| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect of amar in vayomer {וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | wă·yyō·mer} ‘and he said,’ which sequences the narrative and introduces direct speech. The proper noun Shemu'el {שְׁמוּאֵל֙ | šəm·û·ʼēl} denotes the speaker, and the prepositional phrase el Sha'ul {אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל | ʾel šā·ʼûl} marks the addressee. The negative particle lo {לֹ֥א | lōʾ} precedes the Qal imperfect ashuv {אָשׁ֖וּב | ʼă·šûv} ‘I will return,’ forming a definitive refusal. The conjunction ki {כִּ֤י | kî} introduces the causal clause ma'asta {מָאַ֙סְתָּה֙ | mā·ʼaś·tā} ‘you have rejected,’ highlighting Saul’s disobedience. The accusative marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet} heads the noun phrase devar Yahweh {דְּבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה | də·ḇār yə·hō·wāh} ‘the word of the LORD.’ The subsequent vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayima'skha {וַיִּמְאָסְךָ֣ | wă·yim·ʼā·s·ḵā} ‘and he has rejected you’ mirrors Saul’s earlier action in a chiastic parallel. Finally, the infinitive construct minhiyot melech al Yisra'el {מִהְיוֹת מֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל | min·hə·yō·ṯ me·leḵ ʿal yiś·rā·ʼēl} ‘from being king over Israel’ specifies the consequence. |