| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive form wayšammaʿ {וַיְשַׁמַּ֤ע | wayšammaʿ} ‘and he summoned,’ a piel imperfect marking an intensive call of the levy, governing the direct object ʾet-hā-ʿām {אֶת־הָעָ֔ם | ʾet-hā-ʿām}. A second vav-consecutive qal wayyipqeḏēm {וַֽיִּפְקְדֵם֙ | wayyipqeḏēm} ‘and he mustered them’ uses a third person plural suffix to indicate enumeration. The prepositional phrase bā-Telaʾim {בַּטְּלָאִ֔ים | bā-ṭəlāʼîm} locates the action. Hebrew dual mātayim {מָאתַ֥יִם | māṯayyim} ‘two hundred’ directly multiplies with ʼelep̄ {אֶ֖לֶף | ʼelep̄} ‘thousand,’ illustrating scale multiplication. The construct noun raġlî {רַגְלִ֑י | raġlî} ‘foot soldiers’ qualifies the class of troops. The coordinating wa-ʿăseret {וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת | wa-ʿăseret} ‘and ten’ links with ʼālāp̄îm {אֲלָפִ֖ים | ʼālāp̄îm} ‘thousands’, followed by the direct-object marker ʾet-ʾîš {אֶת־אִ֥ישׁ | ʾet-ʾîš} specifying the men of the clan yəhūḏā {יְהוּדָֽה | yəhūḏā}. This parallel enumeration underscores Saul’s systematic military organization and distinguishes the general levy from the contingent contributed by Judah. |