Psalms 114:8 — Word Study
WLCהַהֹפְכִ֣י הַצּ֣וּר אֲגַם־ מָ֑יִם חַ֝לָּמִ֗ישׁ לְמַעְיְנוֹ־ מָֽיִם׃
BSAwho turnedhâphak [overturned, transformed] the rocktsûwr [a boulder] into a poolʼăgam [a body of calm water, a marsh] the flintchallâmîysh [a hard rock, unchanging] into a fountainmaʻyân [a spring, source of refreshment] of watermayim [a liquid, source of spiritual refreshment]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַהֹפְכִ֣י | who turned | Particle, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular common |
| הַצּ֣וּר | the rock | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| אֲגַם־ | a pool of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| מָ֑יִם | water | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| חַ֝לָּמִ֗ישׁ | flint | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לְמַעְיְנוֹ־ | into spring of his | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| מָֽיִם׃ | water | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | who turned the rock into a pool, the flint into a fountain of water! |
| KJV | Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. |
| ASV | Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters. |
| YLT | He is turning the rock to a pool of waters, The flint to a fountain of waters! |
| WEB | who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of waters. |
| BBE | Who made the rock into a water-spring, and the hard stone into a fountain. |
Where they part company is הַהֹפְכִ֣י — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause introduces God's action, with two transformations described in parallel structure.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 114:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Power in Naturegenerated
Psalm 114:8 celebrates God's ability to perform miracles, particularly in the context of the Exodus when He provided for His people in the wilderness. The psalmist recalls how God turned a solid rock into a pool and flint into a fountain, emphasizing His power over nature and His provision for His people.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 78:15–16 | He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas. |
| 2 | Psalm 105:41 | He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert. |
| 3 | Psalm 107:35 | He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs. |
| 4 | Exodus 17:6 | Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. |
| 5 | Numbers 20:11 | Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הַהֹפְכִ֣י, ha.ho.fe.Khigenerated
The word הָפַךְ (haphak) is a verb meaning to turn or overturn, indicating a significant transformation. In this context, it highlights God's ability to change the natural order, turning something unyielding into a source of life.
As a participle, it emphasizes ongoing action — God is continually capable of transformation. The use of this verb in the psalm underscores the miraculous nature of God's interventions.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses turned to describe God's action.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb הַהֹפְכִ֣י, who turned, governs the entire sentence. It introduces a description of two transformations: the rock becoming a pool and the flint becoming a fountain.
The structure emphasizes God's miraculous power through the parallel transformations, illustrating His ability to provide water from solid rock.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הַצּ֣וּר as πέτραν — rock — and מָ֑יִם as ὑδάτων — water. This choice aligns with the Hebrew meanings but may reflect a broader understanding of God's provision.
The Greek word στρέψαντος for הַהֹפְכִ֣י suggests a turning or changing, reinforcing the theme of transformation in God's acts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 114:8 describes how God turned a hard rock into a pool of water and flint into a fountain. This verse highlights God's miraculous power to provide for His people, transforming unyielding elements into sources of life.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies God's power to provide water, a vital resource, from something seemingly lifeless.
Flint represents something hard and unchanging, emphasizing the miracle of God bringing forth water from it.
It recalls God's provision for the Israelites in the wilderness, where He provided water from rock.
Water often symbolizes life, refreshment, and spiritual sustenance, reflecting God's care for His people.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God provide for me in unexpected circumstances?
- How can I recognize and appreciate the transformations God brings in my life?
- What does this verse teach me about God's ability to provide in difficult situations?
- How can I share stories of God's provision with others to encourage their faith?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo reflects on this verse, illustrating God's power to transform hard elements into life-giving sources.
