The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD.
THE SURROUNDING PASSAGE
2 Samuel 23:16 in context
2 Samuel 23:13–19
13
Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
14
David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15
David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”
16
Selected verse
The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD.
17
He said, “Be it far from me, LORD, 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.
18
Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.
19
Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three.
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