| 30. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the negative result clause velo yakhol {וְלֹא־יָכֹ֥ל | wə·lō yā·ḵōl} ‘was not able,’ which frames David’s incapacity. The coordinated infinitives lalekhet {לָלֶ֥כֶת | lā·le·ḵeṯ} ‘to go’ and lidrosh {לִדְרֹשׁ | li·də·rôš} ‘to seek,’ together with the prepositional infinitive lefanav {לְפָנָיו | lə·p̄ə·nāw} ‘before him,’ form a purpose clause. The causal conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} ‘for’ introduces the reason clause marked by the Niphal perfect nivate {נִבְעַ֔ת | nî·ḇaʿṯ} ‘was terrified.’ The construct chain mipnei cherev {מִפְּנֵ֕י חֶרֶב | mip·p̄ə·nê ḥe·rêḇ} ‘because of the sword’ expresses causation, and malakh Yahweh {מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה | mal·ʾāḵ yə·hō·wāh} ‘angel of the LORD’ identifies the divine messenger of judgment. This word order heightens the immediacy of threat. |