"Who turned the hard rock into standing waters, and the flint stone into springing wells" [Psalms 114:8].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 114 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 114:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWhich turned the rock into a standing water,.... Both at Rephidim and at Kadesh; which being smitten, streams of water flowed out like rivers, as if the rock itself was changed into water; and which
Read John Gill on Psalms 114 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWhich turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 114 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 114:8 Which turned the rock [into] a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.Ver. 8. Which turned the rock into a standing water] Set the rock of Rephidim abroach, and made it not only a standing water ( stagnum , as here), but a running river; for the rock followed them: and that rock was Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:4, with John 4:14; John 7:38. The flint into a fountain of waters] Still God worketh for his people, in oppositis mediis (as Luther expresseth it), by contrary means; and rather than they shall want necessaries, he both can and will work miracles.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 114 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 8. The flint] I have translated חלמיש challamish, GRANITE; for such is the rock of Horeb, a piece of which now lies before me. This short and apparently imperfect Psalm, for elegance and sublimity, yields to few in the whole book. It is so well translated in the old Psalter, that I think I shall gratify the reader by laying it before him. Psalms 114:1. In gangyng of Isrel oute of Egipt, Of the house of Jacob fra hethen folke. Psalms 114:2. Made is Jude his halawyng Isrel might of hym. Psalms 114:3. The se sawe and fled, Jurdan turned is agayne; Psalms 114:4. Hawes gladed als wethers, And hilles als lambes of schepe. Psalms 114:5. What is to the se, that thou fled? And thou Jordane…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 114 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. Which turned &c.] Who turneth the rock into a pool of water. The participle in the Heb. is independent of time. It denotes not merely a historic fact but an attribute expressed in the terms of historic fact. He Who made water flow from the rock in Rephidim and the cliff in Kadesh (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:8 ff.; cp. Psalms 78:15-16; Psalms 78:20) can still provide streams of blessing for His people. The verse combines reminiscences of Isa 41:18 (‘pool of water,’ ‘fountain’), and Deuteronomy 8:15 (‘flint’): cp. Psalms 107:35.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 114 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWhich turned the rock into a standing water - That is, Before him who could do this, the earth should tremble; the inhabited world should stand in awe of such amazing power.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 114 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8. The flint into a fountain— “Flint” is parallel to rock in the preceding line, and means no more than hard rock, as Deuteronomy 8:15; Deuteronomy 32:13. The Septuagint has it sharp rock, as if it were a crag.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 114 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
who turned the rock into a pool, the flint into a fountain of water!
who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of waters.
who turned the rock into a pool, the flint into a fountain of water!
who turned a rock into a pool of water, a hard rock into springs of water!
Tyndale line
Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.
Which turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
Who turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
Which turneth the rocke into waterpooles, and the flint into a fountaine of water.
Strictly literal
Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
He is turning the rock to a pool of waters, The flint to a fountain of waters!
He is turning the rock to a pool of waters, || The flint to a fountain of waters!
Who changeth the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of water.
He turned the rock into a pool of water, the hard rock into a spring of water.
From the Latin
For he hath delivered my soul from death: my eyes from tears, my feet from falling.
Simplified
He is the one who turned the rock into a pool of water; making water flow from the hard rock.
Who made the rock into a water-spring, and the hard stone into a fountain.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with five out of seven words matching. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration by an editor, indicating the text's preservation despite damage.
הַהֹפְכִ֣י הַצּ֣וּר אֲגַם־ מָ֑יִם חַ֝לָּמִ֗ישׁ לְמַעְיְנוֹ־ מָֽיִם׃
5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[ההופכי] [הצור] [אגם] [מים] [חלמיש] [למעינ׳ו] [מים]
nothing on the leather here — 7 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 114:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
הָפַךְ (haphak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to turn or overturn, with implications of change and transformation. It can describe actions like turning back, being reversed, or even being perverse. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, including reflexive and passive uses, indicating a wide range of applications in the Old Testament.
הָפַךְ vb. turn, overturn
Qal
trans.
turn, turn about, turn over
overturn, overthrow
turn = change, transform
intrans.
turn, turn back
turn = change, change into
Niph.
reflex. & intrans.
turn oneself, turn, turn back
turn = change (oneself)
be perverse
pass.
be turned, turn over to
be reversed
be turned, changed
be overturned, overthrown
be upturned, of subterran. work of miners
Hithp.
turn this way & that, every way
transform oneself
Hoph. there have been turned upon me terrors
base
H2015 הָפַךְ turn, overturn .. trans. . turn, turn about, turn over
. overturn, overthrow
. turn = change, transform
. intrans. . turn, turn back
. turn = change, change into
. . reflex. & intrans. . turn oneself, turn, turn back
. turn = change (oneself)
. be perverse
. pass. . be turned, turn over to
. be reversed
. be turned, changed
. be overturned, overthrown
. be upturned, of subterran. work of miners
. . turn this way & that, every way
. transform oneself
. there have been turned upon me terrors
2015 haphak haw-fak'
a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to
change, overturn, return, pervert:--X become, change, come, be
converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow (-turn), perverse,
retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary,
every way).
