and said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this: shall I drink the blood of these men who 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 the three mighty men.
Now in the New Testament that thought is carried over as Jesus said to Peter, "Do you love me?" "Yes." "Feed my sheep" ( John 21:16 ). Later, Peter wrote, "Feed the flock of God which is among you" ( 1 Peter 5:2 ). Jeremiah, the Lord said, "And in that day I will give them pastors who will feed them in the knowledge of God" ( Jeremiah 3:15 ). And so the command to David to feed the sheep as you rule over the people.