| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative marker vayhi {וַיְהִי֙ | wayyehî} ‘and it happened’, introducing a new account. The temporal phrase acharei-khen {אַחֲרֵי־כֵן | ʾaḥărê-khen} ‘after this’ sets chronological context. The sequence of vav consecutive verbs vayyak {וַיַּ֥ךְ | wayyaḵ} ‘he struck’, vayyakni'em {וַיַּכְנִיעֵ֑ם | wayyaknîʿêm} ‘he subdued them’, and vayyiqqah {וַיִּקַּ֛ח | wayyiqqaḥ} ‘he took’ emphasizes David’s military actions in a climactic progression. The construct phrase et-pelishtim {אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים | ʾet-pəlišṯîm} marks the direct object before the verb for emphasis on the enemy. The coordination et-gat ūbenotehā {אֶת־גַּת וּבְנֹתֶיהָ | ʾet-gat ūbənōtehā} is rendered “Gath and its towns.” The prepositional phrase miyad {מִיַּד | miyyād} ‘from the hand of’ conveys source of conquest. In English, VSO order becomes SVO, and Hebrew constructs are rendered with prepositional or possessive structures to preserve meaning and readability. |