| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav consecutive vayyasem {וַיָּשֶׂם | wayyāšêm} ‘and he set’, continuing the narrative action. The prepositional phrase be’edom {בֶּאֱדוֹם | bəʾĕḏōm} ‘in Edom’ foregrounds the location of the netzivim {נְצִיבִים | neṣivîm} ‘garrisons’ before the subject for territorial emphasis. The following vav consecutive vayihyu {וַיִּהְיוּ | wayyihiyû} ‘and they became’ introduces the resultant clause kol-ʼedom ʿăvādîm ləDavid {כָּל־אֱדֹם עֲבָדִים לְדָוִד | kāl-ʼĕḏōm ʿăḇādîm ləḏāwîḏ} ‘all Edom servants to David,’ highlighting subjugation. The Hifil vav consecutive vayosha {וַיּוֹשַׁע | wayyōšaʿ} ‘and he saved’ places Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh} as divine agent. The relative clause be-kol asher halakh {בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ | bəqōl ʾăšer hālaḵ} ‘in all that he went’ defines the comprehensive scope of that divine victory. This structure preserves Hebrew clause order and juxtaposes David’s military strategy with Yahweh’s saving work. |