English · KJV
H877

בֹּאר

bôʼr /bore/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom בָּאַר
Meaninga cistern
KJV usagecistern.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bôʼr — 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 bôʼr, represented by H877, is a noun for a cistern. Derived from a root meaning to dig or bore, it appears 2 times in the Bible, both within a single, powerful verse. Its significance lies not in its frequency but in its potent use as a spiritual metaphor.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The sole context for H877 is Jeremiah 2:13, where God describes the two evils His people have committed. They have forsaken Him, the "fountain of living waters," and have instead "hewed them out cisterns." The verse immediately repeats the word to emphasize their state: "broken cisterns, that can hold no water." This sets up a stark contrast between the divine, ever-flowing source of life and the broken, failing, man-made containers meant to replace it.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words in Jeremiah 2:13 illuminate the meaning of bôʼr:

  • H2672 châtsab (to hew, cut, dig): This root word describes the act of creating the cisterns, emphasizing that they are products of human effort and labor, carved out rather than naturally occurring.
  • H7665 shâbar (to break, crush, destroy): This describes the flawed condition of the man-made cisterns. They are inherently broken and unreliable from the start.
  • H3557 kûwl (to contain, hold, sustain): This verb highlights the ultimate failure of the cisterns; they are unable to perform their primary function of holding water, rendering the people's efforts useless.
  • H4726 mâqôwr (fountain, spring, source): This word is used for the divine alternative that was forsaken. It represents a living, natural, and endless source, in direct opposition to the static and broken cistern.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H877 is concentrated in its metaphorical application in Jeremiah:

  • Symbol of Self-Reliance: The act of hewing a cistern H877 represents the human attempt to create one's own source of spiritual sustenance and security apart from God.
  • Illustration of spiritual failure: The cisterns are described as "broken" H7665 and unable to "hold" H3557 water, symbolizing that any system, idol, or effort aside from God is ultimately flawed and cannot provide true life or satisfaction.
  • A Warning Against Idolatry: By forsaking the "fountain" H4726 for the cistern H877, the people H5971 are choosing a dead, empty object over the living God, which is the very essence of idolatry.

Summary

In summary, H877 bôʼr is a term whose significance far outweighs its limited usage. While literally meaning a cistern, it functions in Scripture as a powerful symbol of futile human works and flawed spiritual alternatives. Through its appearance in Jeremiah 2:13, it serves as an enduring illustration of the choice between relying on finite, broken, man-made systems and turning to God as the one true and inexhaustible fountain of 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 4 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

  • בֹּארוֹת
  • בֹּאר

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.

H2672 חָצַב or חָצֵב; a primitive root; to cut or carve (wood, stone or other material); by implication, to hew, split, square, quar H7665 שָׁבַר a primitive root; to burst (literally or figuratively); break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken (-hearted), bring to th H3557 כּוּל a primitive root; properly, to keep in; hence, to measure; figuratively, to maintain (in various senses); (be able to, c H4726 מָקוֹר or מָקֹר; from קוּר; properly, something dug, i.e. a (general) source (of water, even when naturally flowing; also of te H5971 עַם from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or

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

1 verse, all in Jeremiah — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.