Definition and Importance:
Drinking-water, referred to in the Bible as "water" or "living water," is a fundamental necessity for life and a symbol of spiritual sustenance. In the arid regions of the Near East, where the biblical narrative unfolds, access to clean and fresh water was crucial for survival, agriculture, and daily living. Water is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures, both in literal and metaphorical contexts, underscoring its significance in the physical and spiritual realms.

Biblical References:

1. Creation and Provision:
The Bible begins with the creation account, where water is one of the first elements mentioned. Genesis 1:2 states, "Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." This highlights water's primordial presence and its role in God's creative order.

2. Wells and Springs:
Wells and springs were vital sources of drinking-water in biblical times. The patriarchs often dug wells, which became significant landmarks and sources of life. In Genesis 26:19-22 , Isaac's servants dug wells and found fresh water, leading to disputes and eventual peace, symbolizing God's provision and blessing.

3. Symbol of Spiritual Life:
Water is frequently used as a metaphor for spiritual life and renewal. In John 4:10 , Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well, saying, "If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." Here, "living water" represents the eternal life and spiritual satisfaction found in Christ.

4. Purification and Cleansing:
Water is also associated with purification and cleansing rituals. In the Old Testament, various laws required the use of water for ceremonial cleansing (Leviticus 14:8-9). This practice foreshadows the spiritual cleansing offered through Jesus Christ, as seen in Ephesians 5:26 , "to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word."

5. Judgment and Deliverance:
Water serves as both a means of judgment and deliverance. The Great Flood in Genesis 7-8 demonstrates God's judgment on a sinful world, while the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14 illustrates His deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. These events highlight God's sovereignty and the dual nature of water as both a destructive and life-giving force.

6. Eschatological Imagery:
In the prophetic and apocalyptic literature, water is used to depict future blessings and restoration. Revelation 22:1 describes the river of the water of life, "clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb." This imagery points to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise of eternal life and the restoration of creation.

Cultural and Historical Context:
In ancient Israel, water was a precious commodity, often collected from rain, wells, or natural springs. The scarcity of water in the region made it a symbol of God's provision and a test of faithfulness. The reliance on God for rain and water is evident in the agricultural cycles and religious practices of the Israelites, as seen in Deuteronomy 11:13-14 , where obedience to God is linked to the provision of rain for the land.

Conclusion:
Drinking-water in the Bible is a multifaceted symbol representing physical sustenance, spiritual life, purification, judgment, and divine blessing. Its presence throughout Scripture underscores the essential nature of water in both the physical and spiritual realms, reflecting God's provision and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

I Might Well Reply as I have done Even if it were a Question of a ...
... or are drinking water to cool their thirst, and wake up with their throats parched
and burning! You exact from me the fulfilment of a promise given in a dream. ...
/.../31 i might well reply.htm

The Plagues of Egypt
... that the sacred river, pure and life-giving, became a detestable mass of
rottenness"and with it all their streams and pools, and drinking water in vessels ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon x the plagues of.htm

Appendix xvi. On the Jewish views About Demons' and the Demonised ...
... demons, of which we shall only mention three: To walk between two palm-trees, [6475]
if the space is wider than four cubits; to borrow drinking-water; and to ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xvi on the jewish.htm

But Since the Human Being is a Twofold Creature...
... body depends on nourishment, and this is eating and drinking, and in the case of
our eating there is bread and in the case of our drinking water sweetened with ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xxxvii but since the.htm

Depravity Lies at the Bottom of Demon-Worship.
... Some woman by drinking water gets into a frenzy, and loses her senses by the fumes
of frankincense, and you say that she has the gift of prophecy. ...
/.../tatian/tatians address to the greeks/chapter xix depravity lies at the.htm

The visitation
... They were eating bread and mixing in their drinking water drops of balsam which
they had collected on their way. It was very hilly here. ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/ix the visitation.htm

The Scriptures.
... Besides, I am for drinking water out of my own cistern: what God makes mine by
the evidence of his word and Spirit, that I dare make bold with. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/iii the scriptures.htm

The Social Test of Religion
... Jesus wittily describes the Pharisee filtering out drowned gnats from the drinking
water, but bolting some camel of a sin without blinking. ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter ix the social test.htm

Satan's Devices
... Paul, when he continued three days, neither eating bread nor drinking water; and
therefore he speaks by experience, when he says, in the words of the text, "We ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/satans devices.htm

Canaan on Earth
... We want not the getting up of a little feverish passion by appealing to the natural
man; it is the drinking water of the rain of heaven that does the good. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/canaan on earth.htm

Drinking-water (4 Occurrences)
Drinking-water. Drinking-vessels, Drinking-water. Drinkoffering .
Multi-Version Concordance Drinking-water (4 Occurrences). ...
/d/drinking-water.htm - 7k

Drinking (114 Occurrences)
... 1 Timothy 5:23 no longer be drinkingwater, but a little wine be using, because
of thy stomach and of thine often infirmities; (WBS RSV). ...
/d/drinking.htm - 38k

Fountain (57 Occurrences)
... Or there may be a tiny stream which barely suffices for drinkingwater, about which
the village women and girls sit and talk waiting their turns to fill their ...
/f/fountain.htm - 30k

Forum (1 Occurrence)
... i.5) offers a lively picture of the discomforts of the trip, mentioning the importunate
inn-keepers and intolerable drinkingwater at Appii Forum, the gnats ...
/f/forum.htm - 9k

Drinkoffering

/d/drinkoffering.htm - 7k

Drinking-vessels (1 Occurrence)
Drinking-vessels. Drinking-trough, Drinking-vessels. Drinking-water . ... (BBE JPS).
Drinking-trough, Drinking-vessels. Drinking-water . Reference Bible.
/d/drinking-vessels.htm - 6k

Appii (1 Occurrence)
... i.5) offers a lively picture of the discomforts of the trip, mentioning the importunate
inn-keepers and intolerable drinkingwater at Appii Forum, the gnats ...
/a/appii.htm - 9k

Recorded (141 Occurrences)
... on which was recorded the agreement which the Lord made with you, I was on the mountain
for forty days and forty nights without taking food or drinkingwater. ...
/r/recorded.htm - 39k

Tents (284 Occurrences)
... Israel went on from the waste land of Sin, by stages as the Lord gave them orders,
and put up their tents in Rephidim: and there was no drinking-water for the ...
/t/tents.htm - 35k

Using (88 Occurrences)
... 1 Timothy 5:23 no longer be drinkingwater, but a little wine be using, because
of thy stomach and of thine often infirmities; (WBS). ...
/u/using.htm - 31k

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