| 28. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive marker vayiqra {וַיִּקְרָא | wayyīqrāʾ} ‘and he called’, marking the shift to direct speech. The address combines the divine title adonai {אֲדֹנָי | ʼădōnâ} and the covenant name yehovih {יֱהֹוִ֡ה | Yahweh}, intensifying reverence. Imperatives zakhareni {זָכְרֵנִי | zāḵhērēnî} ‘remember me’ and ve-chazzeqeni {וְחַזְּקֵנִי | wəḥazzəqēnî} ‘strengthen me’ each take the entreaty particle na {נָא | nāʼ}, conveying urgent pleading. The particle akh {אַךְ | ʾăḵ} with the demonstrative ha-paam ha-zeh {הַפַּעַם הַזֶּה | happāʿam hazzēh} ‘this time’ limits the request to a single occasion. The cohortative ve-innakmah {וְאִנָּקְמָה | wəʼinnāqamâ} ‘let me avenge myself’ frames Samson’s desire for divine action, and the construct mishtei einai {מִשְּׁתֵי עֵינַי | miššəṯê ʿênay} ‘for my two eyes’ provides the motive. The prepositional phrase mipheListim {מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים | mippelis̱tîm} ‘on the Philistines’ completes the purpose clause. |