| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse uses the vav-consecutive verb vayikrot {וַיִּכְרֹת | va-yi-krôt} ‘and he made/cut’ to present a narrative action, naming Yehonatan {יְהוֹנָתָן | Yə-hō-nā-tān} ‘Jonathan’ and veDavid {וְדָוִד | wə-dā-wīd} ‘David’ as participants in berit {בְּרִית | bə-rı̂t} ‘covenant’. The prepositional phrase beahavato {בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹ | bə-ʾă-hă-vā-tô} ‘because of his love’ establishes the basis for the agreement, further specified by oto {אֹתוֹ | ʾō-tô} ‘him’ and the comparative kenafsho {כְּנַפְשֽׁוֹ | kə-nap̄-šô} ‘as his soul’, highlighting the intensity of their bond. English SVO order is satisfied, placing the covenant at the center of the clause. |