Poole on 2 Samuel 23:13-17: David's Mighty Men: The Three and Bethlehem's Well

Verse 13:[1]  And three of the thirty chief (or, the three captains over the thirty, 1 Chron. 11:15[2]) went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto (1 Sam. 22:1) the cave of Adullam:  and the troop of the Philistines pitched in (2 Sam. 5:18) the valley of Rephaim.

[Previously the three had gone down, etc.]  Question:  Who then were these?  Response 1:  The three mentioned above (Junius, Malvenda, Josephus and Vatablus and Mariana in Sanchez).  Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah (Menochius).  After describing what they accomplished individually, he now declares what they did conjointly (Martyr).  Response 2:  Others attribute this work to the following three (Sanchez out of Cajetan and Tostatus and some Hebrews, Kimchi in Martyr).  Objection:  But that they had gone down in the pluperfect tense does not so well agree with the following, as with the preceding.  Responses:  1.  Thus he expresses, that what things are here narrated were perhaps conducted in a prior war; but what things the three above had done, in a latter.  2.  Or the pluperfect is put in the place of the perfect, as the perfect is often put in the place of the pluperfect.  The reason for which is this, that in Hebrew there is only one termination for both (Sanchez).

[The three, who were chief among the thirty, שְׁלֹשִׁ֜ים מֵהַשְּׁלֹשִׁ֣ים רֹ֗אשׁ]  [The Qere is ‎שְׁלֹשָׁה/three.]  Three of the thirty (Septuagint), of the thirty chiefs (Montanus), captains (Pagnine), heroes (Syriac).  These three captains, or principals among the thirty (Castalio, Strigelius), whose names will be recounted below; but he was pleased to express a greater number; for it could have been said, among the thirty-seven, for just so many were David’s heroes (Osiander).  That inter triginta, among the thirty,[3] or, as it is in 1 Chronicles 11:15, de triginta, of the thirty,[4] I explain as before the thirty; that is, they were mightier than those thirty that are immediately enumerated.  Thus מִן or מ is taken in Psalm 139:6, thy knowledge became wonderful from me, that is, above what I myself am able to follow;[5] Ezekiel 16:52;[6] Hosea 10:9, from the days of Gibeah, that is, more grievously than the Gibeonites sinned[7] (Sanchez).  Those three were of the first rank among the thirty (Junius and Tremellius).  Those three chiefs, who were of the principal captains (Munster, similarly Vatablus).

Three of the thirty; either, 1.  The three already named, as is generally supposed, because it is said of them, in the close of this history, 1 Chronicles 11:19, These things did these three mightiest.  But in the Hebrew it is only these three mighty men,[8] as the same words are rendered here, 2 Samuel 23:17.[9]  Or rather, 2.  The following three; for it is expressly said, both here, verse 18, and 1 Chronicles 11:20, that Abishai was chief, and therefore one of the three; and this three are plainly distinguished from the first three, 2 Samuel 23:19; 1 Chronicles 11:25.

[They had come in the time of harvest to David, ‎אֶל־קָצִיר]  In harvest (Pagnine), that is, in the time of harvest (Vatablus); to the harvest, that is, to defend the harvest from the violence of enemies, in the rescuing of which David had been occupied (Abarbanel in Buxtorf’s Vindication 414).  In 1 Chronicles 11:15, in the place of this it is ‎עַל־הַצֻּר, to the rock, which appears better; and thence אֶל־קָצִיר appears to have been made, from the similitude of the letters ה and ק (Cappel).  But both are good; they came to David, unto the rock, in the time of harvest (Buxtorf’s Vindication 414).

[Unto the cave of Adullam]  See 1 Samuel 22:1:  see the following verses (Malvenda).  The sense is able to be:  These three had already previously come to David, while he was in the cave of Adullam, and was fleeing Saul.  For, it is evident from 1 Samuel 22 that Abishai was one among those that had congregated.  But he does not appear to have been in that cave at this time; for, that place was not adapted for extending battle lines (Sanchez).  Near that cave was an eminent rock, which was David’s stronghold and citadel, as it were (Munster).  It is called a hold in the next verse (Menochius).

Unto the cave of Adullam; which was a strong place, where David had been before, 1 Samuel 22:1, etc., and where he had now again fortified himself in the beginning of his reign, when the Philistines were too strong for him.

