| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative uses the vav-consecutive imperfect vato’mer {וַתֹּאמֶר | waṯ·’ō·mer} ‘and she said’ to introduce direct speech. The phrase pelishtim ’alekha {פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ | pə·lîš·tīm ’ā·lē·ḵā} ‘the Philistines are upon you’ signals imminent danger. The shift to perfective aspect with vayikats mišənatō {וַיִּקַץ מִשְּׁנָת֗וֹ | wa·yī·qaṣ miš·šə·nā·ṯō} ‘he awoke from his sleep’ marks Samson’s transition from unconsciousness to action. The idiomatic pair kəpa‘am bəpa‘am {כְּפַעַם בְּפַעַם | kə·pa·‘am bə·pa·‘am} ‘time after time’ indicates repeated effort in the Nifal form wə’inna‘ēr {וְאִנָּעֵ֔ר | wə·’in·nā·‘ēr} ‘and I will shake myself free.’ The concluding clause wəhū’ lō’ yā·da‘ kî Yahweh ṣār mē‘ālāv {וְהוּא לֹא יָדַע כִּי יְהוָה סָר מֵעָלָיו | wə·hū’ lō’ yā·ḏa‘ kî Yə·hō·wāh ṣār mē·’ā·lāv} uses the conjunction kî as a causal marker to underscore the dramatic irony of Samson’s ignorance regarding the divine departure. |