1 Chronicles 11:19
in 1 Chronicles 11saying, “Far be it from me, my God, to do this! How can I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” Because they had brought it at the risk of their lives, David refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.
KJV
And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.
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This verse in 1 Chronicles 11
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is probable that, when uttering the wish, David had no recollection of the military posted at Beth-lehem. It is generally taken for granted that those who fought a way to the well of Beth-lehem were the three champions just mentioned [see on 1Ch 11:13]. But this is far from being clear.
This site's exposition
Three of the thirty chief men went down
on 1 Chronicles 11:15-19
The Three broke through the Philistine camp to draw water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem, as 2 Samuel 23:13 to 17 tells. They risked their lives for a longing David never gave as a command. David refused to drink it and poured it out to the LORD.
This site's exposition
drink the blood of these
The law gave blood to God alone and told Israel to pour it out on the ground (Deuteronomy 12:16). David counts the water as the men's blood and gives it the treatment the law gives blood. Henry puts it that David's reckoning turns the water into blood.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistRegister of Epistles, Book 9, Epistle 122 · Written before 604.
proposed
I must tell you that I have been led to praise God the more for your work by what I have learnt from the report of my most beloved son Probinus the presbyter; namely that, your Excellency having issued a certain ordinance against the perfidy of the Jews, those to whom it related attempted to bend the rectitude of your mind by offering a sum of money; which your Excellency scorned, and, seeking to satisfy the judgment of Almighty God, preferred innocence to gold. With regard to this what was done by King David recurs to my mind, who, when the longed for water from the cistern of Bethlehem, which was wedged in by the enemy, had been brought him by obedient soldiers, said, God forbid that I should drink the blood of righteous men. And, because he poured it out and would not drink it, it is written, He offered it a libation to the Lord. If, then, water was scorned by the armed king, and turned into a sacrifice to God, we may estimate what manner of sacrifice to Almighty God has been offered by the king who for His love has scorned to receive, not water, but gold. Wherefore, most excellent son, I will confidently say that thou hast offered as a libation to the Lord the gold which thou wouldest not have in opposition to Him.
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistRegister of Epistles, Book 11, Epistle 45 · Written before 604.
proposed
But David, who had taken to himself another man's wife, and had been sorely scourged for his fault, desired long afterwards to drink water from the cistern of Bethlehem; which when his bravest soldiers had brought to him, he refused to drink it, and poured it out as a libation to the Lord. For it was lawful for him to drink it, had he been so minded; but, because he remembered having done what was unlawful, he laudably abstained even from what was lawful.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It put him into the greatest confusion imaginable to think that three brave men should hazard their lives to fetch water for him. In his account it turns the water into blood. It is the honour of great men not to be prodigal of the blood of those they employ, but, in all the commands they give them, to put their own souls into their souls' stead.
3 Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the L ORD ; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the L ORD by Samuel. 4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus; where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:94%@v3-4
Shall I drink the blood, &c. - It put him into the utmost confusion, to think three brave men should hazard their lives, to fetch water for him. In his account, it turns the water into blood. It is to the honour of great men, not to be prodigal of the blood of those they employ.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֡אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| חָלִילָה֩ | chalilah | far be it | H2486 → | |
| לִּ֨י | li | to me | ||
| מֵאֱלֹהַ֜י | meelohai | from God my | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מֵעֲשׂ֣וֹת | measot | from doing | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| זֹ֗את | zot | this [thing] | H2063 → | 603 times |
| הֲדַ֣ם | hadam | ¿ [the] blood of | H1818 → | 360 times |
| הָאֲנָשִׁים֩ | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| הָאֵ֨לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| אֶשְׁתֶּ֤ה | ʾeshteh | will I drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| בְנַפְשׁוֹתָם֙ | venafshotam | by lives their | H5315 → | 754 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בְנַפְשׁוֹתָ֣ם | venafshotam | by lives their | H5315 → | 754 times |
| הֱבִיא֔וּם | hevium | they brought them | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָבָ֖ה | ʾavah | he was willing | H14 → | 54 times |
| לִשְׁתּוֹתָ֑ם | lishtotam | to drink them | H8354 → | 217 times |
| אֵ֣לֶּה | ʾeleh | these [things] | H428 → | 746 times |
| עָשׂ֔וּ | ʾasu | they did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת | sheloshet | [the] three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| הַגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃ | hagiborim | the mighty [men] | H1368 → | 158 times |
וַיֹּ֡אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
חָלִילָה֩far be it
chalilahH2486 →
לִּ֨יto me
li
מֵאֱלֹהַ֜יfrom God my
meelohaiH430 →2601 times
מֵעֲשׂ֣וֹתfrom doing
measotH6213 →2628 times
זֹ֗אתthis [thing]
zotH2063 →603 times
הֲדַ֣ם¿ [the] blood of
hadamH1818 →360 times
הָאֲנָשִׁים֩the men
haanashimH582 →566 times
הָאֵ֨לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
אֶשְׁתֶּ֤הwill I drink
ʾeshtehH8354 →217 times
בְנַפְשׁוֹתָם֙by lives their
venafshotamH5315 →754 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בְנַפְשׁוֹתָ֣םby lives their
venafshotamH5315 →754 times
הֱבִיא֔וּםthey brought them
heviumH935 →2568 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
אָבָ֖הhe was willing
ʾavahH14 →54 times
לִשְׁתּוֹתָ֑םto drink them
lishtotamH8354 →217 times
אֵ֣לֶּהthese [things]
ʾelehH428 →746 times
עָשׂ֔וּthey did
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת[the] three
sheloshetH7969 →432 times
הַגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃the mighty [men]
hagiborimH1368 →158 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Leviticus 17:10If anyone from the house of Israel or a foreigner living among them eats any blood, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from among his people.
it leads to
- Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement…
- Deuteronomy 12:16
but you must not eat the blood; pour it on the ground like water.
- Deuteronomy 12:23
Only be sure not to eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.
- Leviticus 3:17
This is a permanent statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”
- Jeremiah 44:11
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I will set My face to bring disaster and to cut off all Judah.
- Leviticus 17:11
Through
Psalms 72:14He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their blood is precious in his sight.
it leads to
- Psalms 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.
- Psalms 116:15
Through
John 6:55For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.
it leads to
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Chronicles
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Berean Standard Bible, Deuteronomy 12:16; Gregory the Dialogist, Register of Epistles, Book 9, Epistle 122; Gregory the Dialogist, Register of Epistles, Book 11, Epistle 45; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.