1 Chronicles 11:19 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →David calls the water the very blood of the men who risked their lives, and so refuses to drink what cost them so dearly.
What Does 1 Chronicles 11:19 Mean?
David explains his refusal in the strongest terms. To drink this water would be to drink the blood of men who staked their lives to bring it. He treats their risk as something sacred, too holy to be spent on his own comfort, and gives it to God alone.
David reverences the value of human life and the cost of devotion. He will not treat sacrifice cheaply. This holy restraint reveals the heart God seeks in a leader, one who honors the lives entrusted to him. It also stirs the memory of redemption, where life poured out in blood is the most sacred gift of all, and where the One who gave His blood asks us to receive it with reverence and love.
1 Chronicles 11:19 in the Original Language
dam (דָּם), 'blood' -- the lifeblood itself, in Scripture the seat and symbol of life given up.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Chronicles 11:19
What does 1 Chronicles 11:19 mean?
David calls the water the very blood of the men who risked their lives, and so refuses to drink what cost them so dearly.