| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayhi {וַיְהִי | way·hî} ‘and it happened,’ which introduces the narrative event. This is followed by two infinitive constructs, bevo’am {בְּבוֹאָם | bə·bō·'ām} ‘when they came’ and beshuv {בְּשׁוּב | bə·šū·ḇ} ‘as he returned,’ establishing a temporal frame centered on David’s victory. The phrase mêhakōṯ {מֵהַכּוֹת | mê·ha·qôṯ} ‘from striking’ explains the cause of celebration. The main clause unfolds with the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect wat·tē·ṣē·nâ {וַתֵּצֶאנָה | wat·tē·ṣē·nâ} ‘and they went out,’ where hanāšîm {הַנָּשִׁים | han·naš·šîm} ‘the women’ serve as the subject. The construct chain mi·kāl·'ărê Yiś·rā·'ēl {מִכָּל־עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל | mi·kāl·'ărê Yiś·rā·'ēl} ‘from all the cities of Israel’ indicates the participants’ origin. The infinitive lā·šîr wə·ham·mə·ḥō·lōṯ {לָשִׁיר וְהַמְּחֹל֔וֹת | lā·šîr wə·ham·mə·ḥō·lōṯ} ‘to sing and the dances’ highlights parallel celebration forms. The prepositional phrase li·qra·ṯ šā·'ûl ham·meleḵ {לִקְרַ֖את שָׁא֣וּל הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ | li·qra·ṯ šā·'ûl ham·meleḵ} ‘to meet Saul the king’ directs action toward the ruler. Finally, the series bə·tup·pîm {בְּתֻפִּים | bə·tup·pîm}, bə·śim·ḥā {בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה | bə·śim·ḥā}, u·bĕ·šā·liš·šîm {וּבְשָׁלִשִֽׁים | u·bĕ·šā·liš·šîm} details the instruments and mood. The Hebrew’s coordinated infinitives and vav-consecutive forms build a crescendo of communal rejoicing, rendered in English through parallel clauses and coordinated phrases. |