| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The verse uses a sequence of vav consecutive imperfect verbs, beginning with vayashkem {וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם | wā-yaš-qēm} “and he arose early,” to narrate David’s actions. The construct et-hatzon {אֶת־הַצֹּאן | ʾet-ha-ṣōʾān} marks the direct object “the flock,” and the prepositional phrase al-shomer {עַל־שֹׁמֵר | ʿal-šō-mêr} indicates delegated care. Ka’asher {כַּאֲשֶׁר | ka-ʾă-šer} introduces a temporal comparison, linking vayelekh and tsivahu yishai {צִוָּהוּ יִשָׁי | ṣî-wā-hû yi-šā-y} to show obedience to Jesse’s command. The coordinated phrase hamma’agalah vehachayil hayotze {הַמַּעְגָּלָה וְהַחַיִל הַיֹּצֵא | ham-maʿ-ɡā-lāh wə-ha-ḥa-yîl ha-yō-ṣēʾ} sets the scene of the camp and the army’s movement, and the Hifil perfect vehereu {וְהֵרֵעוּ | we-hê-rê-ʿû} conveys the onset of the army’s shout in bamilchamah {בַּמִּלְחָמָה | ba-mil-ḥā-māh}, situating the action in battle. English past-tense narrative mirrors these temporal and causal relationships. |