2 Samuel 23:16

16 ¹So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but ²poured it out to the LORD;

2 Samuel 23:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:16

And the three mighty men brake through the host of the
Philistines
Which lay in the valley of Rephaim, between the hold in which David was and the well of Bethlehem; these three men hearing David express himself in the above manner, though without any view that any should risk their lives to obtain it, only in a general way said, oh for a draught of the water of the well of Bethlehem! immediately set out, and made their way through the army of the Philistines to the well:

and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that [was] by the gate,
and took [it], and brought [it] to David;
in a vessel which they probably carried with them for that purpose:

nevertheless he would not drink thereof;
because, say they who take these words in a spiritual sense, it was not this water, but spiritual water, he desired: but the reason is given in ( 2 Samuel 23:17 ) :

but poured it out unto the Lord;
as a libation to him, it being rather blood than water, being fetched at the hazard of men's lives, and therefore more fit to be offered as a sacrifice to God than to be drank by him; and this he might do in thankfulness to God for preserving the lives of the men. Gersom thinks it was now the feast of tabernacles, which was the feast of ingathering the fruits of the earth, when great quantities of water were drawn and poured out at the altar, which was done to obtain the blessing of the former rain; (See Gill on John 7:37) and (See Gill on John 7:38).

2 Samuel 23:16 In-Context

14 David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem

15 David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!"

16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD ;

17 and he said, "Be it far from me, O LORD , that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

18 Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Chronicles 11:18
• 2. Genesis 35:14