King James Bible Dictionary

(Heb. beer), to be distinguished from a fountain (Heb. ain). A "beer" was a deep shaft, bored far under the rocky surface by the art of man, which contained water which percolated through the strata in its sides. Such wells were those of Jacob and Beersheba, etc. (see Genesis 21:19, 25, 30, 31; 24:11; 26:15, 18-25, 32, etc.). In the Pentateuch this word beer, so rendered, occurs twenty-five times.

Wells in Palestine are usually excavated from the solid limestone rock, sometimes with steps to descend into them. (Genesis 24:16) The brims are furnished with a curb or low wall of stone, bearing marks of high antiquity in the furrows worn by the ropes used in drawing water. It was on a curb of this sort that our Lord sat when he conversed with the woman of Samaria, (John 4:6) and it was this, the usual stone cover, which the woman placed on the mouth of the well at Bahurim, (2 Samuel 17:19) where the Authorized Version weakens the sense by omitting the article. The usual methods for raising water are the following:

1. The rope and bucket, or waterskin. (Genesis 24:14-20; John 4:11)
2. The sakiyeh , or Persian wheel. This consists of a vertical wheel furnished with a set of buckets or earthen jars attached to a cord passing over the wheel. which descend empty and return full as the wheel revolves.
3. A modification of the last method, by which a man, sitting opposite to a wheel furnished with buckets, turns it by drawing with his hands one set of spokes prolonged beyond its circumference, and pushing another set from him with his feet.
4. A method very common in both ancient and modern Egypt is the shadoof , a simple contrivance consisting of a lever moving on a pivot, which is loaded at one end with a lump of clay or some other weight, and has at the other a bowl or bucket. Wells are usually furnished with troughs of wood or stone into which the water is emptied for the use of persons or animals coming to the wells. Unless machinery is used, which is commonly worked by men, women are usually the water-carriers.

WELL, noun [G., a spring; to spring, to issue forth, to gush, to well to swell. G., a wave. On this word I suppose swell to be formed.]

1. A spring; a fountain; the issuing of water from the earth.

Begin then, sisters of the sacred well [In this sense obsolete.]

2. A pit or cylindrical hole, sunk perpendicularly into the earth to such a depth as to reach a supply of water, and walled with stone to prevent the earth from caving in.

3. In ships, an apartment in the middle of a ships hold, to inclose the pumps, from the bottom to the lower deck.

4. In a fishing vessel, an apartment in the middle of the hold, made tight at the sides, but having holes perforated int he bottom to let in fresh water for the preservation of fish, while they are transported to market.

5. In the military art, a hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from which run branches or galleries.

WELLADAY, alas, Johnson supposes to be a corruption of welaway, which see.

WELLBEING, noun [well and being.] Welfare; happiness; prosperity; as, virtue is essential to the well being of men or of society.

WELL-BELOVED, adjective Greatly beloved. Mark 12:6.

WELL-BORN, adjective [well and born.] Born of a noble or respectable family; not of mean birth.

WELL-BRED, adjective [well and bred.] Educated to polished manners; polite.

WELL-DONE, exclamation [well and done.] A word of praise; bravely; nobly; in a right manner.

WELL-DRAIN, noun [well and drain.] A drain or vent for water, somewhat like a well or pit, serving to discharge the water of wet land.

WELL-DRAIN, verb transitive To drain land by means of wells or pits, which receive the water, and from which it is discharged by machinery.

WELLFARE, is now written welfare.

WELL-FAVORED, adjective Handsome; well formed; beautiful; pleasing to the eye. Genesis 29:1.

WELL-GROUNDED, adjective [well and ground.] Well founded; having a solid foundation.

WELL-HEAD, noun [well and head.] A source, spring or fountain.

WELL-HOLE, WELL, noun In architecture, the hole or space left in a floor for the stairs.

WELL-INTENTIONED, adjective Having upright intentions or purpose.

WELL-MANNERED, adjective [well and manner.] Polite; well-bred; complaisant.

WELL-MEANER, noun [well and mean.] One whose intention is good.

WELL-MEANING, adjective Having a good intention.

WELL-MET, exclamation A term of salutation denoting joy at meeting.

WELL-MINDED, adjective [well and mind.] Well disposed; having a good mind.

WELL-MORALIZED, adjective Regulated by good morals.

WELL-NATURED, adjective [well and natured.] Good natured; kind.

WELL-NIGH, adverb [well and nigh.] Almost; nearly.

WELL-ROOM, noun [well and room.] In a boat, a place in the bottom where the water is collected, and whence it is thrown out with a scoop.

The occasion of feuds:

Between Abraham and Abimelech
Genesis 21:25-30

Between Isaac and Abimelech
Genesis 26:15-22; Genesis 26:32-33

Of Jacob
John 4:6

Of Solomon
Ecclesiastes 2:6

Of Uzziah
2 Chronicles 26:10

Of Hezekiah
Gihon

At Haran
Genesis 24:16

Figurative:

Of salvation
Isaiah 12:3; John 4:14

Without water
Jeremiah 15:18; 2 Peter 2:17
Spring

WELL-SPENT, adjective [well and spent.] Spent or passed in virtue; as a well-spent life; well-spent days.

WELL-SPOKEN, adjective [well and speak.]

1. Speaking well; speaking with fitness or grace; or speaking kindly.

2. Spoken with propriety; as well-spoken words.

WELL-SPRING, noun [well and spring.] A source of continual supply. Proverbs 16:1.

WELL-WATER, noun [well and water.] The water that flows into a well from subterraneous springs; water drawn from a well.

WELL-WILLER, noun [well and will.] One who means kindly.

WELL-WISH, noun [well and wish.] A wish of happiness.

WELL-WISHER, noun [supra.] One who wishes the good of another.