[Now, the camp of the Philistines, וגו״ ‎וְחַיַּת]  And the troop, or crowd, or company, was encamping, etc. (Junius and Tremellius, Munster, Tigurinus, etc.).  חַיָּה sometimes signifies an assembly and gathering (Munster).  The camp of the Philistines is to be distinguished from their garrison.  The garrison in Beth-lehem was fixed, and the presidial soldiers were living in it:  but the camp was in the valley of giants; and, as advantage was dictating, it was moved here and there (Menochius).

[In the valley of giants[10]]  Or, of Rephaim (Vatablus, Menochius, Malvenda).  Concerning which see on 2 Samuel 5:18 (Menochius).  Perhaps mighty men, or giants, perished there, or did something extraordinary, etc. (Sanchez).  It was not far from the cave of Adullam (Vatablus).

In the valley of Rephaim; of which see above, 2 Samuel 5:18.

Verse 14:[11]  And David was then in (1 Sam. 22:4, 5) an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

[And David was in the stronghold (thus the Septuagint, Jonathan, Montanus, Pagnine, Munster)]  In his bulwark (Junius and Tremellius), that is, in Jerusalem (Malvenda out of Junius, thus Josephus and Tostatus in Lapide), conquered by him a little beforehand, from which he advanced toward Adullam, being about to attack the Philistines (Malvenda out of Junius).  Or rather, in the citadel and cave of Adullam, concerning which the speech preceded (Lapide, thus Munster, Sanchez, Menochius).  Moreover, the cave of Adullam, by antonomasia,[12] in my opinion, is called a stronghold,[13] 1 Samuel 22:4, 5 (Sanchez).

[And the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem]  Just as previously in Geba, 1 Samuel 13:3:  see the annotations in that place (Sanchez).

Verse 15:[14]  And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!

[David desired, and said, ‎וַיִּתְאַוֶּ֥ה דָוִ֖ד וַיֹּאמַ֑ר]  Now, David longed, and said (Pagnine), that is, he said because of his desire (Vatablus, similarly the Syriac, Munster, Tigurinus, Junius and Tremellius).

[A drink of the water of the cistern of Beth-lehem]  David was in the stronghold; perhaps the waters there were not agreeable, and it was summer.  He was not giving a command to bring it, but simply said it in passing (Martyr).  All love the springs and goods of their homeland; but David’s homeland was Beth-lehem (Lapide, similarly Sanchez).  I myself know, how, although he had an abundance of the best waters, yet he was longing for the water from the ancestral spring, which was disagreeable and turbid.  But another opinion is more satisfying.  David was thirsting, not so much for the water of his homeland, but for its deliverance, so that, with the Philistines driven thence, either he himself, or his relatives, might dwell there without fear.  This is explained, in my judgment, by the manner of expression.  Thus Virgil, Æneid 7:  who drink of the Tiber and Fabaris,[15] that is, who live near those regions.  And in Eclogue 1 in the same sense:  The Parthian shall drink the Saone,[16] or the German the Tigris.  Thus Martial’s On the Amphitheater 3, concerning the Eastern peoples:  who drinks the streams of the Nile where they are first discovered.  Moreover, in the water, which is brought from some river or spring, or in a clod of earth, is signified the possession of that region.  Concerning which see what things we have on Daniel 8:2.  Objection:  Those three men understood it properly of water.  Response:  The minds of soldiers are not so developed, that what things are said more obscurely, they judge or attend to; but whatever they first heard, they immediately seize upon, and ingratiatingly cast themselves into all peril (Sanchez).

And David longed, and said, etc.:  Being hot and thirsty, he expresseth how acceptable a draught of that water would be to him, as is usual with men to do in such cases; but was far from desiring or expecting that any of his men should hazard their lives to procure it, as appears from verse 17.

Verse 16:[17]  And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David:  nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.

The host of the Philistines was in the valley of Rephaim, verse 13, and in the way to Beth-lehem.

[He was unwilling to drink]  1.  Lest he should appear to have desired that water be produced for him with such danger (Menochius).  Lest anyone should think that the safety of his subordinates is of little worth to him, and so that it might be apparent that this was supplied to him without his knowledge and consent (Sanchez).  2.  So that he might teach his soldiers temperance in thirst (Menochius, similarly Sanchez, Lapide).  Thus Alexander, sharing in the thirst of his soldiers, refused to drink water:  Curtius’ History of Alexander 7 (Lapide, Grotius).  3.  Lest he should appear to drink their blood (Sanchez).

He would not drink thereof; lest by gratifying himself upon such terms, he should seem either to set too high a price upon the satisfaction of his appetite, or too low a price upon the lives of his soldiers, or should encourage others to the like vain-glorious and foolish attempts.

