| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive in vayochel {וַיּ֣וֹחֶל | way·yo·ḥel} ‘waited’, indicating continuity of action. The construct numeral šibʿat yamim {שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֗ם | šibʿat yā·mim} ‘seven days’ marks duration. The prepositional phrase lamoʿed {לַמּוֹעֵד֙ | la·mō·ʿēḏ} ‘to the appointed time’ specifies a temporal boundary, linked by the relative pronoun asher {אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾă·šer} to Shmuʾel {שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל | šə·mū·ʾēl}. The perfect verb ba {בָ֥א | bāʾ} with negative velo {וְלֹא־ | wə·lō} denotes the failure of the expected arrival. The place name ha-gilgal {הַגִּלְגָּ֑ל | ha·gil·gal} situates the event. The subsequent imperfect vayafets {וַיָּ֥פֶץ | way·yā·peṣ} ‘scattered’ combined with haʿam {הָעָ֖ם | hā·ʿam} and meʿalav {מֵעָלָֽיו | me·ʿā·lāv} ‘from upon him’ conveys the people’s dispersal. The English rendering preserves the Hebrew narrative sequence and causal relationship. |