King James Version

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.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֡אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…חָלִילָה֩chalilahbe farחָלִילָהparticle, interjection, paragogic he — “be far”H2486literal fora profaned thing; used (interj.) far be it!be far, ([idiom] God) forbid.לִּ֨יlitoלִּ֨יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toיְהוָ֜הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).מֵעֲשֹׂ֣תִיmeasotifrom doעָשָׂהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “from do”, the to-form of the verbH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…זֹ֗אתzotthisזֹאתpronoun, demonstrative, feminine, singular — “this”H2063this (often used adverb)hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she, so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing), thus.הֲדַ֤םhadamblood , innocentדָּםparticle, interrogative, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “blood , innocent”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1818blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood)blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), [phrase] innocent.הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙haanashimthe a certainאִישׁdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…הַהֹלְכִ֣יםhaholekhimthe walkהָלַךְdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the walk”, a verb used as a describing wordH1980to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, [phrase] be eased, enter, exercise (self), [phrase] follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), [phrase] gre…בְּנַפְשׁוֹתָ֔םbenafshotamin creatureנֶפֶשׁpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “in creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…וְלֹ֥אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…אָבָ֖הavahbe willingאָבָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be willing”, a completed actionH14to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be acquiescentconsent, rest content will, be willing.לִשְׁתּוֹתָ֑םlishtotamto banquetשָׁתָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to banquet”, the to-form of the verbH8354to imbibe (literally or figuratively)[idiom] assuredly, banquet, [idiom] certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk ([idiom] -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of H8248 (שָׁקָה).)אֵ֣לֶּהelehtheseאֵלֶּהpronoun, demonstrative, common, plural — “these”H428these or thosean-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).עָשׂ֔וּasvdoעָשָׂהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “do”, a completed actionH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…שְׁלֹ֖שֶׁתsheloshetthirdשָׁלוֹשׁadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, construct — “third”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7969three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice[phrase] fork, [phrase] often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, [phrase] thrice. Compare H7991 (שָׁלִישׁ).הַגִּבֹּרִֽיםhagiborimthe championגִּבּוֹרdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “the champion”, the ordinary formH1368powerful; by implication, warrior, tyrantchampion, chief, [idiom] excel, giant, man, mighty (man, one), strong (man), valiant man.

Jewish translation (JPS 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.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

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.

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.

Darby Translation

And he said, Be it far from me, Jehovah, that I should do this thing! is it not the blood of the men that went at the risk of their lives? Therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

Douay-Rheims

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.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he said, O Lord, forbid that I should do this, that I should drink 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.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν, ἵλεώς μοι Κύριε τοῦ ποιῆσαι τοῦτο, εἰ αἷμα τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν πορευθέντων ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν πίομαι· καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε πιεῖν αὐτό. Ταῦτα ἐποίησαν οἱ τρεῖς δυνατοί.