well

Hebrew: beer; to be distinguished from a fountain (Hebrew: 'ain)

A “beer” was a deep shaft, bored far under the rocky surface by the art of man, which contained water which percolated through the strata in its sides. Such wells were those of Jacob and Beersheba, etc. (see Genesis 21:19, 25, 30, 31; 24:11; 26:15, 18-25, 32, etc.).

In the Pentateuch this word beer, so rendered, occurs 25 times.

Author: Matthew G. Easton.