| 21. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with the vav-consecutive perfect vayaggidu {וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ | vā-yyaggî-dû} ‘and they told,’ introducing a report directed to Saul. The verb vayishlach {וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ | va-yish-lakh} appears twice, first with malakhim acherim {מַלְאָכִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים | mal-ʾā-kîm ʾa-ḥê-rîm} ‘other messengers,’ then with malakhim shlishim {מַלְאָכִ֣ים שְׁלִשִׁ֔ים | mal-ʾā-kîm šə-lî-šîm} ‘third ones/time,’ showing Saul’s escalating efforts. Each group then performs the prophetic action, marked by the hitpael imperfect vayitnabeu {וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ | va-yit-nab-bê-ʾû} ‘and they prophesied,’ with gam-hemma {גַּם־הֵ֑מָּה | gam-hêm-mâ} emphasizing repetition. The insertion of vayosef {וַיֹּ֣סֶף | vā-yō-sêp̄} ‘and he persisted’ highlights Saul’s determination to break the prophetic influence. The English rendering maintains the Hebrew’s sequential and intensifying actions through coordinated clauses and temporal phrasing. |