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barrel; pitcher

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(goblet, wine-vessel). A large earthen water-jar with one or two handles (Gen. 24:15-20¹⁵And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. ¹⁶And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. ¹⁷And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. ¹⁸And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. ¹⁹And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. ²⁰And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. (Genesis 24:15‑20); Mark 14:13¹³And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. (Mark 14:13); Luke 22:10¹⁰And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. (Luke 22:10)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

The word kad signifies a large earthen vessel, not a barrel made of wood (1 Kings 17:12,14,16¹²And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. (1 Kings 17:12)
¹⁴For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. (1 Kings 17:14)
¹⁶And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:16); 1 Kings 18:33³³And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. (1 Kings 18:33)). It is often translated “pitcher.”

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Antique jar in the patio of Dar el Azim museum.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:

3537 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Transliteration:

kad

Phonic:

kad

Meaning:

from an unused root meaning to deepen; properly, a pail; but generally of earthenware; a jar for domestic purposes

KJV Usage:

barrel, pitcher

From Manners and Customs of the Bible:

Mark 14:13¹³And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. (Mark 14:13). There shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water.

See also Luke 22:10¹⁰And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. (Luke 22:10).

1. Water is usually carried by women. See note on Genesis 24:15¹⁵And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. (Genesis 24:15) (#32). Therefore the sight of a man carrying water would more readily attract attention. Hackett says: “I recollect but two instances in which I saw a man bearing a pitcher of water; and I think that the manner in which the Saviour refers to such a circumstance (he mentions it as a sign) implies that it was not common” (Illustrations of Scripture, p. 89).

2. The “pitcher” is supposed to have been an amphora. See note on 2 Kings 4:2²And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. (2 Kings 4:2) (#332).

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