| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the Niphal perfect verb nichamti {נִחַ֗מְתִּי | ni·ḥam·tî} ‘I was grieved’, which expresses divine remorse. This is followed by the causal conjunction kî {כִּֽי־ | kî} introducing the Hiphil perfect himlāk·tî {הִמְלַ֤כְתִּי | him·laḵ·tî} ‘I made king’, with ʾet {אֶת־ | ʾet} marking Saul as object. The clause kî šāḇ mē·ʾaḥă·rāy {כִּֽי־שָׁב מֵאַֽחֲרַ֔י | kî šāḇ me·ʾă·ḥă·rāy} denotes apostasy “turned back from after me.” The negative lōʾ hē·qîm {לֹא הֵקִ֑ים | lōʾ hē·qîm} ‘did not fulfill’ highlights failed obedience to dē·ḇā·rāy {דְּבָרַ֖י | də·ḇā·rāy} ‘my words’. The narrative then shifts with the Waw-consecutive way·yā·ḥar {וַיִּ֙חַר֙ | way·yā·ḥar} ‘and it burned with anger’ and wayiz·ʿā·q {וַיִּזְעַ֥ק | way·yiz·ʿā·q} ‘and he cried out,’ focusing on Samuel’s response, indicated by liš·mū·ʾēl {לִשְׁמוּאֵ֔ל | liš·mū·ʾēl} ‘to Samuel.’ The prepositional phrase ʾel Yə·hō·wāh {אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה | ʾel Yə·hō·wāh} ‘to the LORD’ identifies the divine addressee, and the adverbial phrase kol-hal·lāh {כָּל־הַלָּֽיְלָה׃ | kāl-hal·lāh} ‘all the night’ emphasizes duration. This tight sequence of clauses underscores the cause-and-effect interplay of divine regret, human disobedience, and prophetic intercession. |