| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vayyaʿan {וַיַּעַן | wayyaʿan} ‘and he answered’ followed by vayyōmer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’, two vav-consecutive Qal imperfect verbs introducing direct speech. The prepositional phrase ʾel-hā’îšâ {אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה | ʾel-hā’îšâ} marks the addressee. The prohibition-entreaty formula ʾal-nā tekhaḥdî {אַל־נָא תְכַחֲדִי | ʾal-nā tek-haḥădî} combines the negative particle and entreaty with a Piel imperfect indicating intentional concealment. The object dāḇār {דָּבָר | dā-ḇār} ‘thing’ is qualified by the relative clause ’ăšer ’ănōḵî šō’ēl ’ōṯāḵ {אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁאֵל אֹתָךְ | ’ăšer ’ănōḵî šō’ēl ’ōṯāḵ} ‘that I am asking you’, featuring a Qal participle and first person pronoun. The response uses wattōmer hā’îšâ {וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה | wattōmer hā’îšâ} ‘and the woman said’ plus yedabber-nā ’ădonî hammeleḵ {יְדַבֶּר־נָא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ | ye-dabber-nā ’ă-do-nî ham-mē-leḵ} ‘let my lord the king speak, please’, mirroring the entreaty structure. The parallel vav-consecutive verbs frame a respectful dialogue with structural symmetry. |