Language.
F10 Plut. de Fort. Rom. p. 523.
F11 Hor. L. iv. Od. 14.
F12 Virgil. n. L. vii. ver. 228.
F13 So the Indian, ch. 175.
F14 Plaut. Trinum. Act. iv. Sc. ii. ver. 98.
F15 Psa 36:8-9.
F16 Theoph. Galei Philosoph. General. L. iii. c. 2. 5.
F17 Senec. Nat. Qust. L. iii. c. 19, & L. vi. c. 7, 8.
Fuente: A Symbolical Dictionary
WATER
for drinking
Gen 21:14; Exo 15:25; Exo 17:6; Num 20:11; Jdg 15:19; 1Ki 13:19; 1Ki 17:10
Dan 1:12; Mar 9:41; Joh 2:7
— for Cleansing. SEE Cleansing, CLEANSING
Washing, CLEANSING
Fuente: Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
Water
In the sacred Scriptures, bread and water are commonly mentioned as the chief supports of human life; and to provide a sufficient quantity of water, to prepare it for use, and to deal it out to the thirsty, are among the principal cares of an oriental householder, The Moabites and Ammonites are reproached for not meeting the Israelites with bread and water; that is, with proper refreshments, Deu 33:4. Nabal says in an insulting manner to David’s messengers, Shall I then take my bread and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be? 1Sa 25:11. To furnish travellers with water is, even in present times, reckoned of so great importance, that many of the eastern philanthropists have been at considerable expense to procure them that enjoyment. The nature of the climate, and the general aspect of the oriental regions, require numerous fountains to excite and sustain the languid powers of vegetation; and the sun, burning with intense heat in a cloudless sky, demands for the fainting inhabitants the verdure, shade, and coolness which vegetation produces. Hence fountains of living water are met with in the towns and villages, in the fields and gardens, and by the sides of the roads and of the beaten tracks on the mountains; and a cup of cold water from these wells is no contemptible present. Fatigued with heat and thirst, says Carne, we came to a few cottages in a palm wood, and stopped to drink of a fountain of delicious water. In this northern climate no idea can be formed of the luxury of drinking in Egypt: little appetite for food is felt; but when, after crossing the burning sands, you reach the rich line of woods on the brink of the Nile, and pluck the fresh limes, and mixing their juice with Egyptian sugar and the soft river water, drink repeated bowls of lemonade, you feel that every other pleasure of the senses must yield to this. One then perceives the beauty and force of those similes in Scripture, where the sweetest emotions of the heart are compared to the assuaging of thirst in a thirsty land. In Arabia, equal attention is paid, by the wealthy and benevolent, to the refreshment of the traveller. On one of the mountains of Arabia, Niebuhr found three little reservoirs, which are always kept full of fine water for the use of passengers. These reservoirs, which are about two feet and a half square, and from five to seven feet high, are round, or pointed at the top, of mason’s work, having only a small opening in one of the sides, by which they pour water into them. Sometimes he found, near these places of Arab refreshment, a piece of a ground shell, or a little scoop of wood, for lifting the water. The same attention to the comfort of travellers is manifested in Egypt, where public buildings are set apart in some of their cities, the business of whose inhabitants is to supply the passengers with water free of expense. Some of these houses make a very handsome appearance; and the persons appointed to wait on the passengers are required to have some vessels of copper, curiously tinned and filled with water, always ready on the window next the street. Some of the Mohammedan villages in Palestine, not far from Nazareth, brought Mr. Buckingham and his party bread and water, while on horseback, without even being solicited to do so; and when they halted to accept it, both compliments and blessings were mutually interchanged, Here, as in every other part of Nubia, says Burckhardt, the thirsty traveller finds, at short distances, water jars placed by the road side under a low roof. Every village pays a small monthly stipend to some person to fill these jars in the morning, and again toward evening. The same custom prevails in Upper Egypt, but on a larger scale: and there are caravanserais often found near the wells which supply travellers with water. In India the Hindoos go sometimes a great way to fetch water, and then boil it, that it may not be hurtful to travellers that are hot; and after this stand from morning till night in some great road, where there is neither pit nor rivulet, and offer it in honour of their gods, to be drunk by the passengers. This necessary work of charity in these hot countries seems to have been practised among the more pious and humane Jews; and our Lord assures them, that if they do this in his name, they shall not lose their reward. Hence a cup of water is a present in the east of great value, though there are some other refreshments of a superior quality. It is still the proper business of the females to supply the family with water. From this drudgery, however, the married women are exempted, unless when single women are wanting. The proper time for drawing water in those burning climates is in the morning, or when the sun is going down; then they go forth to perform that humble office adorned with their trinkets, some of which are often of great value. Agreeably to this custom Rebecca went instead of her mother to fetch water from the well, and the servant of Abraham expected to meet an unmarried female there who might prove a suitable match for his master’s son. In the East Indies, the women also draw water at the public wells, as Rebecca did, on that occasion, for travellers, their servants and their cattle; and women of no mean rank literally illustrate the conduct of an unfortunate princess in the Jewish history, by performing the services of a menial, 2Sa 13:8. The young women of Guzerat daily draw water from the wells, and carry the jars upon the head; but those of high rank carry them upon the shoulder. In the same way Rebecca carried her pitcher; and probably for the same reason, because she was the daughter of an eastern prince, Gen 24:45.