הָפַךְ (ha.phakh) — to overturn.
1) to turn, overthrow, overturn
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to overturn, overthrow
1a2) to turn, turn about, turn over, turn around
1a3) to change, transform
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to turn oneself, turn, turn back
1b2) to change oneself
1b3) to be perverse
1b4) to be turned, be turned over, be changed, be turned against
1b5) to be reversed
1b6) to be overturned, be overthrown
1b7) to be upturned
1c) (Hithpael)
1c1) to transform oneself
1c2) to turn this way and that, turn every way
1d) (Hophal) to turn on someone
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine singular commonHTd/Vqrmsc
צוּר (tsur) means rock or cliff, often referring to a sharp rock or boulder. It can also signify a refuge or an edge, and is used in various contexts, including references to God as a rock. The word is built from the root associated with strong, compressed formations, and it appears in different forms, such as in the phrase 'rock of God.'
צוּר n.m. rock, cliff
base
H6697 צוּר rock, cliff
6697 tsuwr tsoor
or tsur {tsoor}; from 6696; properly, a cliff (or sharp rock,
as compressed); generally, a rock or boulder; figuratively, a
refuge; also an edge (as precipitous):--edge, X (mighty) God
(one), rock, X sharp, stone, X strength, X strong. See also
1049.
see HEBREW for 06696
see HEBREW for 01049
צוּר (tsur) — Rocks (of Goats).
Combined with ya.el (יָעֵל "Wildgoats'" H3277)
This name means rock, cliff
צוּר (tsur) — rock.
1) rock, cliff
1a) rocky wall, cliff
1b) rock (with flat surface)
1c) block of stone, boulder
1d) rock (specific)
1e) rock (of God)
1f) rock (of heathen gods) n pr dei
1g) Rock
Aramaic equivalent: tur (טוּר "mountain" H2906)
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
rok ((1) cela`; (2) tsur (3) challamish, "flint"; compare Arabic khalanbus, "flint"; (4) kephim (Job 30:6; Jer 4:29); compare Kephas, "Cephas" = Petros, "Peter" (Joh 1:42 the King James Version and the Revised Version margin); (5) petra):
1. Names:
Tsur and cela` are the words most often found, and there is no well-defined distinction between them. They are frequently coupled together in the parallelism which is characteristic of the Hebrew writers: e.g.
"Be thou to me a strong rock (tsur),
A house of defense to save me.
For thou art my rock (tsela) and my fortress"
(Ps 31:2,3).
"He clave rocks (tsur) in the wilderness,
And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths.
Rock
(Heb. tsur), employed as a symbol of God in the Old Testament (1 Sam. 2:2; 2 Sam. 22:3; Isa. 17:10; Ps. 28:1; 31:2,3; 89:26; 95:1); also in the New Testament (Matt. 16:18; Rom. 9:33; 1 Cor. 10:4). In Dan. 2:45 the Chaldaic form of the Hebrew word is translated “mountain.” It ought to be translated “rock,” as in Hab. 1:12 in the Revised Version. The “rock” from which the stone is cut there signifies the…
אֲגַם (agam) refers to a type of pool or marsh, specifically a troubled or muddy one. It can denote any kind of pool or pond and is associated with swamp reeds or rushes. The word is derived from a root meaning to collect water, indicating its connection to standing water.
אֲגַם n.[m.] troubled pool
troubled or muddy (gloomy) pools or marshes
any pool, pond
swamp-reed, rush
base
H98 אֲגַם troubled pool
98 'agam ag-am'
from an unused root (meaning to collect as water); a marsh;
hence a rush (as growing in swamps); hence a stockade of
reeds:--pond, pool, standing (water).
אֲגַם (a.gam) — pool.
1) pool, troubled pool
1a) troubled or muddy (gloomy) pools, marshes
1b) any pool, pond
1c) swamp reeds, reeds, rush(es)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.
[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
base
H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
4325 mayim mah'-yim
dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+
piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
מַי (ma.yim) — water.
