English · KJV
H4599

מַעְיָן

maʻyân /mah-yawn'/ Ask about this word
Rootor מַעְיְנוֹ
Meaning(Psalm 114:8), or (feminine) מַעְיָנָה; from עַיִן (as a denominative in the sense of a spring); a fountain (also collectively), figuratively, a source (of satisfaction)
KJV usagefountain, spring, well.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of maʻyân — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word maʻyân, represented by H4599, is a term for a fountain, spring, or well. It appears 23 times in 23 unique verses. While often referring to a literal source of water, it is also used figuratively as a source of satisfaction or life.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4599 is used in several key contexts. It denotes a critical life source in arid lands, as when Ahab sought fountains of water to save his animals during a drought 1 Kings 18:5. Fountains also played a role in military strategy, where armies would stop them to gain an advantage (2 Kings 3:25, 2 Chronicles 32:4). The term is also used in events of divine power, such as when the "fountains of the great deep" were broken up at the start of the great flood Genesis 7:11 and when God turned a flint into a fountain of waters Psalms 114:8. Figuratively, a righteous man who falters is compared to a "troubled fountain" Proverbs 25:26.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of sources and water:

  • H1234 bâqaʻ (to cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open): This verb describes the powerful action of a source being opened. It is used when the fountains of the great deep were "broken up" during the flood Genesis 7:11 and when God "didst cleave the fountain and the flood" Psalms 74:15.
  • H5640 çâtham (to stop up; by implication, to repair; figuratively, to keep secret): This is the direct antonym to opening a fountain. It is used to describe the act of stopping wells of water as an act of war 2 Kings 3:25 or defense 2 Chronicles 32:4.
  • H4726 mâqôwr (something dug, i.e. a (general) source (of water...); fountain, issue, spring, well(-spring)): A close synonym, this word is often used for a source of life or wisdom. It appears alongside maʻyân in Proverbs 25:26 and is identified as "the fountain of living waters" (Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah 17:13).
  • H3318 yâtsâʼ (to go (causatively, bring) out): This word describes the action of a fountain flowing. A future fountain is prophesied to "come forth of the house of the LORD" Joel 3:18, signifying a divine source of blessing.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4599 is significant, symbolizing divine action and spiritual realities.

  • Source of Provision and Judgment: God can provide for His people by opening fountains in the wilderness Isaiah 41:18. Conversely, judgment is depicted as a fountain being "dried up" Hosea 13:15. The flood narrative uses the "fountains of the deep" as instruments of both God's judgment when broken up Genesis 7:11 and his mercy when stopped Genesis 8:2.
  • Symbol of Salvation: The term is directly linked to deliverance and joy. Isaiah speaks of drawing water "out of the wells (fountains) of salvation" Isaiah 12:3, and Joel prophesies that a fountain will come forth from the house of the LORD Joel 3:18.
  • Emblem of Purity and Life: The source of all life is ultimately God, as the psalmist declares, "all my springs (fountains) are in thee" Psalms 87:7. In the Song of Solomon, the beloved is described as a "spring shut up, a fountain sealed," representing purity and faithfulness Song of Solomon 4:12.

Summary

In summary, H4599 moves from a simple description of a physical water source to a potent symbol in Scripture. It represents the duality of God's power to provide life-giving water or to enact judgment by withholding it. As a fountain, spring, or well, maʻyân illustrates core theological truths about salvation, purity, and God's status as the ultimate source of all life.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 23 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מַעְיָן
  • מַעְיַן
  • מַעְיְנֵי
  • מַעְיָנוֹת
  • מַעְיְנֹת
  • מַעְיָנִים

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1234 בָּקַע a primitive root; to cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open; make a breach, break forth (into, out, in pieces, t H5640 סָתַם or שָׂתַם; (Numbers 24:15), a primitive root; to stop up; by implication, to repair; figuratively, to keep secret; close H4726 מָקוֹר or מָקֹר; from קוּר; properly, something dug, i.e. a (general) source (of water, even when naturally flowing; also of te H3318 יָצָא a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 23 verses across 12 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (5 verses); never once in the other 27.

2
Genesis
1
Leviticus
2
Joshua
1
1 Kings
2
2 Kings
1
2 Chronicles
5
Psalms
3
Proverbs
2
Song of Solomon
2
Isaiah
1
Hosea
1
Joel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.