| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative advances through sequential vav-consecutive verbs that create a continuous past narrative. The direct object marker et {וְאֶת־ | wə-’et} introduces the people, while the relative clause asher bah {אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ | ’ă-šer bāh} qualifies who were in it. The causative hotzi {הוֹצִיא | hō-ṣî} issues David’s command to remove them, followed by yasar {וַיָּשַׂר | wayyā-śar} linking the people to the task instruments. The list of implements in prepositional phrases—ba-megerah {בַּמְּגֵרָה | ba-meggērāh}, uvacharitzei {וּבַחֲרִיצֵי | ū-ḥăriṣê}, and uvamegerot {וּבַמְּגֵרוֹת | ū-meggerōṯ}—builds cumulative emphasis on forced labor. The adverbial connector vechen ya’aseh {וְכֵן יַעֲשֶׂה | wə-kên ya‘ăśeh} extends the action to the Ammonite towns (arei Bnei Ammon {עָרֵי בְּנֵי־עַמּוֹן | ’ārê bᵊnê ’ammôn}). The concluding vayashav {וַיָּשָׁב | wayyā-šāḇ} marks their return to Jerusalem, completing the campaign episode. |