“The Lord forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said, “Be it far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.
- KJV And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
- BSB saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.
- NKJV And he said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.
- NASB and he said, “Far be it from me, Lord, that I would do this! Should I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” So he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David refused to drink the water, calling it the blood of men who risked their lives, and poured it out before the LORD.
Overview
By naming the water "the blood of the men," David honors their sacrifice as belonging to God alone. His restraint models humble leadership that values others' lives above personal desire, and foreshadows how the New Testament treats blood poured out in sacrifice as sacred, supremely the blood of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Lev 17:10“‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
- Ps 72:14He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.
- 1 Sam 2:30“Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be lightly esteemed.
- 1 Sam 26:11Yahweh forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Yahweh’s anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head, and the jar of water, and let us go.”
- John 6:52–54The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
- Judg 5:18Zebulun was a people that jeopardized their lives to the death; Naphtali also, on the high places of the field.
- Matt 26:28for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.
- Gen 9:4But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.
- 1 Cor 15:30Why do we also stand in jeopardy every hour?
- Mark 14:24He said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many.
- Gen 44:17He said, “Far be it from me that I should do so. The man in whose hand the cup is found, he will be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”
- 2 Sam 20:20Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
- 1 Kgs 21:3Naboth said to Ahab, “May Yahweh forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
- 1 Chr 11:19and said, “My God forbid me, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy?” For they risked their lives to bring it. Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 23:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.