11:15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the Valley of Rephaim. 11:16 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 1 11:17 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink 2 from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!” 11:18 So the three elite warriors 3 broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate. They carried it back to David, but David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord
1 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
2 tn Heb “Who will give me water to drink?” On the rhetorical use of מִי (mi) here, see BDB 566 s.v. f.
3 tn Heb “the three,” referring to the three elite warriors mentioned in v. 12.