| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with wayyōmer {וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said,’ introducing direct discourse. The subject Yəhōwāh {יְהוָ֜ה | Yəhōwāh} is followed by the indirect object šəmūʾēl {שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל | šəmūʾēl}, marking divine address. The temporal interrogative ʿad-maṯay {עַד־מָתַי֙ | ʿad-maṯay} ‘until when’ conveys transition. The Hithpael participle mitʾabbēl {מִתְאַבֵּ֣ל | mitʾabbēl} ‘you mourn’ indicates ongoing grief. The perfect məʼāstîw {מְאַסְתִּ֔יו | məʼāstîw} ‘I have rejected him’ with mimməlōḵ {מִמְּלֹ֖ךְ | mimməlōḵ} ‘from reigning’ expresses completed divine action. Imperatives mallē {מַלֵּ֨א | mallē} ‘fill’ and wǝlēḵ {וְלֵ֤ךְ | wǝlēḵ} ‘and go’ initiate the prophetic mission. The imperfect ʼešlăḥḵā {אֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ | ʼešlăḥḵā} ‘I am sending you’ resumes divine initiative toward yišay bêṯ-hallaḥmî {יִשַׁי בֵּֽית־הַלַּחְמִ֔י | yišay bêṯ-hallaḥmî}. The conjunction kî {כִּֽי־ | kî} ‘because’ introduces the perfect rāʼîṯî {רָאִ֧יתִי | rāʼîṯî} ‘I have seen,’ with bǝbānāw {בְּבָנָ֛יו | bǝbānāw} ‘among his sons’ and lî mēleḵ {לִ֖י מֶֽלֶךְ | lî mēleḵ} ‘for me a king,’ highlighting divine selection. |