| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the sequential marker vayhi {וַיְהִ֗י | wayəhî} ‘and it came to pass’, followed by a temporal clause built on the infinitive construct be’et tēt {בְּעֵ֥ת תֵּ֛ת | bəʿēt tēṯ} ‘at the time of giving’. The accusative marker et-merav {אֶת־מֵרַ֥ב | ʾet-merav} ‘Merab’ plus the construct bat-shaʾul {בַּת־שָׁא֖וּל | bat-šāʾûl} ‘daughter of Saul’ and le-david {לְדָוִ֑ד | lə-dā-wîḏ} ‘to David’ frames the intended action. A shift to completion is marked by the Niphal perfect nittānāh {נִתְּנָ֛ה | niṯṯānāh} ‘was given’ introduced by the resumptive ve-hi {וְהִ֧יא | wə-hiʾ} ‘and she’. The phrase le-adriel {לְעַדְרִיאֵ֥ל | lə-ʿăd-rî-ʾēl} ‘to Adriel’ with ha-meḥōlāṯî {הַמְּחֹלָתִ֖י | ham-meḥō-lāṯî} ‘the Meholathite’ and le-’îšāh {לְאִשָּֽׁה | lə-ʾîš-šāh} ‘as a wife’ specifies the actual marriage. The contrast between the infinitive temporal clause and the perfect aspect highlights the tension between the intended and the actual marital outcome. |