| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayyehalekh {וַיְהַלֶּךְ | way·hăl·lĕḵ} ‘and he went,’ functioning as a transition into David’s sending action. The main verb shalach {שָׁלַח | šā·lāḥ} ‘he sent’ governs the prepositional object el-tsadok ve-el-evyatar hakohanim {אֶל־צָדוֹק וְאֶל־אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֲנִים | ʾél-ṣā·dōq wə-ʾél-ʾĕv·yā·ṯār ha·kō·hă·nîm}, specifying recipients. The infinitive construct leemor {לֵאמֹר | lê·ʾā·môr} introduces the command, with a nested leemor clause framing David’s reproach. In dabberu el-ziknei yehudah {דַּבֵּרוּ אֶל־זִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה | da·bēr·rū ʾél-ziq·nē yə·hū·dāh}, the Piel imperative directs the priests to address Judah’s elders. The interrogative lamah tihyu acharonim {לָמָה תִהְיוּ אַחֲרוֹנִים | lā·māh tə·ḥî·yū ʾa·ḥă·rō·nîm} ‘why are you last ones?’ creates emphasis through role reversal. The Hiphil infinitive lehashiv et-hamelekh el-beito {לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ | lə·hā·šîb ʾēt-ha·me·lĕḵ ʾél-be·yî·tō} expresses causative return, and the coordination udvar kol-yisrael ba {וּדְבַר כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא | ū·ḏə·wār kôl-yi·srā·ʾēl bā} ‘and the word of all Israel has come’ provides the motive. The final repetition of el-hamelekh el-beito echoes the earlier phrase, framing the king’s house with a chiastic inclusio. English punctuation clarifies nested quotations and preserves the Hebrew clause structure. |