| 21. Linguistic Exegesis vayyaʽăn {וַיַּעַן | wayyaʽăn} ‘and he answered’ and wayyoʾmar {וַיֹּאמַר | wayyoʾmar} ‘and he said’ introduce direct speech. The twin oath formulas ḥay Yə-hō-wāh {חַי־יְהוָה | ḥay Yə-hō-wāh} ‘as the LORD lives’ and wə-ḥē ʼăḏônî hammeleḵ {וְחֵי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ | wə-ḥē ʼăḏônî hammeleḵ} ‘and as my lord the king lives’ underscore solemn allegiance. The particles kî ʼim {כִּי אִם | kî ʼim} mark affirmation, leading into the relative clause bimqôm ʼăšêr yihyēh šām ʼăḏônî hammeleḵ {בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה־שָּׁם אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ | bimqôm ʼăšêr yihyēh šām ʼăḏônî hammeleḵ} ‘in the place where my lord the king is.’ The paired im le-māweṯ im lə-ḥayyîm {אִם־לְמָוֶת אִם־לְחַיִּים | im le-māweṯ im lə-ḥay-yîm} ‘whether for death or for life’ heightens the life-or-death commitment. The conclusion kî šām yihyēh ʿavdĕḵā {כִּי שָׁם יִהְיֶה עַבְדֶּךָ | kî šām yihyēh ʿavdĕḵā} ‘for there your servant will be’ reaffirms unyielding loyalty. |