2 Samuel 23:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and said, "Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

NIV: "Far be it from me, Lord, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors.

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.

CSB: David said, "Lord, I would never do such a thing! Is this not the blood of men who risked their lives?" So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three warriors.

NLT: 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.

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.

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.

Second Samuel 23:13–17 (1 Chronicles 11:15–19) interrupts the rollcall of David's mighty men with a story. David and his men were trapped in their stronghold in a cave in Adullam (1 Samuel 22) with a band of Philistines between them and Bethlehem (2 Samuel 5:22–25). David mentioned he wanted water from his hometown. Three unnamed warriors snuck through the Philistines and brought him that water. David poured it out as an offering to God. He considered it a symbol of the blood of the men who risked their lives and too holy to drink.

Second Samuel 23 has two distinct sections. David has already written a psalm honoring God for his deliverance and blessing (2 Samuel 22). Second Samuel 23:1–7 is a shorter psalm that identifies David as a prophet and compares good kings, God, and bad men. Second Samuel 23:8–39 lists many of the men God used to protect David, make him king, and keep Israel safe. The roll call is repeated, with some variations, in 1 Chronicles 11:10–47. The book of 1 and 2 Samuel ends with David's decision to count his troops; a sin that God punishes with a pestilence that kills 70,000 men (2 Samuel 24).

Second Samuel 23 gives David's last psalm and a roll call of his warriors. The psalm is part of the center of a reflection structure seen in 2 Samuel 21—24. The mirror of themes, called a "chiasm," emphasizes that God alone is responsible for David's success and safety. Second Samuel 21:15–22 and 23:8–39 list some of the warriors God used to protect David and Israel. Second Samuel 21:1–14 and 24:1–25 show that God's blessings are despite the kings' failures, not because they deserved God's favor. The book of 1 Kings begins the transfer of power from David to his son Solomon.

Second Samuel continues the story of David, who will become king over Judah. The other tribes of Israel are resistant, eventually sparking a civil war. David wins and makes Jerusalem his capital. Early success is followed by moral failure and controversy in David's house. The book of 1 Kings will begin by detailing David's decline and death.