| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayyišlaḥ {וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח | wayyišlaḥ} ‘and he sent’, marking a new action by Absalom. The construct chain yōʿēṣ dāwîḏ {יוֹעֵץ דָּוִד | yôʿēṣ dāwîḏ} ‘counselor to David’ establishes Ahithophel’s role. The circumstantial clause be-zāvḥô {בְּזָבְחוֹ | bə-zāvḥô} ‘as he was offering’ uses a preposition + infinitive construct with suffix to indicate simultaneous ritual activity. The existential result clause wayhî ha-qēšer ʾammîṣ {וַיְהִי הַקֶּשֶׁר אַמִּץ | wayhî ha-qēšer ʾammîṣ} ‘and the conspiracy became strong’ employs a nominal predicate with the adjective functioning predicatively. The sequence hōlēḵ wā-rāv {הוֹלֵךְ וָרָב | hōlēḵ wā-rāv} ‘going and increasing’ combines a participle with a vav-prefixed perfect to convey progressive growth in Absalom’s following. The formal version preserves Hebrew parataxis and word order to reflect the original structure, while the dynamic version prioritizes clear causal and temporal relationships for readability. |