[He made a libation of it to the Lord]  Hebrew:  he poured it out,[18] understanding, upon the ground, unto the honor of Jehovah (Malvenda out of Vatablus).  It appears to have been a sort of drink-offering.  See 1 Samuel 7:6 (Malvenda).  He judged the water so precious, that it might be poured out to the Lord (Menochius).

Poured it out unto the Lord, as a kind of drink-offering, and acknowledgment of God’s goodness in preserving the lives of his captains in so dangerous an enterprise; and to show that he esteemed it as a sacred thing, which, considering all things, it was not fit for him to drink it.

Verse 17:[19]  And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this:  is not this (Lev. 17:10) 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.

[The Lord be propitious with me, ‎חָלִילָה֩ לִּ֙י יְהוָ֜ה [20]]  Be it far to me (or, from me [Munster, Castalio, Strigelius]), Lord, or, O Jehovah (Montanus, Pagnine, thus Junius and Tremellius), or from before the Lord (Jonathan).  Let the Lord by no means permit me to do this (Syriac, similarly the Arabic).  Be this far from me, by the Lord’s help (Tigurinus).  Sin, understanding, shall be imputed, to me from Jehovah, that is, should I do it; ‎יְהוָה/Jehovah is put in the place of ‎מֵיהוָה, from Jehovah, as it is fully expressed in 1 Kings 21:3[21] (Glassius’ “Grammar” 636).  The מ/mem/from is here missing, as in Joshua 10:13, until the people had taken vengeance ‎אֹיְבָיו, their enemies,[22] in the place of מֵאֺיְבָיו, from their enemies.  Thus in 2 Samuel 23:24, the son of Dodo ‎בֵּית לָחֶם, Beth-lehem,[23] in the place of לָחֶם מִבֵּת, of Beth-lehem, that is, originating from Beth-lehem; and in verse 32, ‎בְּנֵי יָשֵׁן, the sons of Jashen,[24] in the place ofמִבְּנֵי יָשֵׁן, of the sons of Jashen was Jonathan, that is, among those thirty heroes (Glassius’ “Grammar” 663).  ‎חָלִילָה (from חִלֵּל, to profane, whence also חֹל/profaneness, 1 Samuel 21:4;[25] Leviticus 10:10[26]) is the same thing as βέβηλον, a thing profane, or an impious act; whence it is used as a particle of abomination; and that either absolutely, as in 1 Samuel 14:45, may it never be:[27]  or with names, etc., be it far from thee, Genesis 18:25;[28] be it far from thy servants, Genesis 44:7;[29] and in this passage, be it far from the Lord (Glassius’ “Grammar” 636).

[Whether the blood, etc., ‎הֲדַ֤ם הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ הַהֹלְכִ֣ים בְּנַפְשׁוֹתָ֔ם]  Whether (understanding, I should drink [Pagnine, Junius and Tremellius]) the blood of men departing, or who departed (or proceeded thither [Tigurinus]), in (or for [Junius, Munster]) their lives? (Montanus, thus the Septuagint, Jonathan), or with danger to their lives? (Piscator, Syriac, similarly the Arabic, Junius and Tremellius), or, against their own lives they went forth, understanding, to seek water (Vatablus).  Is this not the blood of these men, etc.? (Munster, Strigelius).  Blood, that is, the water brought at the peril of life (Vatablus).  Observe here, that this water he calls blood, because they exposed themselves to danger; and they marvel that in the Eucharist the wine is called blood, when our Savior not only exposed Himself to danger, but also actually sheds blood (Martyr).

Is not this the blood of the men, that is, the price of their blood or lives, which they rashly exposed to manifest hazard?  These things did these three mighty men; either one of these three are here omitted, as one of the first three is not named, 1 Chronicles 11; or Abishai, who follows next, was one of these three.

[1] Hebrew: ‎וַיֵּרְד֙וּ שְׁלֹשִׁ֜ים מֵהַשְּׁלֹשִׁ֣ים רֹ֗אשׁ וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ אֶל־קָצִיר֙ אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד אֶל־מְעָרַ֖ת עֲדֻלָּ֑ם וְחַיַּ֣ת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים חֹנָ֖ה בְּעֵ֥מֶק רְפָאִֽים׃

[2] 1 Chronicles 11:15:  “Now three of the thirty captains (‎שְֽׁלוֹשָׁה֩ מִן־הַשְּׁלוֹשִׁ֙ים רֹ֤אשׁ) went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.”

[3] Thus the Vulgate of 2 Samuel 23:13.

[4] Thus the Vulgate of 1 Chronicles 11:15.

