1 Samuel 20:15ExegesisTAB

1 Samuel 20 : 15 Covenant | Loyalty | Justice
15. Linguistic Exegesis
The verse consists of two coordinated clauses. The first clause uses the prohibition marker ve-al {וְאַל | vê-ʾal} ‘and do not’ with the verb tikhrot {תִּכְרֹת | ṯi-ḵə-rōṯ} ‘you shall cut off’. The object chasdeka {חַסְדְּךָ | ḥa-səd-ká} ‘your loyal love’ is introduced by et and followed by the locative me-im beiti ‘from my house’. The adverbial phrase ad-olam {עַד־עוֹלָם | ʿad-ʿō-lām} ‘forever’ specifies duration. The second clause, introduced by u-bir-ot {וּבִרְאֹת | û-ḇir-ʾôt} ‘and when’, features Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə-hô-wāh} as subject and the object m'khot oyvei David kol-e-chad mipnei ha-aretz ‘the cutting off of every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth’. This parallel structure contrasts human covenant fidelity with divine judgment.

More on this verse