7. Fountain. Masoretic tradition reads “well.”
Casteth out. The , Vulgate, and most modern commentators take the Hebrew as coming from the root qarar, “to be cold,” and render this passage “keeps cool,” or “keeps fresh.” In an underground reservoir the water is preserved and kept fresh and ready for use. According to this interpretation Jerusalem is preserving her wickedness.
Others, however, follow the rabbinical interpretation, taking the root to be as qur, meaning “to dig [for water].” Hence they explain this passage as meaning “making water to gush forth.” According to this interpretation Jerusalem is incessantly gushing out wickedness and oppression.
Whichever figure the prophet had in mind, the thought is evident that the city was completely dominated by evil.