Pit

A reservoir, either natural or artificial, for water. Pits were sometimes used as dungeons, Gen 37:20 ; Jer 38:6 ; or being slightly covered, and baited, they served as traps to catch wild beasts, a device which illustrates the plots of designing men and women, Psa 119:85 ; Pro 22:14 ; 26:27; Eze 19:4 . The word pit is also used to denote the grave, Psa 28:1 ; 30:3,9; and hell, Jer 20:1 .\par

Pit. See Hell.

(1) She’ol, "Hades"; the covered, unseen world. (See HELL.)

(2) Shachath, "sunk and lightly covered [pit]" to entrap animals (Psa 9:16; Psa 35:7); typifying "hopeless doom" (Job 33:18; Job 33:24; Job 33:28; Job 33:30).

(3) Bor, "a pit or cistern once full of water, now empty", with miry clay beneath (Psa 40:2; Zec 9:11); used as dungeon wherein the captive has no water or food; so Jeremiah (Jer 38:6; Jer 38:9), Isa 51:14; hence symbolizing "the dishonored grave of the once haughty transgressor", with the idea of condign [deserved; appropriate] punishment in the unseen world, shadowed forth by the ignominious state of the body (Eze 31:14; Eze 31:16; Eze 32:18; Eze 32:24). (See ABYSS on the "bottomless pit": Rev 9:1-2; Rev 20:1-2.)

Pit. This term is used to render several Hebrew words. It denotes a cistern or reservoir. It was into such a dry cistern that Joseph was cast. In old decayed cisterns the water leaks out or becomes slimy, and such a pit becomes the image of dreariness and misery. Jer 2:13; Psa 40:2; Zec 9:11.

There are several Hebrew words translated ’pit.’ The principal are:

1. sheol , ’the grave, hades, hell.’ Num 16:30; Num 16:33; Job 17:16.

2. shachath, ’a pit, a pitfall to entrap animals,’ place of doom and corruption. Job 33:18; Job 33:24; Job 33:28; Job 33:30; Psa 9:15; Psa 30:9; Psa 35:7; Eze 28:8; etc.

3. bor, beer, ’pit or well dug for water,’ but which could be used for a dungeon. Gen 37:20-29; Psa 28:1; Psa 40:2; Psa 88:4; Psa 88:6; Eze 26:20; Zec 9:11; etc. See BOTTOMLESS PIT.

PIT (βόθυνος, φρέαρ).—In the Gospels βόθυνος is used only of a place into which animals or men might stumble by accident (Mat 12:11), or in consequence of blindness (Mat 15:14, Luk 6:39, Authorized Version ‘ditch,’ but Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 ‘pit’). This might mean any opening or hollow dug in the ground. In Luk 14:5 || Mat 12:11, however, φρέαρ is used, so that here we should, perhaps, understand ‘pit’ as an empty cistern, or artificial well. These are seldom covered in the East or guarded in any way. In the neighbourhood of towns and villages, especially those that have fallen on decay, they are often the cause of serious accidents to unwary pedestrians. In the Apocalypse φρέαρ appears as the bottomless abode of ‘the beast’ and his unholy hosts (Rev 9:1; Rev 17:8 etc.).

W. Ewing.

PIT.—Of the dozen Heb. words, besides two Gr. words in NT, rendered ‘pit’ in EV [Note: English Version.] , the following are the most important.

1. The term bôr is responsible for nearly half of all the OT occurrences. It is the usual word for the cistern with which almost every house in the towns was supplied (see Cistern). Disused cisterns in town and country are the ‘pits’ mentioned in Gen 37:20 ff. (that into which Joseph was cast [cf. art. Prison]), 1Sa 13:6 (RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ‘cisterns’ etc.). In some passages, indeed, the context shows that ‘cistern,’ not ‘pit,’ is the proper rendering, as in Lev 11:36, Exo 21:33 f. with reference to an uncovered and unprotected cistern; cf. Luk 14:5, RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘well’ for AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ‘pit.’ The systematic exploration of Palestine has brought to light many series of underground caves which were used at various periods as dwelling-places (cf. 1Sa 13:6); hence by a natural figure, ‘pit’ became a synonym of Sheol, the under world (Isa 14:15, Psa 28:1, Pro 1:12, and oft.; cf. Rev 9:1 ff. and Sheol).

2. A second word rendered ‘pit’ (shachath) seems to have denoted originally a pit in which, after concealing the mouth by a covering of twigs and earth, hunters trapped their game (Eze 19:4; Eze 19:8). Like the preceding, it is frequently used in a figurative sense of the under world; so five times in Job 33:1-33 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ).

3. A hunter’s pit, denoted by pachath, also supplied the figure of Isa 24:17 f. and its parallels Jer 48:43 f. and Lam 3:47 RV [Note: Revised Version.] —note the association with ‘snare.’ Such a pit served as a place of concealment (2Sa 17:9) and of burial (2Sa 18:17).

4. In Mar 12:1 RV [Note: Revised Version.] rightly recognizes ‘a pit for the winepress,’ where the reference is to what the Mishna calls ‘a cement-vat,’ i.e. a pit dug in the soil for a wine-vat (cf. Mat 25:18, where the same expression ‘digged’ is used), as contrasted with the usual rock-hewn vats (see Wine and Strong Drink, § 2).

A. R. S. Kennedy.

The word translates different Hebrew words of which the most important are: (1) בּור, bōr, “pit” or “cistern,” made by digging, (Gen 37:20); hence, “dungeon” (Jer 38:6, margin “pit”); (2) כּאר, b^e’ēr, “pit” or “well” made by digging (Gen 21:25); (3) שׁאל, sh^e’ōl, generally rendered “hell” in the King James Version (see HELL); (4) שׁחת, shaḥath, a pit in the ground to catch wild animals. (1), (2) and (4) above are used metaphorically of the pit of the “grave” or of “sheol” (Psa 28:1; Psa 30:3; Job 33:24). the King James Version sometimes incorrectly renders (4) by “corruption.” (5) פּחת, paḥath, “pit,” literally (2Sa 17:9), and figuratively (Jer 48:43). In the New Testament “pit” renders βόθυνος, bóthunos (Mat 15:14), which means any kind of hole in the ground. In the corresponding passage Lk (Luk 14:5 the King James Version) has φρέαρ, phréar, “well,” the same as (2) above. For “bottomless pit” (Rev 9:1, the King James Version, etc.). See ABYSS.

Num 16:33 (a) The original word is sheol, which in the original Hebrew means hell, or the place of departed spirits. These men and their families and their possessions all went down into hell without dying. They are in hell today in their bodies. GOD did a new thing. He never did it before, and has never done it since.

Psa 9:15 (b) The word refers to any trap or device whereby GOD’s child is overtaken by the enemy and made captive. (See also Psa 35:7; Psa 119:85; Pro 28:10).

Psa 40:2 (b) Any deep trouble may be called a pit. It is so easy to fall in, and so hard to get out. It is always a very unpleasant experience.

Psa 88:6 (b) Since this was written by the sons of Korah, whose father went down to hell alive, therefore, it may be that these sons are indicating that they too should have been punished by GOD, but instead were saved by His grace. (See Num 26:11).

Eze 19:4 (b) Probably this refers to the battle plan of the enemy.