בְּאֵר

n.f. Gn 26:21 well, pit, mostly Hex, Gn 23 times Ex 1 times Nu 5 times, 37 times in all; Arabic بِئْرٌ, Aramaic בְּאֵרָא, בֵּיר, בֵּירָא, ܒܻܪܳܐ, Sab. באר DHMZMG 1875, 608, Assyrian bêru, LyonSargon 61 (connexion with above √ not clear; Lagl.c. spring of water, as coming to light, appearing; possible, although meaning in use rather well, than spring; v. however, Gn 16:14 cf. v 7; 26:19 Nu 21:17)—בּ׳ abs. Gn 21:30 +; cstr. 21:19 +; sf. בְּאֵרֶ֑ךָ Pr 5:15; Pl. abs. בְּאֵרֹת Gn 26:15; cstr. id. 26:18; cf. בֶּאֱרֹת בֶּאֱרֹת חֵמָר Gn 14:10;— a well, often as made by digging (חָפַר) Gn 21:25, 30 (E), 26:15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 32 (all J), also poet. Nu 21:18 (+ כרה) vid. also v 16, 17 (where the well addressed, in song, עֲלִי בְאֵר); also c. כרה in prose Gn 26:25; also with no ref. to its origin Gn 16:14 (J; ‖ עַיִן v 7) 29:2 Ex 2:15 (J) Nu 20:17 21:22 (E) 2 S 17:18, 21; בְּאֵר (ה)מַיִם Gn 21:19 (E) 24:11 (J; ‖ עַיִן vv 13, 16, 43, 45); (cf. also 21:25; 26:18 supr. & especially v 19 בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים); water taken from it by drawing (שָׁאַב) Gn 24:11, 20; flocks watered from it (הִשְׁקָה מִן־) 29:2, 3, 8, 10 (cf. especially Ex 2:16 they drew, דלה, and filled the troughs); also שְׁתֵה מַיִם … מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶ֑ךָ Pr 5:15 (‖ בּוֹר); the opening called פִּי הַבְּאֵר Gn 29:2, 3(×2) 8, 10; cf. פְּנֵי הַבּ׳ 2 S 17:19 (read prob. פּי so Sam. 𝔗 𝔖 𝔙, cf. Dr); fig. of fresh delights of woman beloved Ct 4:15 מַעְיַן גַּנִּים בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים וְנוֹזְלִים מִן־לְבָנוֹן. pit (= בּוֹר); pits of bitumen Gn 14:10 (cf. supr.); בְּאֵר שַׁחַת ψ 55:24 pit of (the) grave; cf. 69:16 וְאַל־תֶּאְטַר עָלַי בְּאֵר פִּיהָ and let not (the) pit shut its mouth over me (‖ מְצוּלָה); fig. of strange woman בְּאֵר צָרָה a narrow pit, out of which rescue is difficult Pr 23:27 (‖ שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה). as n.pr.loc. c. ָה loc. בְּאֵ֫רָה a station of Isr. in desert Nu 21:16, possibly = בְּאֵר אֵילִים Is 15:8. same form Ju 9:21, according to Euseb. LagOnom.238, 2nd ed. 250 8 miles north of Eleutheropolis; cf. RobBR i. 452 who comp. el-Bîreh, near Beth-shemesh.