| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs a chain of five vav-consecutive verbs to convey immediacy: vayar {וַיַּ֗רְא | way·yā́r} “he saw (became alarmed)”, vayakam {וַיָּ֙קָם֙ | way·yā·qām} “he arose (in haste)”, vayelekh {וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ | way·yē·leḵ} “he went/fled”, vayavo {וַיָּבֹ֕א | way·yā·bō} “he came”, and vayanach {וַיַּנַּ֥ח | way·yan·naḥ} “he caused to rest”. The phrase el-nafsho {אֶל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ | ʾel·naph·šōw} functions as an accusative of purpose indicating flight for self-preservation. The defining relative clause be-er sheva asher li-Yehudah {בְּאֵ֥ר שֶׁ֖בַע אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִֽיהוּדָה} specifies Beersheba in Judah. In the Hiphil imperfect vayanach the direct object marker et precedes na’aro {אֶת־נַעֲר֖וֹ | ʾet·na·ʿă·rōw}, highlighting the intentional abandonment of his attendant. English renders the vav-consecutive sequence in the simple past to preserve narrative urgency. |