1) water, waters
1a) water
1b) water of the feet, urine
1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)
מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).
This name means water, refreshment
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):
(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.
(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.
(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…
See CISTERN and WELLS.
In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare
→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5
→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9
→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11
→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20
→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5
→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22
חַלָּמִישׁ (challamiysh) means flint or rock. It is likely derived from a root meaning hardness, indicating its tough nature. The entries consistently define it as flint, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
חַלָּמִישׁ n.m. flint
base
H2496 חַלָּמִישׁ flint
2496 challamiysh klal-law-meesh'
probably from 2492 (in the sense of hardness);
flint:--flint(-y), rock.
see HEBREW for 02492
חַלָּמִישׁ (chal.la.mish) — flint.
flint, rock
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
flint (challamish (De 8:15; 32:13; Job 28:9; Ps 114:8), tsor (Ex 4:25; Eze 3:9), tser (Isa 5:28), tsur (Job 22:24; Ps 89:43), tsurim (Jos 5:2 f); (= kechlex "pebble"), kochlax ( /APC 1Macc 10:73)):
The word challamish signifies a hard stone, though not certainly flint, and is used as a figure for hardness in Isa 50:7, "Therefore have I set my face like a…
Flint
Abounds in all the plains and valleys of the wilderness of the forty years’ wanderings. In Isa. 50:7 and Ezek. 3:9 the expressions, where the word is used, means that the “Messiah would be firm and resolute amidst all contempt and scorn which he would meet; that he had made up his mind to endure it, and would not shrink from any kind or degree of suffering which would be necessary to accomplish the great work in which he was engaged.” (Comp. Ezek. 3:8, 9.) The words “like a flint” are used with reference to the hoofs of horses (Isa. 5:28).
a well-known stone, a variety of quartz. It is extremely hard, and strikes fire. It was very abundant in and about Palestine.
מַעְיָן (ma`yan) means 'spring' and refers to a source of water, such as a fountain or well. It can also be used figuratively to denote a source of satisfaction. The word is derived from a root meaning to spring forth, and it appears in contexts like Psalm 114:8.
מַעְיָן n.m. spring
base
H4599 מַעְיָן spring
4599 ma`yan mah-yawn'
or ma ynow (Psa. 114:8) {mah-yen-o'}; or (feminine) ma yanah
{mah-yaw-naw'}; from 5869 (as a denominative in the sense of a
spring); a fountain (also collectively), figuratively, a
source (of satisfaction):--fountain, spring, well.
see HEBREW for 05869
מַעְיָן (ma.yan) — spring.
spring
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.
[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
base
H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
4325 mayim mah'-yim
dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+
piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
מַי (ma.yim) — water.
1) water, waters
1a) water
1b) water of the feet, urine
1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)
מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).
This name means water, refreshment
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
wo'-ter (mayim; hudor):
(1) The Greek philosophers believed water to be the original substance and that all things were made from it. The Koran states, "From water we have made all things." In the story of the creation (Ge 1:2) water plays an elemental part.
(2) Because of the scarcity of water in Palestine it is especially appreciated by the people there. They love to go and sit by a stream of running water. Men long for a taste of the water of their native village (1Ch 11:17). A town or village is known throughout the country for the quality of its water, which is described by many adjectives, such as "light," "heavy," etc.
(3) The rainfall is the only source of supply of water for Palestine. The moisture is carried up from the sea in clouds and falls on the hills as rain or snow.…
See CISTERN and WELLS.
In Isa 35:7, the Hebrew word for "parched ground" that shall become a pool of water, is the same with the Arabic term for the mirage, a peculiar optical illusion by which travelers in hot and dry deserts think they see broad lakes and flowing waters; they seem to discern the very ripple of the waves, and the swaying of tail trees on the margin in the cool breeze; green hills and houses and city ramparts rise before the astonished sight, recede as the traveler advances, and at length melt away in the hot haze. Not so the blessings of the gospel; they are no alluring mockery, but real waters of everlasting life, Isa 55:1 Joh 4:14 Re 22:1. Compare
→ Creation of Ps 148:4,5
→ Covered the whole earth Ge 1:9
→ Daily allowance of Eze 4:11
→ City waterworks 2Ki 20:20
→ Vision of, by Ezekiel Eze 47:1-5
→ Of separation Nu 19:2-22