Discovery Box1 Chronicles 11:6 
Context11:6 1 David said, “Whoever attacks 2 the Jebusites first will become commanding general!” 3 So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked 4 first and became commander. 5
1 Chronicles 11:17-19
Context11:17 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink 6 from the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!” 11:18 So the three elite warriors 7 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 11:19 and said, “God forbid that I should do this! 8 Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?” 9 Because they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. 10
1 sn Verse 6 inserts into the narrative parenthetical information about Joab’s role in the conquest of the city. Verse 7 then picks up where v. 5 left off.
2 tn Or perhaps “strikes down.”
3 tn Heb “head and officer.”
4 tn Heb “went up.”
5 tn Heb “head.”
6 tn Heb “Who will give me water to drink?” On the rhetorical use of מִי (mi) here, see BDB 566 s.v. f.
7 tn Heb “the three,” referring to the three elite warriors mentioned in v. 12.
8 tn Heb “Far be it to me from my God from doing this.”
9 tn Heb “with their lives.” The same expression occurs later in this verse.
10 tn Heb “These things the three warriors did.”
