| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with wayyishma {וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע | wayyišmaʿ} ‘and he heard’, a vav-consecutive Qal imperfect introducing narrative action before its subject David {דָּוִד | Dāwīd} ‘David’, reflecting typical verb–subject order in Biblical Hebrew. It continues with wayyishlach {וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ | wayyišlaḥ} ‘and he sent’. The recipients are marked first by et-yoav {אֶת־יוֹאָב | ʾet-yōʾāḇ} ‘direct object marker + Joab’ and then by wə-ʾet {וְאֵ֥ת | wə-ʾet} ‘and direct object marker’, clearly identifying Joab and the troops. Finally, kol-ṣāḇāʾ ha-gi-bōrīm {כָּל־צָבָ֖א הַגִּבּוֹרִֽים | kol-ṣāḇāʾ ha-gi-bōrīm} ‘all army of the mighty men’ uses a construct chain to highlight an organized force of elite warriors. English preserves this sequence and clarity through parallel clauses and explicit object marking. |