| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with the noun charash {חָרָשׁ֙ | ḥā-rā-š} ‘craftsman’ linked by the conjunction waw to the negative particle lo {לֹ֣א | lōʼ}, which precedes the Nifal imperfect yim-mā-ṣēʼ {יִמָּצֵ֔א | yim-mā-ṣēʼ} ‘will be found’ to form a negative existential clause. The prepositional phrase bə-ḵōl ’e-reṣ yis-ra-ʼēl {בְּכֹ֖ל אֶ֣רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | bə-ḵōl ’e-reṣ yi-sra-ʼēl} ‘in all the land of Israel’ expresses total absence. The causal conjunction ki {כִּֽי־ | ki} ‘for’ introduces a quotation marked by the perfect forms ’ā-mar {אָמַ֥ר | ʼā-mar} and ’am-rû {אָמְרוּ֙ | ʼam-rû} ‘they said,’ framing the Philistines’ declaration. The purpose particle pen {פֶּ֚ן | pen} ‘lest’ governs the Qal imperfect ya-‘ă-śû {יַעֲשׂ֣וּ | ya-‘ă-śû} ‘they will make,’ with its object ha-‘i-vrîm {הָעִבְרִ֔ים | ha-‘i-vrîm} ‘the Hebrews’ and the disjunction ḥe-reḇ ’ô ḥa-nîṯ {חֶ֖רֶב א֥וֹ חֲנִֽית | ḥe-reḇ ’ô ḥa-nîṯ} ‘sword or spear.’ English SVO order preserves the negative existential, causal, and purpose relations while rendering Hebrew VSO into clear modern English. |