Lexical Summary
berekah: pool, ponds, pools
Original Word:בְּרֵכָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:brekah
Pronunciation:beh-rah-KAH
Phonetic Spelling:(ber-ay-kaw')
KJV: (fish-)pool
NASB:pool, ponds, pools
Word Origin:[fromH1288 (בָּרַך - blessed)]
1. a reservoir (at which camels kneel as a resting-place)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fishpool
Frombarak; a reservoir (at which camels kneel as a resting-place) -- (fish-)pool.
see HEBREWbarak
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
barakDefinitiona pool, pond
NASB Translationponds (1), pool (15), pools (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
( SI
5; Arabic
; Sabean SabDenkm
73; Aramaic ) —
2 Samuel 2:13 (twice in verse);
2 Samuel 4:12;
2 Kings 18:17 (=
Isaiah 36:2)
2 Kings 20:20;
Nehemiah 3:16;
Isaiah 7:3;
Isaiah 22:9,11; construct
2 Samuel 2:13;
1 Kings 22:38;
Nehemiah 2:14;
Nehemiah 3:15;
Nahum 2:9; plural
Ecclesiastes 2:6;
Songs 7:5.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scope of the Termבְּרֵכָה (berêkhâh) designates an artificial or natural pool, pond, or reservoir used for collecting and holding water. The concept ranges from large, engineered urban waterworks to aesthetic ponds in royal gardens and metaphorical images in prophetic and poetic literature.
Physical and Social Functions of Pools
1. Urban water supply
• Upper and Lower Pools of Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:3;Isaiah 22:9, 11;2 Kings 18:17;Isaiah 36:2) formed part of the city’s strategic infrastructure, ensuring drinkable water during siege.
• Hezekiah’s famous engineering project—“he made the pool and the tunnel to bring water into the city” (2 Kings 20:20)—illustrates royal commitment to civic welfare and defense.
2. Agricultural irrigation
•Ecclesiastes 2:6 records Solomon’s extensive gardens: “I constructed reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees”. These ponds enabled year-round horticulture in an arid climate, attesting to advanced agronomy.
3. Military and civic landmarks
• The Pool of Gibeon (2 Samuel 2:13) served as a neutral meeting ground where opposing commanders faced one another before battle.
• The Pool of Samaria became the site where Ahab’s blood was washed from the royal chariot (1 Kings 22:38), symbolizing divine retribution.
4. Aesthetic and recreational sites
• “Your eyes are pools in Heshbon” (Songs 7:4) evokes serenity and beauty, showing that pools also enhanced pleasure gardens and poetic imagination.
Geographical Distribution and Archaeological Correlates
• Jerusalem: The “upper pool” is widely identified with el-Burak or the large pool near the Damascus Gate; the “old pool” (Isaiah 22:11) may correspond to the Pool of Siloam’s earlier form.
• Gibeon: Excavation at el-Jib has uncovered a massive stepped pool (37 m deep), aligning closely with the narrative of2 Samuel 2.
• Samaria: A large pool adjacent to the Omride palace complex fits1 Kings 22:38.
• Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the Siloam Pool inscription confirm2 Kings 20:20 archaeologically.
Historical Episodes Involving Pools
• Civil Strife at Gibeon (2 Samuel 2): The pool becomes a tense arena highlighting the fragmentation of Israel after Saul’s death.
• Judgment on Ahab (1 Kings 22): Blood mingling with water fulfills prophetic warning and reminds readers that God’s word cannot fail.
• Assyrian Threat (Isaiah 7; 36): The aqueduct by the upper pool is the stage for prophetic confrontation—first Isaiah with Ahaz, later the Rabshakeh’s blasphemous challenge—underscoring that true security rests in faith, not engineering alone.
• Hezekiah’s Reform (2 Kings 20): The tunnel and pool manifest wise stewardship, contrasting with the faithlessness condemned inIsaiah 22, where Judah “built a reservoir” yet “did not look to its Maker.”
Symbolic and Theological Significance
1. Provision and preservation
Pools represent God-enabled ingenuity that sustains life in a dry land. They mirror the Lord’s ongoing provision for His people, whether through natural resources or sanctified human skill.
2. Reflection and moral self-examination
As calm waters reflect a face, pools invite contemplation. The literary use in Song of Songs encourages believers to cultivate inner beauty that mirrors the Lord’s character.
3. Judgment and cleansing
Blood washed in Samaria’s pool and the impending flood imagery ofNahum 2:8 (“Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away”) proclaim that no fortress can withstand divine judgment; only repentance cleanses guilt.
4. Foreshadowing of “living water”
The strategic pools of Jerusalem prefigure the ultimate provision of life in Jesus Christ, who later stood in the city and cried, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). The contrast between stagnant reservoirs and Christ’s living water sharpens the gospel invitation.
Ministry Applications
• Strategic stewardship: Leaders are called to plan ahead, as Hezekiah did, while relying wholly on God rather than on human ingenuity alone.
• Spiritual reservoirs: Believers should dig deep channels of Scripture intake and prayer so that their hearts become reservoirs of grace, ready in times of drought.
• Evangelistic warning: The fate of Ahab and Nineveh urges proclamation of both salvation and judgment.
• Aesthetic worship: As Solomon and the poet of Song of Songs appreciated beauty, the Church may use artistry to point others to the Creator’s splendor.
Key References for Study
2 Samuel 2:13;2 Samuel 4:12
1 Kings 22:38
2 Kings 18:17;2 Kings 20:20
Nehemiah 2:14;Nehemiah 3:15–16
Ecclesiastes 2:6
Song of Songs 7:4
Isaiah 7:3;Isaiah 22:9, 11;Isaiah 36:2
Nahum 2:8
Forms and Transliterations
בְּרֵכ֣וֹת בְּרֵכַ֖ת בְּרֵכַ֣ת בְּרֵכַ֤ת בְּרֵכַ֥ת ברכות ברכת הַבְּרֵכָ֖ה הַבְּרֵכָ֣ה הַבְּרֵכָה֙ הברכה כִבְרֵֽכַת־ כברכת־ bə·rê·ḵaṯ bə·rê·ḵō·wṯ bereChat bereChot bərêḵaṯ bərêḵōwṯ chivrechat hab·bə·rê·ḵāh habbereChah habbərêḵāh ḵiḇ·rê·ḵaṯ- ḵiḇrêḵaṯ-
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