Strong’s 5421 points to a vertical shaft cut into the earth—a “well” that can give access to life-sustaining water, or a “pit” that plunges downward into darkness. Context determines whether the focus is refreshment and rescue or danger and judgment.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Luke 14:5 – The Lord asks, “Which of you, if his son or ox falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?”.
• John 4:11-12 – Twice in the Samaritan woman’s reply: “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep… Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well…?”.
• Revelation 9:1-2 – Threefold use of the genitive: the star “was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. He opened the shaft of the Abyss, and smoke rose out of the shaft…”.

These seven uses fall naturally into two groups: earthly wells (Luke, John) and the apocalyptic “shaft of the Abyss” (Revelation).

The Well in the Life of Ancient Israel

In a land where rainfall is sparse, wells marked the boundary between life and death. They became gathering points for covenant encounters—Abraham’s treaty at Beersheba, Isaac’s re-opening of his father’s wells, Jacob’s meeting with Rachel. The New Testament echoes this heritage: Jacob’s well at Sychar is the setting for Jesus’ offer of “living water,” linking the old covenant symbol to the new covenant reality.

Practical and Ethical Implications (Luke 14:5)

Jesus turns the well into a test case of Sabbath mercy. If compassion demands rescuing a helpless creature from a pit, how much more should compassion lift a suffering human being. Here the well is a place of potential death, and love is measured by willingness to act swiftly.

Well versus Pit: Symbolic and Prophetic Dimensions

1. Source of Life (John 4)
• Physical depth underscores human inability: “You have nothing to draw with.”
• The contrast between finite water and the “spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14) highlights Christ as the true source.
2. Prison of Judgment (Revelation 9)
• The “shaft of the Abyss” shifts imagery from refreshment to terror. When opened, it belches smoke and unleashes a demonic horde.
• The same Greek term thus spans redemption and retribution, underscoring the moral polarity of Scripture.

Historical Resonances

Jewish apocalyptic literature already spoke of a subterranean abyss housing rebellious spirits (cf. 1 Enoch 10). Revelation adopts the imagery, anchoring it in prophetic fulfillment rather than speculative myth. The “key” given to the star shows that even the horrors beneath the earth remain under divine sovereignty.

Christian Ministry Applications

• Evangelism – John 4 frames personal witness at a literal well; the setting invites conversations that move from daily needs to eternal issues.
• Pastoral Care – Luke 14:5 justifies urgent mercy even when cultural or religious convention hesitates.
• Spiritual Warfare – Revelation 9 warns that unseen forces can emerge from the “pit,” yet believers rest in the Lamb who holds “the keys of Death and of Hades” (Revelation 1:18).

Theological Reflections

The journey from well to pit mirrors the gospel’s movement: the incarnation meets humanity at the ordinary well, the cross descends into the depths, and the resurrection secures victory over the abyss. Strong’s 5421 therefore binds together the themes of thirst and fulfillment, peril and deliverance, reminding the church that the One who sat fatigued at Jacob’s well is also the Lord of cosmic judgment.