| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative marker vayehi {וַיְהִ֖י | wā̆yĕḥî} ‘and it happened’ sets the scene for a new event. The conjunction ki {כִּ | kî} ‘when’ plus the infinitive reotam {רְאוֹתָ֣ם | rə-’ō-ṯām} ‘to see’ form a circumstantial temporal clause indicating the occasion. The direct object marker oto {אוֹת֑וֹ | ’ô-tô} ‘him’ highlights focus on Samson. The main verb vayikchu {וַיִּקְחוּ֙ | wā-yik-kḥû} ‘they took’ introduces the action, with the numeral sheloshim {שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים | šĕ-lō-šîm} ‘thirty’ combining with the partitive mereim {מֵֽרֵעִ֔ים | mē-rê-ʿîm} ‘from companions’ to denote selection from a group. The concluding verb vayihyu {וַיִּהְי֖וּ | wā-yĭh-yû} ‘they were’ with ito {אִתּֽוֹ | ’it-tō} ‘with him’ expresses accompaniment. This structure emphasizes collective support provided to Samson at a critical moment. |