| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative employs the vav-consecutive imperfect verb vayyêreḏ {וַיֵּ֥רֶד | wayyêreḏ} ‘and he went down’ to indicate sequential action, introducing shimšōn {שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן | šimšōn} as the subject. The destination timnāṯâh {תִּמְנָתָה | timnāṯâh} uses a directional he to mark ‘to Timnah’. The succeeding vav-consecutive wayyâr {וַיַּ֥רְא | wayyâr} ‘and he saw’ begins a new clause with ’iššāh {אִשָּׁה | ’iššāh} ‘woman’ as the direct object. The phrase bəṯimnāṯâh {בְּתִמְנָתָה | bəṯimnāṯâh} ‘in Timnah’ repeats the location for emphasis, while the construct chain mibbenôt pəlištîm {מִבְּנוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים | mibbenôt pəlištîm} ‘from the daughters of the Philistines’ specifies ethnic origin through possessive construct. Hebrew’s clause-initial verbs and repeated place name underscore narrative pacing and focus, which in English is rendered with ‘where’ to streamline repetition. The construct relationship in mibbenôt pəlištîm is conveyed by ‘from a Philistine family’. |