| 43. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayomer {וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’, marking direct speech in Hebrew narrative. The prepositional phrase ʾel–Dāwīd {אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד | ʾel–Dāwīd} identifies David as the addressee. The interrogative haḥêlêḇ ʾănōkī {הֲכֶלֶב אָנֹכִי | haḥêlêḇ ʾănōkī} ‘Am I a dog?’ forms a rhetorical insult. The fused conjunction-pronoun in kî–ʾattā {כִּֽי־אַתָּה | kî–ʾattā} combined with the perfect in bā–ʾēlāy {בָֽא־אֵלַ֖י | bā–ʾēlāy} conveys ‘that you came to me’. The plural noun bammaklōt {בַּמַּקְל֑וֹת | bammaklōt} ‘sticks’ highlights the crude weapons. The second vav-consecutive Piel wayyiqqallel {וַיְקַלֵּ֧ל | wayyiqqallel} ‘and he cursed’ intensifies the action, and ʾet {אֶת־ | ʾet} signals David as the object. The prepositional phrase bē–ʾĕlōhāv {בֵּאלֹהָֽיו | bē–ʾĕlōhāv} ‘by his gods’ denotes the instrumentality of pagan deities. This structure of vav-consecutive verbs, rhetorical interrogation, and instrumentality expressions characterizes the Philistine’s scorn and blasphemy. |