2 Samuel 23:17
New International Version
“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.

New Living Translation
“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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
and he said, “Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

NASB 1977
and he said, “Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

Legacy Standard Bible
and he said, “Be it far from me, O Yahweh, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he was not willing to drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

Amplified Bible
And he said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should drink this. [Is it not the same as] 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.

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.

American Standard Version
And he said, Be it far from me, O Jehovah, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he said: “Forbid me from before LORD JEHOVAH that I would do this by the blood of their lives!” These men went and he was unwilling to drink them. These things the three Warriors did

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, O Lord, forbid that I should do this, that I should drink of the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives: and he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

Contemporary English Version
and said to the LORD, "I can't drink this water! It's like the blood of these men who risked their lives to get it for me." The Three Warriors did these brave deeds.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Saying: The Lord be merciful to me, that I may not do this: shall I drink the blood of these men that went, and the peril of their lives? therefore he would not drink. These things did these three mighty men.

English Revised Version
And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"It's unthinkable that I would do this, LORD. This is the blood of men who risked their lives!" So he refused to drink it. These are the things which the three fighting men did.

Good News Translation
and said, "LORD, I could never drink this! It would be like drinking the blood of these men who risked their lives!" So he refused to drink it. Those were the brave deeds of the three famous soldiers.

International Standard Version
and said, "The LORD forbid that I drink this—this is the blood of men who endangered their own lives!" The Three elite warriors did these things.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this; shall I drink the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives?' therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

Literal Standard Version
and says, “Far be it from me, O YHWH, to do this; is it the blood of the men who are going with their lives?” And he was not willing to drink it; the three mighty ones did these [things].

Majority Standard Bible
saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

New American Bible
saying: “The LORD forbid that I do such a thing! Could I drink the blood of these men who went at the risk of their lives?” So he refused to drink it.

NET Bible
and said, "O LORD, I will not do this! It is equivalent to the blood of the men who risked their lives by going." So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors.

New Revised Standard Version
for he said, “The LORD forbid that I should do this. Can I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three warriors did these things.

New Heart English Bible
He said, "Far be it from me, LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. The Three warriors did these things.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
He said, “Be it far from me, Yahweh, 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.

Young's Literal Translation
and saith, 'Far be it from me, O Jehovah, to do this; is it the blood of the men who are going with their lives?' and he was not willing to drink it; these things did the three mighty ones.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David's Mighty Men
16So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD, 17saying, “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this! Is this not the blood of the men who risked their lives?” So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men. 18Now Abishai, the brother of Joab and son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.…

Cross References
Genesis 9:4
But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.

Leviticus 17:10
If 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.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

Be it far

2 Samuel 20:20
And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.

Genesis 44:17
And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

1 Samuel 2:30
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

the blood

Genesis 9:4
But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Leviticus 17:10
And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

Psalm 72:14
He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

jeopardy

Judges 5:18
Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

1 Corinthians 15:30
And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

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2 Samuel 23
1. David, in his last words, professes his faith in God's promises
6. The different state of the wicked
8. A catalogue of David's mighty men














(17) Is not this the blood . . .?--The Hebrew here is simply an interrogative exclamation, "the blood of the men?" but in 1Chronicles 11:19 the text reads, "Shall I drink the blood of these men?" &c., and so the LXX. and Vulg. translate here. To David the water gained only at the risk of life, "seemed the very blood in which the life resides" (Leviticus 17:10-11).

These three.--Rather, the three.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
saying,
וַיֹּ֡אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Far be it
חָלִילָה֩ (ḥā·lî·lāh)
Interjection | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2486: For, a profaned thing, far be it!

from me,
לִּ֨י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

O LORD,
יְהוָ֜ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

to do
מֵעֲשֹׂ֣תִי (mê·‘ă·śō·ṯî)
Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

this!
זֹ֗את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

Is [this not] the blood
הֲדַ֤ם (hă·ḏam)
Article | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

of the men
הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

who risked their lives?”
בְּנַפְשׁוֹתָ֔ם (bə·nap̄·šō·w·ṯām)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

So he refused
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to drink it.
לִשְׁתּוֹתָ֑ם (liš·tō·w·ṯām)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

Such
אֵ֣לֶּה (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

were the exploits
עָשׂ֔וּ (‘ā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

of the three
שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת (šə·lō·šeṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

mighty men.
הַגִּבֹּרִֽים׃ (hag·gib·bō·rîm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant


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OT History: 2 Samuel 23:17 He said Be it far from me (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 23:16
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