| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The regnal idiom ben-shanah {בֶּן־שָׁנָ֖ה | bən-šānā(h)} ‘son of a year’ marks the initial span of Saul’s accession. The coordinate vav-construct ushtei shanim {וּשְׁתֵּ֣י שָׁנִ֔ים | û-štey šānîm} introduces the total duration measure. The Qal perfect malakh {מָלַ֖ךְ | mālaḵ} ‘he reigned’ anchors the statement, while the prepositional phrase al-Yisrael {עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל | ʿal-yiś-rāʼēl} specifies his jurisdiction. The juxtaposition of initial and complete regnal spans yields a concise bi-temporal overview of Saul’s rule. |