| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive imperfect wayyaḵ {וַיַּךְ | wayyaḵ} ‘and he struck’, initiating the narrative sequence. The verb’s subject yōnāṯān {יוֹנָתָן | yōnāṯān} ‘Jonathan’ immediately follows, and the direct object marker ʾēṯ {אֵת | ʾēṯ} signals the object nᵉṣîḇ pᵉlišᵗîm {נְצִיב פְּלִשְׁתִּים | nᵉṣîḇ pᵉlišᵗîm} ‘Philistine garrison’. A relative clause introduced by ʾăšer {אֲשֶׁר | ʾăšer} ‘that’ specifies the location bᵉ-gebāʿ {בְּגֶבַע | bᵉ-gebāʿ} ‘at Geba’. The narrative continues with wayyišmᵉʿû {וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ | wayyišmᵉʿû} ‘and they heard’, followed by the conjunction wə {וְ | wə} attaching to šāʼûl {שָׁאוּל | šāʼûl} ‘Saul’, which introduces the action ṯāqaʿ {תָּקַע | ṯāqaʿ} ‘blew’ in the shôp̄ār {שׁוֹפָר | šôp̄ār} ‘trumpet’. The adverbial bᵉ-kḥol-hā-āreṣ {בְּכָל־הָאָרֶץ | bᵉ-kḥol-hā-āreṣ} ‘throughout all the land’ indicates wide scope, and the infinitive lē-ʾĕmôr {לֵאמֹר | lē-ʾĕmôr} ‘saying’ introduces the imperative yišmᵉʿû {יִשְׁמְעוּ | yišmᵉʿû} ‘let them hear’, with hā-ʻivrîm {הָעִבְרִים | hā-ʻivrîm} ‘the Hebrews’. This progression from military initiative to communal summons underscores swift mobilization and public proclamation. |