| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the sequential waw-consecutive verb vayered {וַיֵּרֶד | wa·yē·reḏ} ‘and he went down’, establishing a chronological flow. The proper name Shimshon {שִׁמְשׁוֹן | šim·shōn} introduces the protagonist, followed by the coordinated ve’aviv {וְאָבִיו | wə·’ā·vî·w} ‘his father’ and ve’imo {וְאִמּוֹ | wə·’im·mō} ‘his mother’, indicating family accompaniment. The motion is marked by vayavo’u {וַיָּבֹאוּ | wa·yā·ḇō·’ū} ‘and they came’ and the construct phrase ad-karmei Timnah {עַד־כַּרְמֵי תִמְנָתָה | ’ad-kăr·mē tim·nā·ṯāh} ‘to the vineyards of Timnah’, specifying the destination. The particle vehinneh {וְהִנֵּה | wə·hin·nēh} ‘and behold’ shifts attention, leading to the descriptive apposition kefir arayot {כְּפִיר אֲרָיוֹת | ke·pîr ’a·rā·yōt} ‘a young lion among lions’, intensifying the image. The participle sho’eg {שֹׁאֵג | šō·’ēg} ‘roaring’ adds immediacy, and liqrato {לִקְרָאתוֹ | liq·rā·’ō·ṯô} ‘toward him’ indicates direction, culminating in a vivid, suspenseful encounter. |