| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive prefixed verb vayitpoš {וַיִּתְפֹּ֛שׂ | wayyiṯpōš} introducing sequential action. The direct object marker ʾet {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ} marks ʾaḡag {אֲגַ֥ג | ʾaḡag} ‘Agag’, further specified by the construct phrase mēleḵ {מֶֽלֶךְ | mēleḵ} ‘king’ and ʿămalēq {עֲמָלֵ֖ק | ʿămalēq} ‘of Amalek’. The adjective ḥāy {חָ֑י | ḥāy} ‘alive’ emphasizes the unexpected mercy retained. The conjunction wə-ʾeṯ {וְאֶת־ | wə-ʾeṯ} + kol {כָּל־ | kol} + hā-ʿām {הָעָ֖ם | hā-ʿām} extends the action to ‘all the people.’ The Hiphil perfect heḥerīm {הֶחֱרִ֥ים | heḥerīm} ‘devoted to destruction’ signals the herem ban, indicating complete dedication to divine judgment. The prepositional phrase lə-p̄î {לְפִי־ | lə-p̄î} + ḥārev {חָֽרֶב׃ | ḥārev} ‘by the edge of the sword’ employs metonymy where ‘edge’ represents the execution instrument, preserving the vivid Hebrew imagery. |