| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayevakesh {וַיְבַקֵּ֨שׁ | wayyĕvāqqēš} “and he sought,” indicating Saul’s sequential action. The Qal infinitive lehokot {לְהַכּ֤וֹת | lə-hakkōṯ} expresses intent “to strike,” complemented by the instrumental prepositional phrase bachanit {בַּֽחֲנִית֙ | ba-ḥănît} “with the spear.” The prepositional phrases bedavid {בְּדָוִ֣ד | bə-dāwı̂ḏ} “against David” and uvakir {וּבַקִּיר֔ | ū-ba-qqîr} “and in the wall” specify the goal. The subsequent Piel perfect vayyiphtar {וַיִּפְטַר֙ | wayyip̄ṭār} “and he escaped” shifts focus to David’s evasion, introduced by the preposition mippenei {מִפְּנֵ֣י | mippənê} “from before.” The sequence returns to Saul in the Qal perfect vayyakh {וַיַּ֥ךְ | wayyaḵ} “and he struck,” driving et-hachanit {אֶֽת־הַחֲנִ֖ית | ’et-ha-ḥănît} “the spear” into bakir {בַּקִּיר֑ | ba-qqîr} “in the wall.” The final series of perfect verbs nas {נָ֥ס | nās} “he fled” and vayyimmalet {וַיִּמָּלֵ֖ט | wayyimmāleṯ} “and he escaped” with ballaylah {בַּלַּ֥יְלָה | ba-laylāh} “at night” emphasizes the completeness of David’s deliverance. This rendering preserves the Hebrew verb sequence while ensuring clear English subject–verb–object order. |