| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive construction vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said,’ signaling a shift in narrative sequence. The prepositional phrase elav {אֵלָיו | ʾēlāyw} ‘to him’ marks the indirect object, while hamelech {הַמֶּלֶךְ | ham-meleḵ} ‘the king’ serves as the subject with fronting for emphasis. The interrogative ad-qammēh peʿāmîm {עַד־כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים | ʿad-qammēh pəʿāmîm} ‘how many times’ conveys rhetorical exasperation. The Piel participle mashbiakha {מַשְׁבִּיעֶ֑ךָ | mašbîʿîka} ‘put you under oath’ intensifies the legal demand. The relative particle ʾăšer {אֲשֶׁר | ʾăšer} introduces the content clause led by the negated Piel imperfect lo-tedabber {לֹא־תְדַבֵּר | lōʾ tēḏabber} ‘you will not speak,’ qualified by the adverb raq-emet {רַק־אֱמֶת | raqqeʾmet} ‘only truth.’ The phrase be-shem Yahweh {בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה | bə-šēm Yᵉhōwāh} ‘in the name of the LORD’ invokes covenantal authority, framing the king’s demand under divine sanction. |