And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
David longed, and said, Oh ... drink ... of the well of Beth-lehem - (see 2 Samuel 23:15.) This chivalrous, act evinces the enthusiastic devotion of David's men, that they were ready to gratify his smallest wish at the risk of their lives. It is probable that, when uttering the wish, David had no recollection of the military posted at Beth-lehem. It is generally taken for granted that those who fought a way to the well of Beth-lehem were the three champions just mentioned. But this is far from being clear, and, on the contrary, it would seem, from the want of the article before х hashªlowshaah (H7969)] three, not THE three, that three different heroes are referred to, because Abishai (1 Chronicles 11:20) was one of them. The camp of the Philistines was in the valley of Rephaim (1 Chronicles 11:15), which lay on the west of Jerusalem, but an outpost was stationed at Beth-lehem (1 Chronicles 11:16), and through this garrison they had to force a passage (see the notes at 2 Samuel 8:6; 2 Samuel 8:14; 2 Samuel 23:14).