| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vedavid {וְדָוִד | wə-ḏā-wîḏ} ‘and David’, marking the narrative’s shift back to David. The participle holekh {הֹלֵךְ | hō-lēḵ} ‘going’ followed by vashav {וָשָׁב | wā-šāḇ} ‘and returning’ forms an iterative wayyiqtol construction that conveys repeated movement. The phrase meʿal shaul {מֵעַל שָׁאוּל | me-ʿal šā-ʾûl} ‘from upon Saul’ specifies the point of departure from the king’s presence. The infinitive lirʿot {לִרְעוֹת | lir-ʿōṯ} ‘to tend’ functions as an infinitive of purpose governing et {אֶת | ʾeṯ} plus tson {צֹאן | ṣōn} ‘flock’. The possessive aviv {אָבִיו | ʾa-vîw} ‘his father’ highlights David’s filial duty. Finally, beyt lachem {בֵּית לָחֶם | bêṯ la-ḥem} ‘Bethlehem’ provides a locative anchor in David’s ancestral town. The iterative action is rendered as “would go and return” in the formal and “kept traveling back” in the dynamic, while the purpose infinitive appears as “to tend” and “to care for,” preserving clause relationships. |