| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative marker vayerdu {וַיֵּרְד֡וּ | wayyərdû} ‘and they went down’, establishing sequential action. The construct chain sheloshet alafim ish {שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ | šəlōšēt ʾălāp̄îm ʾîš} indicates “three thousand men.” The locative expression miyehudah {מִיהוּדָה | mi-yhūdāh} “from Judah” and the prepositional clause el seif sela eitam {אֶל־סְעִיף סֶלַע עֵיטָם | ʾel-səˈʿîp̄ səlāʿ ʿêyṭām} precisely situate their descent. Dialogue introduction via vayomru {وַיֹּאמְרוּ | wayyōmrû} ‘they said’ leads into a rhetorical question framed by the interrogative-negation halo {הֲלֹא | hălōʾ} “is it not,” followed by yadata ki moshlim banu {יָדַעְתָּ כִּי־מֹשְׁלִים בָּנוּ | yāḏaʿtā kî mōšəlîm bānû} “you know that the Philistines rule over us.” The grievance formula umazot asitah lanu {וּמַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לָנוּ | ū-mah-zōṯ ʿāśîtā lānû} heightens communal complaint. Samson’s response, introduced by vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer}, employs chiastic parallelism kaasher asu li ken asiti lahem {כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לִי כֵּן עָשִׂיתִי לָהֶם | ka-ʾăšer ʿāšû lī kên ʿāśîtî lā-hem}, underscoring reciprocal retribution. |