2 Samuel 23:17

17 and said, "ADONAI! Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?"- and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.

2 Samuel 23:17 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:17

And he said, be it far from me, O Lord, that one should do
this
Drink of the water these men had brought him:

[is not this] the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their
lives?
who risked the shedding of their blood, and went in danger of their lives to get it:

therefore he would not drink it:
some compare with this the story of Alexander ^F4 to whom a vessel of water was offered when in extreme thirst, which he refused, because he could not bear to drink it alone, and so small a quantity could not be divided among all about him; but the reasons are not the same:

these things did these three mighty men;
which made them very famous.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Curt. Hist. l. 7. c. 5.

2 Samuel 23:17 In-Context

15 David had a craving and said, "I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!"

16 The three warrior-heroes broke through the army of the P'lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But he wouldn't drink it. Instead, he poured it out to ADONAI

17 and said, "ADONAI! Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?"- and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.

18 Avishai the brother of Yo'av, the son of Tz'ruyah, was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three.

19 He had the most honor of these three and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three