| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence opens with velo {וְלֹֽא | wə-lōʾ} ‘and not’, negating the verb dibber {דִּבֵּר | dî-bēr} ‘he spoke’ in perfect to indicate a completed non-action. The preposition im {עִם | ʿim} ‘with’ links the subjects Absalom and Amnon. The coordinated phrases lemera {לְמֵרָע | lə-mê-rāʿ} ‘for evil’ and v’ad tov {וְעַד־טוֹב | wə-ʿad-ṭôv} ‘and even for good’ form an idiom meaning ‘not at all,’ emphasizing total silence. The conjunction ki {כִּי | kî} introduces the causal clause where sane {שָׂנֵא | sā-nêʾ} ‘hated’ in perfect expresses settled hostility. The relative clause al-devar asher innah {עַל־דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר עִנָּה | ʿal-de-vár ʾă-šer ʿin-nāh} ‘because of the matter that he afflicted’ uses al to mark cause, devar in construct with asher setting up explanation, and innah conveying forceful action. The second et {אֵת | ʾêt} marks the direct object Tamar {תָּמָר | ṯā-mār}, modified by achoto {אֲחֹתֽוֹ | ă-ḥō-tô} ‘his sister.’ The English rendering shifts to subject–verb–object order and places the causal clause after the main clause, preserving Hebrew emphasis while ensuring clarity. |