| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive verb vayomeru {וַיֹּאמְרוּ | wayyōmerû} ‘and they said’, introducing reported speech by Achish’s servants. The construct phrase avadei ʾAkhish {עֲבָדֵי אֲכִישׁ | ʿăvāḏê ʾăḵîš} ‘servants of Achish’ serves as the subject, with elav {אֵלָיו | ʾêlāyw} ‘to him’ indicating the indirect object. The interrogative haze Dāwîḏ melekh ha-ʾāreṣ {הֲזֶה דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ הָאָרֶץ | hazzeh Dāwîḏ mêlêḵ hāʾāreṣ} ‘Is this David, king of the land?’ sets the challenge. The second interrogative hallōʾ zeh hazzāmer bemakhālōṯāyw {הֲלוֹא זֶה הַזַּמֵּר בְּמַחֲלוֹתָיו | hallōʾ zeh hazzāmer bemakhālōṯāyw} ‘Is he not this singer in his dances?’ uses the participle hazzāmer to recall the communal singing refrains, modified by the prepositional phrase bemakhālōṯāyw. The infinitive lêʾāmôr {לֵאמֹר | lêʾāmôr} ‘saying’ introduces the quotation featuring the perfect verb hiqqāh {הִכָּה | hiqqāh} ‘has struck’ followed by the numerals ʾalāp̄āyw {אֲלָפָיו | ʾalāp̄āyw} ‘his thousands’ and ʾēlep̄ {אֶלֶף | ʾēlep̄} ‘thousands’, linked by ve before “David” to form a parallel structure that emphasizes the reversal of victory counts. The placement of the quotation at the clause end underscores its evidential force. |