| 32. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayomer {וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | wayyômer} ‘and he said,’ introducing direct speech. The addressee appears in ʾel šāʼûl {אֶל־שָׁאוּל | ʾel-šāʼûl} ‘to Saul.’ The jussive construction ʾal yippōl {אַל־יִפֹּל | ʾal yippōl} ‘do not let fall’ uses a negative particle with a Qal imperfect to command steadfastness. The compound lev ʾādām {לֵב־אָדָם | lēb ʾādām} ‘heart of man’ denotes inner resolve, and ʿalāyw {עָלָיו | ʿalāyw} ‘because of him’ specifies cause. The speaker’s self-designation ʿabdēḵā {עַבְדְּךָ | ʿabdēḵā} ‘your servant’ serves as the subject of the vav-consecutive imperfects yēlēkh {יֵלֵךְ | yēlēkh} ‘will go’ and wə-nilḥām {וְנִלְחַם | wə-nilḥām} ‘and will fight.’ The phrase ʿim ha-pəlîštî hazzēh {עִם־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי הַזֶּה | ʿim ha-pəlîštî hazzēh} ‘with this Philistine’ functions as the object, with verb-initial order and vav-consecutive underscoring David’s determination. |