Springs of water were important to the life of Israel, providing fresh water for the people. Both God and the gospel are often compared to springs of living water, on account of their life-bringing and refreshing qualities.
The symbolic importance of springs of water to Israel
Living water as a sign of hope and prosperity
Zechariah 14:8 See also Isaiah 12:3, Isaiah 49:10; Jeremiah 31:9
And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.
Living water as a source of fertility
Jeremiah 17:8 See also Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.
Living water as a sign of God's presence and power
Exodus 17:1–7; Numbers 20:1–11
God as a spring of water
Jeremiah 2:13 See also Jeremiah 17:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns — broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
The gospel as a spring of water
John 4:13–14 See also Psalm 42:2; Isaiah 55:1; John 7:37; Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:17
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
Other biblical uses of the image of a spring
Proverbs 25:26 spoiling what is good; James 3:9–11 the tongue compared to a spring; 2 Peter 2:17 a dry spring as a symbol of sterility
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.