| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The sequential vav-consecutive chain (vayavo {וַיָּבֹא | way·yā·ḇō} ‘and he came’; vaya‘amod {וַיַּעֲמֹד | way·ya·‘ă·mō·ḏ} ‘and he stood’; vaye’ehavehu {וַיֶּאֱהָבֵהֽוּ | way·ye·ʾĕ·hā·ḇê·hû} ‘and he loved him’; vayehi-lo {וַיְהִי־לוֹ | way·hĕ·hî·lô} ‘and it became to him’) marks the progression of events. The preposition plus maqqef in el-Shaul {אֶל־שָׁאוּל | ʼel šā·ʼûl} ‘to Saul’ indicates motion toward the king. Lefanav {לְפָנָיו | lə·p̄ā·nāw} ‘before him’ uses panim ‘face; presence’ idiomatically to indicate proximity. Me’od {מְאֹד | mə·’ōḏ} intensifies the affection expressed by love. The participle nose {נֹשֵׂא | nō·sê’} with kelim {כֵלִים | kē·lîm} yields ‘carrier of weapons,’ signifying the official role of armor-bearer. |