What does φρέαρ (phréar) mean in the Bible?
Phrear names a well or pit, with the surrounding description identifying its purpose. In John 4 the woman speaks of Jacob's deep well and asks how Jesus can offer living water without drawing equipment.
Greek · G5421
φρέαρ
Phrear names a well or pit, with the surrounding description identifying its purpose. In John 4 the woman speaks of Jacob's deep well and asks how Jesus can offer living water without drawing equipment.
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
φρέαρG5421
Pronunciationphréar
What does φρέαρ (phréar) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for φρέαρ (G5421) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G5421?
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include pit (3), well (2), [it] (1), a pit (1).
Where does φρέαρ (phréar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 14:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Revelation (4), John (2), Luke (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Phrear names a well or pit, with the surrounding description identifying its purpose. In John 4 the woman speaks of Jacob's deep well and asks how Jesus can offer living water without drawing equipment. Jesus' promise leads beyond the available water to the gift He gives, yet the well itself remains an ordinary water source. In Luke 14 a pit becomes the setting for immediate rescue on the Sabbath, challenging resistance to Jesus' healing.
Revelation describes the pit of the Abyss, whose opening releases darkening smoke in a trumpet vision. That phrase joins a shaft to a specifically named visionary realm; it does not make every well an abyss. Water provision, danger requiring rescue and apocalyptic judgment must retain their separate objects. The noun invites careful attention to setting while leaving Jesus' gift and compassionate action at the center of teaching.
How the Bible Uses It
Seven direct noun tokens occur in five BSB verses: two well references, one rescue pit and repeated descriptions of the pit of the Abyss.
- John.4.11
“Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?
The deep well and lack of equipment explain the woman's question before Jesus develops His promise of living water.
- John.4.12
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?”
Jacob's provision for family and livestock frames her question about Jesus' greatness rather than identifying the well as a spiritual realm.
- Luke.14.5
And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?”
Immediate rescue from a pit supports Jesus' Sabbath challenge after He heals the man and sends him away.
- Rev.9.1
Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss.
The pit is explicitly qualified by the Abyss within a trumpet vision, not by ordinary well geography.
- Rev.9.2
The star opened the pit of the Abyss, and smoke rose out of it like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit.
Opening the pit releases smoke that darkens sun and air; three noun forms belong to this single verse.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itpit3×Revelation 9:1, Revelation 9:2
well2×John 4:11, John 4:12
[it]1×Revelation 9:2
a pit1×Luke 14:5
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 14:5φρέαρtoa pitNoun - Accusative Neuter SingularJohn 4:11φρέαρtowellNoun - Nominative Neuter SingularJohn 4:12φρέαρtowellNoun - Accusative Neuter SingularRevelation 9:1φρέατοςtopitNoun - Genitive Neuter SingularRevelation 9:2φρέαρtopitNoun - Accusative Neuter SingularRevelation 9:2φρέατοςto[it]Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularRevelation 9:2φρέατοςtopitNoun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowLuke 14:5
Aligned rows7
Books represented3
Luke1John2Revelation4
Source forms
φρέαρ4xphrearLuke 14:5, John 4:11, John 4:12, Revelation 9:2
φρέατος3xphreatosRevelation 9:1, Revelation 9:2
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular3xLuke 14:5, John 4:12, Revelation 9:2
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular3xRevelation 9:1, Revelation 9:2
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular1xJohn 4:11
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Attend to bodily water needs and safe access with practical responsibility.
- Seek competent help in dangerous rescue situations without testing divine protection.
Avoid claiming...
- This noun does not establish that every well carries apocalyptic spiritual significance.
- Shared vocabulary cannot erase the differences between ordinary provision, rescue and judgment.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. well/abyss
Strong'sG5421
Lexical occurrences7 versesGreek text appearances7 timesWord forms3 forms7 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
well/abyss
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
7 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 14:5Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
φρέαρfrear
a pit, well
Read verseJohn 4:11Noun Nominative Singular Neuter
φρέαρfrear
a pit, well
Read verseJohn 4:12Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
φρέαρ,frear
a pit, well
Read verseRevelation 9:1Noun Genitive Singular Neuter
φρέατοςfreatov
a pit, well
Read verseRevelation 9:2Noun Accusative Singular Neuter
φρέαρfrear
a pit, well
Read verseRevelation 9:2Noun Genitive Singular Neuter
φρέατοςfreatov
a pit, well
Read verseRevelation 9:2Noun Genitive Singular Neuter
φρέατος.freatov
a pit, well
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns3Aligned forms7Case patternAccusative (3)Number patternSingular (7)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · NeuterJohn 4:111×
Genitive · Singular · NeuterRev 9:1 · Rev 9:23×
Accusative · Singular · NeuterLuke 14:5 · John 4:12 · Rev 9:23×
Word Origins
φρέαρ is of uncertain origin - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
John places a familiar well at the beginning of a conversation about a gift the woman cannot obtain with ordinary drawing equipment. Jesus does not deny bodily thirst or dismiss Jacob's provision. He speaks of water He gives and then brings her into a truthful conversation about worship and His identity. The location supports that encounter without supplying a secret spiritual meaning to the noun.
Luke's pit points in another direction: people already recognize that danger calls for immediate rescue, and Jesus exposes the inconsistency of resisting healing on the Sabbath. Revelation's qualified pit belongs to a judgment vision whose descriptions must be read within its own sequence. These contexts can teach dependence, merciful urgency and seriousness before God without merging their images.
Providing water and protecting people near hazardous openings remain concrete forms of care; they are not substitutes for Jesus' gift or tests of someone's spiritual standing.
Anchor passage
John.4.11
Doctrinal connections
- Jesus offers living water as His gift rather than a purchased resource.
- The Samaritan conversation moves toward worship of the Father in spirit and truth.
- Jesus identifies Himself as the Messiah within this water-source encounter.
- Luke joins Sabbath reasoning to compassionate healing and immediate rescue.
- Revelation places the opened shaft within the fifth trumpet's judgment vision.
- Ordinary provision and urgent neighbor care remain distinct from apocalyptic imagery.
The witnesses use singular neuter noun forms in nominative, accusative and genitive cases. Revelation 9:2 repeats the noun three times; grammatical case does not establish one symbolic meaning across every setting.
From Old to New Testament
Exodus 21:33-36 addresses responsibility for an uncovered pit and harm to another person's animal. This concrete protection concern can accompany Luke's rescue reasoning without identifying its Hebrew vocabulary as a direct Greek occurrence or transferring ancient penalties into a modern legal instruction.