[5] Psalm 139:6:  “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me (‎פְּלִ֣יאָֽה דַ֣עַת מִמֶּ֑נִּי); it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”

[6] Ezekiel 16:52:  “Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they:  they are more righteous than thou (‎בְּחַטֹּאתַ֛יִךְ אֲשֶׁר־הִתְעַ֥בְתְּ מֵהֵ֖ן תִּצְדַּ֣קְנָה מִמֵּ֑ךְ):  yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.”

[7][7] Hosea 10:9:  “O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah (‎מִימֵי֙ הַגִּבְעָ֔ה חָטָ֖אתָ):  there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.”  See Judges 19-21.

[8] 1 Chronicles 11:19:  “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 (‎אֵ֣לֶּה עָשׂ֔וּ שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת הַגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃).”

[9] 2 Samuel 23:17:  “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 (‎אֵ֣לֶּה עָשׂ֔וּ שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת הַגִּבֹּרִֽים׃).”

[10] Hebrew:  ‎בְּעֵ֥מֶק רְפָאִֽים׃.

[11] Hebrew:  ‎וְדָוִ֖ד אָ֣ז בַּמְּצוּדָ֑ה וּמַצַּ֣ב פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אָ֖ז בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃

[12] That is, the substitution of an epithet for a proper name.

[13] עדל signifies to turn aside, or to take refuge.

[14] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּתְאַוֶּ֥ה דָוִ֖ד וַיֹּאמַ֑ר מִ֚י יַשְׁקֵ֣נִי מַ֔יִם מִבֹּ֥אר בֵּֽית־לֶ֖חֶם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁעַר׃

[15] A small river in Latium, flowing into the Tiber.

[16] A river in eastern France.

[17] Hebrew: ‎וַיִּבְקְעוּ֩ שְׁלֹ֙שֶׁת הַגִּבֹּרִ֜ים בְּמַחֲנֵ֣ה פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיִּֽשְׁאֲבוּ־מַ֙יִם֙ מִבֹּ֤אר בֵּֽית־לֶ֙חֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשַּׁ֔עַר וַיִּשְׂא֖וּ וַיָּבִ֣אוּ אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וְלֹ֤א אָבָה֙ לִשְׁתּוֹתָ֔ם וַיַּסֵּ֥ךְ אֹתָ֖ם לַֽיהוָֽה׃

[18] Hebrew:  ‎וַיַּסֵּ֥ךְ אֹתָ֖ם.

[19] Hebrew: ‎וַיֹּ֡אמֶר חָלִילָה֩ לִּ֙י יְהוָ֜ה מֵעֲשֹׂ֣תִי זֹ֗את הֲדַ֤ם הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ הַהֹלְכִ֣ים בְּנַפְשׁוֹתָ֔ם וְלֹ֥א אָבָ֖ה לִשְׁתּוֹתָ֑ם אֵ֣לֶּה עָשׂ֔וּ שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁת הַגִּבֹּרִֽים׃ ס

[20] חָלַל signifies to pollute, or to defile.

[21] 1 Kings 21:3:  “And Naboth said to Ahab, Sin shall be imputed to me from Jehovah (‎חָלִ֤ילָה לִּי֙ מֵֽיהוָ֔ה), should I give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.”

[22] Joshua 10:13:  “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies (‎עַד־יִקֹּ֥ם גּוֹי֙ אֹֽיְבָ֔יו).  Is not this written in the book of Jasher?  So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.”

[23] 2 Samuel 23:24:  “Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem (‎בֶּן־דֹּד֖וֹ בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃)…”

[24] 2 Samuel 23:32:  “Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan (‎בְּנֵ֥י יָשֵׁ֖ן יְהוֹנָתָֽן׃)…”

[25] 1 Samuel 21:4:  “And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread (‎אֵֽין־לֶ֥חֶם חֹ֖ל; οὐκ εἰσὶν ἄρτοι βέβηλοι, in the Septuagint) under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.”

[26] Leviticus 10:10:  “And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy (‎הַחֹל; τῶν βεβήλων, in the Septuagint), and between unclean and clean…”

[27] 1 Samuel 14:45:  “And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid (‎חָלִילָה, may it never be):  as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day.  So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.”

[28] Genesis 18:25:  “That be far from thee (‎חָלִ֙לָה לְּךָ֜) to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked:  and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee (‎חָלִ֣לָה לָּ֔ךְ):  Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

[29] Genesis 44:7:  “And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words?  God forbid that thy servants (‎חָלִ֙ילָה֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ, be it far from they servants) should do according to this thing…”