| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive form vayivqa‘ {וַיִּבְקַ֨ע | wayyiḇqaʿ} establishing narrative sequence. Elohim {אֱלֹהִים | ʾĕlōhîm} indicates divine agency. The accusative marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet-} introduces hammaktesh {הַמַּכְתֵּשׁ | hammakṯēš} ‘hollow place,’ located by bal-lechi {בַּלֶּ֗חִי | bal-leḥî}. The plural noun mayim {מַ֙יִם֙ | mayîm} with vayetze’u {וַיֵּצְא֨וּ | wayyēṣʾû} conveys water issuing forth. The verbs vayishte {וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ | wayyištê} ‘and he drank’ and vattashav {וַתָּ֥שָׁב | wəṭṭāšāḇ} ‘and it returned’ shift focus to Samson’s ruach {רוּחוֹ | rūḥô} ‘spirit,’ culminating in vayechi {וַיֶּ֑חִי | wayyēḥî} ‘and he lived.’ The conjunction al-ken {עַל־כֵּ֣ן | ʿal-kēn} ‘therefore’ introduces the naming clause kara shmah {קָרָ֣א שְׁמָ֗הּ | qārāʾ šəmāh}, assigning the toponym ‘ein hakkore {עֵ֤ין הַקּוֹרֵא֙ | ʿên ha-qôrēʾ}. The temporal phrase ad ha-yom ha-zeh {עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה | ʿad ha-yōm ha-zeh} situates its enduring presence at Lehi. |