Water sometimes signifies the element of water, Gen 1:10; and metaphorically, trouble and afflictions, Psa 69:1. In the language of the prophets, waters often denote a great multitude of people, Isa 8:7; Rev 17:15. Water is put for children or posterity, Num 24:7; Isa 48:1; for the clouds, Psa 104:3. Waters sometimes stand for tears, Jer 9:1; Jer 9:7; for the ordinances of the Gospel, Isa 12:3; Isa 35:6-7; Isa 55:1; Joh 7:37-38. Stolen waters, denote unlawful pleasures with strange women, Pro 9:17. The Israelites are reproached with having forsaken the fountain of living water, to quench their thirst at broken cisterns, Jer 2:13; that is, with having quitted the worship of God for the worship of false and ridiculous deities. Waters of Meribah, or the waters of strife, were so called because of the quarrelling or contention and murmuring of the Israelites against Moses and against God. When they came to Kadesh, and there happened to be in want of water, they made a sedition against him and his brother Aaron, Num 20:1, &c. Upon this occasion Moses committed that great sin with which God was so much displeased, that he deprived him of the honour of introducing his people into the land of promise.
Fuente: Biblical and Theological Dictionary
Water
This type is sometimes presented as a river as in Psa 1:3; Eze 47:5; Joh 7:38. In these cases the water undoubtedly represents the Holy Spirit. It is plainly indicated. He is constantly working, blessing, enriching, and those who permit Him to be a living personal power in their lives do flourish for GOD, grow in grace, and bear much fruit. This type is sometimes presented as a fountain, as in Joh 4:14. Again, the Spirit of GOD is the one thus described. He does not stay dormant in the soul, but works up and out in the life, and produces evidences of His presence. Sometimes water is presented as a drink, as in Joh 7:37. This also represents the Holy Spirit, and we drink Him into our souls and lives, as the living Lord, who satisfies the cravings of the heart for the things of GOD. (See also 1Co 12:13).
Pro 11:25 (a) In this wonderful passage the Lord is telling us plainly that if we will give blessings to others, they in turn will give blessings to us.
Isa 58:11 (a) The soul that is blessed by GOD, who walks with GOD, and loves the Word of GOD will be filled with joy and gladness, his life will be beautiful in character, and he will be a blessing to many. (See also Jer 31:12).
Jer 2:13 (b) Our Lord is the giver of the Holy Spirit who is the living Water. Those who turn away from GOD and refuse His life and His gifts find that the things in which they trust, and on which they lean, will fail them and they are left at the end of the journey with no peace, no eternal life, no hope, no joy, and only the outer dark.
1Co 3:0 (a) The work of ministering the Word of GOD to others has a two-fold aspect. The seed is the Word of GOD, and Paul planted it. No seed, however, will grow without water, no matter how good the seed, nor fertile the soil. Therefore, Apollos came ministering the Spirit of GOD to those who had heard the Word of GOD. The Holy Spirit is the water, and when He is present in power, recognized and trusted, then the seed of the Word of GOD grows and prospers in the hearts of the people.
Eph 5:26 (b) This type represents the cleansing effect of the Word of GOD on the habits and ways of the people of GOD. As the Christian studies the Scripture against temper, he will become sweet-spirited. As he reads the Scriptural warning against liquor and profanity, he will avoid it. In this way, evil ways are cleansed from a Christian’s life.
Jud 1:12 (b) Water is typical of the refreshment and blessing that should characterize the ministry of one who claims to be the servant of GOD. In this Scripture the blessing is lacking, and the message is dry and unfruitful.