2 Kingdoms (2 Samuel) 23:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It presented itself to him not as water but as blood, not in its inherent form, but in its significance. Do you notice how, shaped by his previous suffering, he gained greater discernment afterward? He desired water, or, to be more precise, he did desire it, yet he refrained. I do not claim that he was unfamiliar with this longing, but rather that he transcended it and abstained from water.

What is remarkable about the king is his profound humility and dedication to his responsibilities as a human being: he regarded them as equally important to himself, chose not to partake in sustenance that could endanger others, and abstained from drinking.

It is indeed possible to feel indignation towards anger itself, particularly because it has been aroused within us against our fellow man. When we express our displeasure about this, we prevent it from finding a detrimental refuge deep within our hearts. This understanding is echoed by the prophet, who managed to expel anger from his emotions to such an extent that he refrained from enacting vengeance even upon his foes. When delivered into his hands by God, he admonished, “Being angry, sin not” (Psalms 4:5). In one instance, when he yearned for water from the well of Bethlehem and received it from the valiant men who braved danger to fetch it through the enemy lines, he felt a surge of anger and immediately poured the water upon the ground.