KJV ORIGINAL
Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Drink water from your own cistern, and flowing water from your own well.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse is using the imagery of drinking from your own water source to encourage faithfulness and satisfaction within marriage.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Israel, water was precious and cisterns (underground storage tanks) and wells were vital family resources that needed to be protected and maintained. This metaphor would have been immediately understood by Solomon's audience as referring to the exclusive, life-giving nature of the marriage relationship. The imagery contrasts the security of one's own water source with the danger of drinking from contaminated or unreliable sources.
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