| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the personal name heleb {חֵ֥לֶב | ḥē-lêḇ} followed by the construct ben-baanah {בֶּן־בַּעֲנָה | ben-ba‘ănâ} marking paternal lineage. The gentilic hanetofathi {הַנְּטֹפָתִ֑י | han-nə-ṭō-pā-thî} functions as an adjectival designation of geographic origin. This pattern recurs with ittai {אִתַּי֙ | ʾî-ṭṭay} and ben-ribai {בֶּן־רִיבַ֔י | ben-rî-vay}, after which the prepositional phrase migivat {מִגִּבְעַ֖ת | mi-ḡbā‘at} introduces the location and bene vinyamin {בְּנֵ֥י־בִנְיָמִֽן | bə-nē bin-yā-mîn} specifies tribal affiliation. The asyndetic list conveys equal status among David’s warriors and preserves the Hebrew genealogical structure in English. |