1 Chronicles 11:15-19

11:15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. 11:16 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. ¹  11:17 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink ²  from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!” 11:18 So the three elite warriors ³  broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate. They carried it back to David, but David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 11:19 and said, “God forbid that I should do this! ⁴  Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” ⁵  Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. ⁶ 

[11:16]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[11:17]  ² tn Heb “Who will give me water to drink?” On the rhetorical use of מִי (mi) here, see BDB 566 s.v. f.

[11:18]  ³ tn Heb “the three,” referring to the three elite warriors mentioned in v. 12.

[11:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “Far be it to me from my God from doing this.”

[11:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “with their lives.” The same expression occurs later in this verse.

[11:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “These things the three warriors did.”