| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive marker vayomer {וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | wā-yō-ʼā-mer} ‘and he said,’ initiating direct speech. The demonstrative elu {אלו | ʾē-lû} precedes the indirect object elav {אֵלָיו֙ | ʾê-lā-yōw} ‘to him,’ sharpening Saul’s address. The interrogative adverb lamah {לָ֚מָּה | lā-māh} ‘why’ introduces the perfect verb keshartem {קְשַׁרְתֶּ֣ם | kə-šar-tēm} ‘you conspired,’ which carries the suffix alai {עָלַ֔י | ʻā-lay} ‘against me.’ The coordinated subjects attah {אַתָּה֙ | ʼat-tāh} ‘you’ and u-ven-yishai {וּבֶן־יִשָׁ֑י | û-wə-ben yî-shāy} ‘and the son of Jesse’ express joint agency. The noun infinitive be-titkha {בְּתִתְּךָ֨ | bə-tit-tə-ḵā} ‘in your giving’ governs lechem ‘bread’ and cherev ‘sword,’ while the Hifil infinitive ve-sha’ol {וְשָׁא֥וֹל | wə-šā-ʼōl} ‘and by inquiring’ with be-Elohim {בֵּֽאלֹהִים | bē-ʾĕ-lō-hîm} ‘of God’ depicts consultation. The successive infinitives lā-qūm {לָק֥וּם | lā-qūm} ‘to rise up’ and lə-ʼō-rê-ḇ {לְאֹרֵ֖ב | lə-ʼō-rê-ḇ} ‘to lie in wait’ convey purpose, and the temporal phrase ka-yôm ha-z-zeh {כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה | ka-yôm ha-z-zeh} ‘as on this day’ locates the action in the present, reflecting Saul’s urgent rebuke. |