| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’, which sequences the narrative into Joab’s direct address. The phrase la'ish hamaggid lo {לָאִישׁ הַמַּגִּיד לוֹ | lā-ʾîš ham-mag-gîd lō} identifies the messenger by combining a Hifʼil participle with a prepositional suffix. The interjection vehineh {וְהִנֵּה | wə-hinnēh} introduces an immediate challenge. Although raiti {רָאִיתִי | rāʾîtî} is first person perfect, it is rendered as second person to maintain conversational logic in this reproach. The interrogative ū-mad-ḏûaʿ lō hiqqîṯô {וּמַדּוּעַ לֹא הִכִּיתוֹ | ū-mad-ḏûaʿ lō hiqqîṯô} forms a rhetorical question that highlights the messenger’s failure to act. Finally, the infinitive construct latet {לָתֶת | lā-teṯ} heads a hypothetical reward clause with asarah kesef wa-chagorah echad {עֲשָׂרָה כֶּסֶף וַחֲגֹרָה אֶחָת | ʿă-sārāh kě-sěp̄ wa-ḥă-gō-rāh ʾeḥāṯ}, linking promised compensation to the missed opportunity. |