ditch, pit

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(well). Cistern or well (Gen. 37:20²⁰Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. (Genesis 37:20)); grave (Psa. 28:1¹<<A Psalm of David.>> Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. (Psalm 28:1)); game-trap (Ezek. 19:8⁸Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit. (Ezekiel 19:8)); device (Psa. 119:85⁸⁵The proud have digged pits for me, which are not after thy law. (Psalm 119:85); Prov. 26:27²⁷Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. (Proverbs 26:27)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

There are several Hebrew words translated “pit.” The principal are:

1. sheol, “the grave, hades, hell” (Num. 16:30,33³⁰But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. (Numbers 16:30)
³³They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. (Numbers 16:33); Job 17:16¹⁶They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust. (Job 17:16)).

2. shachath, “a pit, a pitfall to entrap animals,” place of doom and corruption (Job 33:18,24,28,30¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 33:18)
²⁴Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. (Job 33:24)
²⁸He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. (Job 33:28)
³⁰To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living. (Job 33:30); Psa. 9:15¹⁵The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. (Psalm 9:15); Psa. 30:9⁹What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? (Psalm 30:9); Psa. 35:7⁷For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. (Psalm 35:7); Ezek. 28:8⁸They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. (Ezekiel 28:8); etc.).

3. bor, beer, “pit or well dug for water,” but which could be used for a dungeon (Gen. 37:20-29²⁰Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. ²¹And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. ²²And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. ²³And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him; ²⁴And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. ²⁵And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. ²⁶And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? ²⁷Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. ²⁸Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. ²⁹And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. (Genesis 37:20‑29); Psa. 28:1¹<<A Psalm of David.>> Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. (Psalm 28:1); Psa. 40:2²He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. (Psalm 40:2); Psa. 88:4,6⁴I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: (Psalm 88:4)
⁶Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. (Psalm 88:6); Ezek. 26:20²⁰When I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited; and I shall set glory in the land of the living; (Ezekiel 26:20); Zech. 9:11¹¹As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. (Zechariah 9:11), etc.). See BOTTOMLESS PIT.

Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:

Number:

999 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Greek:

βόθυνος

Transliteration:

bothunos

Phonic:

both’-oo-nos

Meaning:

akin to 900; a hole (in the ground); specially, a cistern

KJV Usage:

ditch, pit