| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive form vayesakel {וַיְסַקֵּ֤ל | va-ye-sa-qēl} ‘and he pelted’, establishing narrative sequence. The means of attack is specified by ba’avanim {בָּֽאֲבָנִים֙ | bā-ʾă-vā-nîm} ‘with stones’. A series of direct objects is introduced by et {אֶת־ | ’et}, creating a cumulative effect: et-David, ve’et-kol-avdei hamelech David {וְאֶת־כָּל־עַבְדֵ֖י הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ דָּוִ֑ד | wə-’et-kol-ʿăv-dê ha-me-leḵ Dā-wîd}, followed by ve-kol-ha-’am {וְכָל־הָעָם֙ | wə-kol-hā-‘ām} and ve-kol-hag-gib-bō-rîm {וְכָל־הַגִּבֹּרִים֔ | wə-kol-ha-gib-bō-rîm}. The construct chain avdei hamelech David ‘servants of King David’ binds the royal office to David. The final paired prepositional phrases miyimino {מִימִינ֖וֹ | mi-yi-mī-nō} ‘from his right’ and umismolo {וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ | u-mi-sə-mō-’ō} ‘and from his left’ frame the spatial positioning of those attacked, reinforcing the totality of the assault. |