ὕδωρ

ὕδωρ, ατος, τό (Hom.+; loanw. in rabb.) water

① in a material sense, as an element Dg 8:2 (Ar. 5, 1f; Ath. 18, 3; s. στοιχεῖον 1). Of the ocean 1 Cl 33:3; pl. Hv 1, 3, 4 (cp. Ps 135:6, w. the sing. as v.l.; JosAs 12:3; Just., A I, 60, 6). The earth (before the Deluge) formed ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ διʼ ὕδατος 2 Pt 3:5 (cp. HDiels, Doxographi Graeci 1879 p. 276, 12 [Θαλῆς] ἐξ ὕδατός φησι πάντα εἶναι καὶ εἰς ὕδωρ πάντα ἀναλύεσθαι; JChaine, Cosmogonie aquatique et conflagration finale d’après 2 Pt: RB 46, ’37, 207–16. S. also Artem. 1, 77 p. 70, 6 al. ἐξ ὕδατος ἢ διʼ ὕδατος). Of the waters of the Deluge 1 Pt 3:20; 2 Pt 3:6. σίφων ὕδατος a water-pump Hm 11:18. κεράμιον ὕδατος a water jar (s. κεράμιον) Mk 14:13; Lk 22:10. ποτήριον ὕδατος (Just., A I, 65, 3; 66, 4; PGen 51, 9) a cup of water Mk 9:41. Water for washing Mt 27:24; Lk 7:44; J 13:5. Cp. Hs 9, 10, 3. Water fr. a well J 4:7 (TestAbr A 3 p. 79f [Stone p. 7f] ὕδωρ ἀπὸ τοῦ φρέατος); fr. a spring Js 3:12 (γλυκὺ ὕδωρ; s. γλυκύς, also Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 4 Jac.; ParJer 9:18; Just., D. 86, 1; Herm. Wr. 13, 17); of a stream Rv 16:12 (cp. ParJer 6:25 τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ Ἰορδάνου; Just., D. 88, 3).—τὸ ὕδωρ specif.=the river Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; =the pool J 5:3f, 7; =the lake Lk 8:24, pl. Mt 8:32; 14:28f; =the spring, etc. pl. Rv 8:11ab; cp. πηγαὶ (τῶν) ὑδάτων vs. 10; 14:7; 16:4 (Just. A I, 64, 1); =the mountain torrent pl. Hv 1, 1, 3; cp. GJs 18:3. Of waters gener., or not more exactly defined Mt 17:15. ὕδωρ τι Ac 8:36a. Cp. vs. 38f. Pl. Mk 9:22. ὕδατα πολλά (Ps 28:3) J 3:23; Rv 17:1; ὕδατα ταῦτα GJs 3:2. φωνὴ ὑδάτων πολλῶν the sound of many waters (Ps 92:4) Rv 1:15; 14:2; 19:6 (Mussies 82). χεόμενα ὕδατα water that is poured out Ox 840, 32f. γεμίσαι ὕδωρ draw water GJs 11:1 (cp. TestAbr A 3 p. 79, 34 [Stone p. 6]).—After Num 15:16ff of trial by water ὕδωρ τῆς ἐλέγξεως GJs 16:1. W. bread as that which is necessary to maintain life Hs 5, 3, 7 (cp. Am 8:11; JosAs 10:2; 4 [6] Esdr [POxy 1010]); AcPl Ha 4, 4. In contrast to wine J 2:9 (ApcEsdr 4:27). W. blood J 19:34 (s. αἷμα 1a). Christ came διʼ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος and ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι 1J 5:6abc; cp. vs. 8 (s. διά A 1a, ἐν 5aβ and ἔρχομαι 1bα). Gener. of John’s baptism by water (alone), opp. πνεῦμα Mt 3:11; Mk 1:8; Lk 3:16; J 1:33 (26, 31); Ac 1:5; 11:16. Of Christian baptism, the new birth ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος J 3:5 (on the originality of the rdg. ὕδατος καί s. Hdb.³ ad loc.; Bultmann 98, 2; cp. Just., D. 138, 3 διʼ ὕδατος καὶ πίστεως καὶ ξύλου), 8 v.l. Cp. Ac 10:47 AcPl Ha 3, 32. καθαρίσας τῷ λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι Eph 5:26. λελουσμένοι τὸ σῶμα ὕδατι καθαρῷ Hb 10:22 (καθαρός 1). Even the OT points to the water of baptism B 11:1ab, 8ab, which Christ has consecrated by his own baptism IEph 18:2. The symbolic language of Hermas makes many allusions to the baptismal water: διʼ ὕδατος ἀναβαίνειν Hs 9, 16, 2. εἰς ὕδωρ καταβαίνειν m 4, 3, 1; Hs 9, 16, 6. The tower (=God’s assembly, church) is built ἐπὶ ὑδάτων Hv 3, 2, 4; 3, 3, 5ab, ὅτι ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν διὰ ὕδατος ἐσώθη καὶ σωθήσεται 3, 3, 5c. Acc. to D 7:1, when at all poss., ὕδωρ ζῶν running water (ζάω 4) is to be used in baptizing. Cp. 7:2.

② transcendent life-giving medium, water, fig. ext. of 1, with the transition marked by J 4:10f, where (τὸ) ὕδωρ (τὸ) ζῶν (cp. JosAs 14:12; 1QH 8:7 and CD 6:4 [s. also 3:16]) is partly spring water and partly a symbol of the benefits conferred by Jesus (OCullmann, ThZ 4, ’48, 367f.—For the imagery cp. Sir 15:3.—Cp. 1QH 8:4). Cp. 7:38; 4:14abc (cp. Sir 24:21); IRo 7:2 (cp. OdeSol 11:6; Anacreontea 12, 7 p. 9 Preisendanz λάλον ὕδωρ). ὕδωρ (τῆς) ζωῆς water of life (s. Hdb. exc. on J 4:14; REisler, Orphisch-dionys. Mysteriengedanken in der christl. Antike: Vorträge der Bibl. Warburg II/2, 1925, 139ff; Herm. Wr. 1, 29 ἐτράφησαν ἐκ τοῦ ἀμβροσίου ὕδατος) Rv 21:6 (the award granted a conquering hero; cp. Pind., I. 6, 74); 22:1, 17. βεβάμμεθα ἐν ὕδασι ζωῆς Ox 840, 43f. ζωῆς πηγαὶ ὑδάτων springs of living water Rv 7:17.—SEitrem, Opferritus u. Voropfer der Griechen u. Römer 1915, 78ff, Beiträge z. griech. Religionsgesch. III 1920, 1ff; MNinck, Die Bed. des Wassers im Kult u. Leben der Alten 1921; AKing, Holy Water: A Short Account of the Use of Water for Ceremonial and Purificatory Purposes in Pagan, Jewish, and Christian Times 1926; TCanaan, Water and the ‘Water of Life’ in Palest. Superstition: JPOS 9, 1929, 57–69.—B. 35; BHHW III 2138–41 (lit.).—DELG. M-M. TW.