| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The sentence begins with the vav-consecutive Qal imperfect vayomer {וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | wayyō’mer} ‘and he said’, introducing direct speech. The name Avshalom functions as the subject, and the preposition el {אֶל | ʾel} marks Ahithophel as the recipient. The Qal imperative havu {הָבוּ | hā-vû} ‘give’ addresses a plural audience. The pronominal suffix in lachem {לָכֶ֛ם | lā-khem} specifies that the advisers are to exchange counsel among themselves. The noun etsah {עֵצָה | ʿê-ṣā} ‘counsel’ serves as the object. The interrogative mah {מַה | mah} ‘what’ plus the cohortative naaseh {נַּעֲשֶֽׂה | na‘ăśeh} ‘shall we do’ forms a deliberative question. This imperative–interrogative pattern emphasizes the urgency of shared decision-making. |