H1295 H1295
Pool, pond — a natural or constructed reservoir of standing water, often a civic landmark
Denotes a pool or pond, whether naturally occurring or artificially constructed for water collection. The Hebrew berēkāh is cognate with Arabic birkah and Aramaic berēkhtā, all referring to standing water reservoirs. In the biblical text, specific pools serve as notable civic landmarks: the pool of Gibeon where Abner and Joab's men clashed (2 Sam 2:13), the pool where Ahab's chariot was washed (1 Kgs 22:38), Hezekiah's famous conduit pool (2 Kgs 20:20; Isa 22:9-11), and the pools Solomon built for irrigating his gardens (Eccl 2:6). Nahum's vivid simile likens fleeing Nineveh to a pool whose waters drain away (Nah 2:9). The word also appears in the tender imagery of Song of Songs 7:5.
Senses
1. pool, pond — A natural or artificial body of standing water used for collection, storage, or irrigation. Hebrew berēkāh appears as a civic landmark in narratives: the pool of Gibeon (2 Sam 2:13), the pool of Samaria (1 Kgs 22:38), the upper pool (Isa 7:3; 36:2), and Hezekiah's reservoir project (2 Kgs 20:20). English consistently renders 'pool'; Spanish uses 'estanque'; French employs both 'étang' and 'piscine.' The Arabic cognate birkah and Aramaic berēkhtā confirm this as a common Semitic term for standing water features. 17×
AR["البِركَةِ", "البِرْكَةَ", "البِرْكَةِ", "الـ-بِرْكَةِ", "الْبِرْكَةِ", "بِركَةِ", "بِرَكَ-", "بِرَكُ", "بِرْكَةِ", "كَبِرْكَةِ"]·ben["-জলাশয়ের", "-পুকুর-মতো", "-পুকুরের", "জলাধার", "জলাশয়", "জলাশয়ের", "পুকুর", "পুকুরসমূহ", "পুকুরের", "পুকুরের-মতো-"]·DE["[ברכות]", "[ברכת]", "[הברכה]", "[כברכת]", "der-Teich", "der-pool", "pool-von"]·EN["like-a-pool-of-", "of-the-upper", "pool-of", "pools", "pools-of", "the-pool"]·FR["[ברכת]", "[הברכה]", "le-pool", "les-étangs", "pool-de", "puits", "étang"]·heb["בריכות", "בריכת", "ברכת", "ה-בריכה", "ה-ברכה", "כ-בריכת-"]·HI["जैसे-तालाब-", "तालाब", "तालाब-का", "तालाब-की", "तालाब-के", "ह-तालाब"]·ID["Kolam", "kolam", "kolam-itu", "kolam-kolam", "seperti-kolam-"]·IT["[כברכת]", "il-piscina", "la-piscina", "piscina-di", "pools", "pools-of", "stagno"]·jav["blumbang", "blumbang-blumbang", "kados-blumbang", "kolam", "lan-"]·KO["같음-이라-못", "그-못의", "그-연못", "못-의", "못들-이라", "못의", "연못", "연못가", "연못과", "연못들", "연못의"]·PT["Tanque-de", "a-piscina", "açude-de", "o-açude", "o-reservatório", "o-tanque", "piscina-de", "piscinas", "tanque-de", "tanques-de", "é-como-tanque-de-"]·RU["водоём", "водоёма", "водоёму", "водоёмы", "как-пруд"]·ES["como-estanque-de", "del-estanque", "el-estanque", "estanque-de", "estanques-de", "la-piscina"]·SW["birika", "bwawa", "bwawa-la", "dimbwi-la", "kama-bwawa-la-", "mabwawa", "madimbwi", "wa-birika", "wa-dimbwi", "ya-bwawa"]·TR["havuz", "havuz-gibi-", "havuza", "havuzlar", "havuzlari", "havuzu", "havuzu-", "havuzun", "havuzuna", "havuzunun"]·urd["تالاب", "تالاب-کی", "تالاب-کی-طرح", "تالاب-کے", "حوض"]
2 Sam 2:13, 2 Sam 2:13, 2 Sam 2:13, 2 Sam 4:12, 1 Kgs 22:38, 2 Kgs 18:17, 2 Kgs 20:20, Neh 2:14, Neh 3:15, Neh 3:16, Eccl 2:6, Song 7:4 (+5 more)
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בְּרֵכָה n.f. pool, pond (הברכה SI5; Arabic بِرْكَةٌ; Sab. ברכת Sab.Denkm.73; Aramaic בְּרֵיכְתָּא)—ב׳ 2 S 2:13(×2) 4:12 2 K 18:17 (= Is 36:2) 20:20 Ne 3:16 Is 7:3; 22:9, 11; cstr. בְּרֵכַת 2 S 2:13 1 K 22:38 Ne 2:14; 3:15 Na 2:9; pl. בְּרֵכוֹת Ec 2:6 Ct 7:5.