| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vatomer {וַתֹּאמֶר | wa-tō-mer} ‘and she said,’ marking the start of direct speech by haishah {הָאִשָּׁה | hā-ʾiš-šāh}. The Piel request tedabber-na {תְּדַבֶּר־נָא | tə-dab-be-r nā} ‘let-speak-now’ conveys polite urgency. The construct chain shifkhatekha {שִׁפְחָתְךָ | šip-ḥā-te-kā} ‘your maidservant’ expresses humility toward the addressee. The prepositional phrase el-adoni hammelekh {אֶל־אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ | ʾel-ʼă-dō-nî ham-me-leḵ} marks the recipient. Davar {דָּבָר | dā-var} functions as the direct object. The response begins with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wa-yō-mer} ‘and he said,’ followed by the Piel imperative daberi {דַּבֵּרִי | da-bēr-î} ‘speak,’ granting permission to continue. This sequence—request, addressee, and permission—reflects typical Hebrew dialogical patterns, with the particle־נא reinforcing respect and the Piel imperative intensifying the appeal. |