2 Samuel 23:15 David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!"

◄ 2 Samuel 23:15 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!"

English Standard Version
And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”

New American Standard Bible
David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!"

King James Bible
And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
David was extremely thirsty and said, "If only someone would bring me water to drink from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem!"

International Standard Version
David expressed his longing, "Oh, how I wish someone would get me a drink of water from the Bethlehem well that's by the city gate!"

American Standard Version
And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David longed, and said: O that some man would get me a drink of the water out of the cistern, that is in Bethlehem, by the gate.

Darby Bible Translation
And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is in the gate!

Young's Literal Translation
and David longeth and saith, 'Who doth give me a drink of the water of the well of Beth-Lehem, which is by the gate?'

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

23:8-39 David once earnestly longed for the water at the well of Bethlehem. It seems to be an instance of weakness. He was thirsty; with the water of that well he had often refreshed himself when a youth, and it was without due thought that he desired it. Were his valiant men so forward to expose themselves, upon the least hint of their prince's mind, and so eager to please him, and shall not we long to approve ourselves to our Lord Jesus, by ready compliance with his will, as shown us by his word, Spirit, and providence? But David poured out the water as a drink-offering to the Lord. Thus he would cross his own foolish fancy, and punish himself for indulging it, and show that he had sober thoughts to correct his rash ones, and knew how to deny himself. Did David look upon that water as very precious which was got at the hazard of these men's blood, and shall not we much more value those benefits for purchasing which our blessed Saviour shed his blood? Let all beware of neglecting so great salvation.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

15, 16. the well of Beth-lehem—An ancient cistern, with four or five holes in the solid rock, at about ten minutes distance to the north of the eastern corner of the hill of Beth-lehem, is pointed out by the natives as Bir-Daoud; that is, David's well. Dr. Robinson doubts the identity of the well; but others think that there are no good grounds for doing so. Certainly, considering this to be the ancient well, Beth-lehem must have once extended ten minutes further to the north, and must have lain in times of old, not as now, on the summit, but on the northern rise of the hill; for the well is by or (1Ch 11:7) at the gate. I find in the description of travellers, that the common opinion is, that David's captains had come from the southeast, in order to obtain, at the risk of their lives, the so-much-longed-for water; while it is supposed that David himself was then in the great cave that is not far to the southeast of Beth-lehem; which cave is generally held to have been that of Adullam. But (Jos 15:35) Adullam lay "in the valley"; that is, in the undulating plain at the western base of the mountains of Judea and consequently to the southwest of Beth-lehem. Be this as it may, David's men had in any case to break through the host of the Philistines, in order to reach the well; and the position of Bir-Daoud agrees well with this [Van De Velde].