| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with a purpose clause introduced by sabbebev penei ha-davar {סַבֵּב אֶת־פְּנֵי הַדָּבָר | sabbēb ‘to change direction’} governed by le-ba'avur {לְבַעֲבוּר | lə-va-‘ă-vur ‘for the sake of’}, framing Joab’s motive. The main verb asah {עָשָׂה | ‘ā-śāh ‘he did’} is followed by the subject avdecha Yoav {עַבְדְּךָ יוֹאָב | ‘av-də-khā yō-’āḇ ‘your servant Joab’} and the object et-hadavar hazeh {אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה | ’et-had-dā-ḇār hazzēh ‘this matter’}. A vav-consecutive clause, va-adoni chacham {וַאדֹנִי חָכָם | wa-’ă-do-nî ḥā-kām ‘and my lord is wise’}, introduces the analogy ke-chokhmat mal’akh ha-Elohim {כְּחָכְמַת מַלְאָךְ הָאֱלֹהִים | kə-ḥākh-mat mal-’ākh hā-’ĕ-lō-hîm ‘like the wisdom of the angel of God’}. Finally, the infinitive lada’at {לָדַעַת | lā-da‘-at ‘to know’} expresses purpose, linked to the relative clause et-kol-asher ba-aretz {אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ | ’et-kōl ’ă-šer bā-’ā-reṣ ‘all that is in the land’}, emphasizing the breadth of divine-like knowledge. |