| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs a sequence of vav-consecutive imperfect verbs to depict successive military actions: wayyaaspu {וַיַּאַסְפוּ | wayyaʾaspū} ‘and they gathered’, wayyeaspou {וַיֵּאָסְפוּ | wayyēʾaspū} ‘and they assembled’, and wayyahanu {וַיַּחֲנוּ | wayyaḥănū} ‘and they encamped’. The direct-object marker et on machanehem {אֶת־מַחֲנֵיהֶם | ʾet-maḥănêhēm} foregrounds the Philistines’ camps. The prepositional purpose clause la-milchamah {לַמִּלְחָמָה | la-miḥāmāh} clarifies the campaign’s aim, and the relative clause asher lihudah {אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה | ʾāšer liḥūdāh} locates Socoh within Judah. The paired locatives bein-sokhoh {בֵּין־שׂוֹכֹה | bēn-sōḵōh} and u-bein-azekah {וּבֵין־עֲזֵקָה | ūbēn-ʿăzēqāh}, with be-efes dammim {בְּאֶפֶס דַּמִּים | bĕʾepes dammîm}, establishes the precise geography of the encampment. The paratactic structure builds momentum from assembly to encampment. |