| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav consecutive wayyṓmer {וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | wayyṓmer} ‘and he said,’ marking the start of Saul’s direct speech. The construct ʼel-miḵāl {אֶל־מִיכַ֗ל | ʼel-miḵāl} with maqqef indicates “to Michal.” The interrogative lāmmāh {לָ֤מָּה | lāmmāh} is intensified by the adverb kākāh {כָּ֙כָה֙ | kākāh} “thus.” The perfect rimmîṯānî {רִמִּיתִ֔נִי | rimmîṯānî} assigns Michal as agent in a completed deception. The marker ʼet-ʾōyvî {אֶת־אֹיְבִ֖י | ʼet-ʾōyvî} flags “my enemy” as object, which then piel-wise wayyimmāleṭ {וַיִּמָּלֵ֑ט | wayyimmāleṭ} foregrounds the enemy’s escape. The narrative shifts with waṯṭōmer {וַתֹּ֤אמֶר | waṯṭōmer}, introducing Michal’s reply that quotes the qal perfect hûʼ-ʾāmar {הוּא־אָמַ֥ר | hûʼ-ʾāmar}, followed by the imperative šalləḥnî {שַׁלְּחִ֖נִי | šalləḥnî} and the imperfect question ʾămittêḵ {אֲמִיתֵֽךְ | ʾămittêḵ}, preserving the original’s rhetorical force. |