| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative vav-consecutive verb vayikrav {וַיִּקְρַ֣ב | wāyiqrāv} ‘and he approached’, marking physical movement toward the woman and establishing chronological sequence. Each speech act is framed by vav-consecutive imperfect verbs (vāṭōmer {וַתֹּ֧אמֶר | wāṭōmēr} ‘and she said’; wāyōmer {וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | wāyōmēr} ‘and he said’), generating a rapid dialogic flow. The interrogative haʾattāh {הַאַתָּה | haʾattāh} ‘are you’ precedes the name yôʾāḇ {יוֹאָב | yôʾāḇ}, illustrating Hebrew fronting for identification emphasis. The imperative šimʿāʿ {שְׁמַע | ši-māʿ} ‘listen’ conveys an honorific request, with its object expressed through the construct chain dibrê ’ămātēkā {דִּבְרֵי אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ | dibrê ʼămātēkā} ‘words of your servant’, in which ’āmāh {אֲמָה} signifies humility. The response uses the participle šōmēaʿ {שֹׁמֵעַ | šōmēaʿ} ‘listening’ alongside ’ānōḵî {אָנֹכִֽי | ʼānōḵî} ‘I’, indicating ongoing attentiveness. The English SVO order preserves the Hebrew’s honorific nuance and clearly attributes each utterance. |