| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive narrative verb vayhi {וַיְהִי֙ | wayhî} ‘and it came to pass,’ marking a temporal transition. The clause ki-tov libbam {כִּ֤י־טוֹב לִבָּ֔ם | kî-ṭôw libbām} ‘when their heart was good’ functions as a temporal circumstantial clause indicating emotional disposition. The imperfect Qal in vayomeru {וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ | wayyōʾmerū} ‘they said’ introduces direct speech, within which the Qal imperative qereʾu {קָרְאוּ֙ | qārəʾū} ‘call’ and the Piel imperfect vishahek {וִישְׂחֶ֖ק | wîśaḥeq} ‘let him entertain’ express purpose (‘that he may entertain us’). The narrative resumes with a vav-consecutive imperfect vayikreʾu {וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ | wayyiqrəʾū} ‘they called’ plus the prepositional phrase mi-bet ha-asurim {מִבֵּ֣ית הָאֲסוּרִ֗ים | mibbêṯ hā-ʾăsûrîm} ‘from the prison house,’ highlighting Samson’s movement. A return to the Piel imperfect in vayetsahek {וַיְצַחֵ֙ק | wayyəṣaḥēq} ‘he entertained’ underscores the performative act, and the Hiphil imperfect vayaʿamidu oto bein ha-amudim {וַיַּעֲמִ֥ידוּ אוֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֥ין הָעַמּוּדִֽים | wayyaʿəminiḏū ʾōṯô bêyn hā-ʿammûdîm} ‘they set him between the pillars’ establishes spatial orientation and dramatic suspense. The progression of verbal stems (Qal, Piel, Hiphil) and vav-consecutive sequences drives the narrative tension toward its climax. |