| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayomer {וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | va-yō-mer} ‘and he said’, introducing Saul’s address to David {דָּוִ֗ד | dā-wid} via the particle hinneh {הִנֵּה֩ | hinnēh} ‘behold’. The promise etten-lekha {אֶתֶּן־לְךָ֣ | ’et-ten-lə-kā} ‘I will give to you’ uses the Qal imperfect to convey forward action. The construct le-ven-chayil {לְבֶן־חַ֔יִל | lə-ḇen-ḥă-yil} ‘son of valor’, followed by the imperative ve-hilachem {וְהִלָּחֵ֖ם | wə-hil-lā-ḥêm}, frames David’s military role in milchamot {מִלְחֲמ֣וֹת | mil-ḥa-mō-wōṯ} under the name Yahweh {יְהוָ֑ה | Yə-hō-wāh}, indicating divine warfare. The second clause, linked by another Qal perfect amar {אָמַ֗ר | ’ā-mar}, contrasts the negative imperative al-tehi {אַל־תְּהִ֤י | ’al-tə-hî} ‘do not be’ with u-tehi-bo {וּתְהִי־ב֖וֹ | u-tə-hî-bō} ‘let there be in him’, structurally opposing Saul’s personal restraint and delegating harm to Pelishtim {פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים | Pə-lištîm}. |