| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative introduction is marked by vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wə-yō-’ə-mer} ‘and he said’, which shifts to David’s direct address to el-ha-anashim ha-omdim immo {אֶל־הָאֲנָשִׁים הָעֹמְדִים עִמּוֹ | ’el-hā-’ănā-šîm hā-‘ō-mə-dîm ʿim-mô} ‘the men standing with him.’ The interrogative mah-yeaseh {מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂה | māh yē-‘ā-seh} ‘what will be done’ opens a question of reward, and the relative clause asher yă-keh et ha-plishti ha-laz {אֲשֶׁר יַכֶּה אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי הַלָּז | ’ă-šer yă-keh ’et happə-lîš-tî halāz} ‘who strikes this Philistine’ identifies the deliverer. The sequence ve-hesir kherpah me-al yisrael {וְהֵסִיר חֶרְפָּה מֵעַ֣ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | wə-hē-sîr ḥer-pāh mē-‘āl yīś-rā-’ēl} ‘and removes disgrace from Israel’ asserts communal honor. A second interrogative ki-mi {כִּי־מִי | kî-mî} ‘for who is’ heightens the challenge against ha-plishti he-arel ha-zeh {הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי הֶעָרֵל הַזֶּה | happə-lîš-tî he-‘ā-rêl haz-zē} ‘this uncircumcised Philistine.’ The final clause ki cheref ma-arkhot elohim chayyim {כִּי חֵרֵף מַעַרְכ֖וֹת אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים | kî ḥē-ref ma-‘ar-kōṯ ’ĕ-lō-hîm ḥay-yîm} ‘for he has taunted the battle lines of the living God’ brings theological tension, using coordinated questions and relative clauses to underscore Israel’s need for divine vindication. |