| 10. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with vayyišlach {וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח | wayyiš·lâḥ} ‘and he sent’, using the vav-consecutive to mark sequential narrative action. The agent is Avshalom {אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙ | ʾAvšālôm}, followed by the Piel participle meraggelim {מְרַגְּלִ֔ים | meragge·lîm} ‘spies’, which underscores covert intent. The extent of the mission is defined by bekhol-šivtei {בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֥י | bəḵāl-šib·ṭê} ‘throughout all tribes of’ coupled with Yisrael {יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | Yis·rā·’ēl} ‘Israel’. The infinitive leʾāmôr {לֵאמֹ֑ר | lē·’ā·môr} ‘to say’ introduces direct speech. Within the quotation, the temporal clause kəšāməḵem {כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם֙ | kē·šām·ə·ḵem} ‘when you hear’ governs ʾet-qōl ha-šōp̄ār {אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַשֹּׁפָ֔ר | ʾet-qōl ha·šō·p̄ār} ‘the sound of the trumpet’, setting the trigger. The command waʾamartem {וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם | wä·’a·mar·tem} ‘and you shall say’ employs another vav-consecutive for illocution, and the perfect verb mālāḵ {מָלַ֥ךְ | mā·lāk} ‘he reigned’ reports the outcome: that Avshalom {אַבְשָׁל֖וֹם | ʾAvšālôm} is king in Hebron. This alternation between narrative and proclamation dramatizes Absalom’s strategic coup. |