| 19. Linguistic Exegesis The verse unfolds through a sequence of five vav-consecutive verbs driving the narrative momentum: vateyashshenehu {וַתְּיַשְּׁנֵ֙הוּ֙ | vaṯ-tə-yaš-šə-nē-hû} ‘and she made him sleep’, vatikra {וַתִּקְרָ֣א | vaṯ-ti-krā} ‘and she called’, vategallach {וַתְּגַלַּ֕ח | vaṯ-te-gallāḥ} ‘and she shaved’, vatachel {וַתָּ֙חֶל֙ | vaṯ-ṯā-ḥél} ‘and she began’, and vayasar {וַיָּ֥סַר | vā-ya-sār} ‘and he departed’. The Piel stem in vateyashshenehu and vategallach imparts deliberate intensity. The prepositional phrase al-birkheha {עַל־בִּרְכֶּיהָ | ʿal bir-kē-hā} locates Samson under her control. The construct chain et-sheva-machlefot-rosho {אֶת־שֶׁ֖בַע מַחְלְפ֣וֹת רֹאשׁ֑וֹ | ʾet-šě-wā maḥ-lə-p̄ōṯ rō-šō} binds numeral, noun, and possessive suffix, focusing on the head as the sign of his vow. The infinitive construct le’anoto {לְעַנּוֹת֔וֹ | lə-ʿăn-nō-tō} expresses purpose, conveying intended suffering. The final clause ‘his strength departed from him’ translates the Qal imperfect sur {סוּר | sūr} with a perfective sense of complete removal. |