וַיְבִאֵ֖הוּ (way·ḇi·’ê·hū) in 1 Samuel 17:57: Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
וַיְבִאֵ֖הוּ (way·ḇi·’ê·hū) in 1 Samuel 17:57
Source Word
1 Samuel 17:57 token 12 is וַיְבִאֵ֖הוּ, H935, parsed Conj-w | V-Hifil-ConsecImperf-3ms | 3ms and aligned with and brought him.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The object chain keeps David at the center of Abner's escort and turns the clause toward his encounter with Saul.
How To Communicate It
Map Abner, David, and Saul in order, then discuss the episode from its narrative development rather than from causative morphology alone.
What Not To Say
- Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
- The suffix refers to David because Abner has just taken him; the head is something David holds.
- Hifil movement does not by itself prove force, honor, humiliation, or promotion.
- Do not let the violent detail become spectacle or obscure the people and dialogue in the scene.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Hifil
Consecutive imperfect
Third
Masculine
Singular
Conj-w
Third person masculine singular
After Abner takes David, the consecutive Hifil presents Abner conducting him into Saul's presence. The suffix refers to David, not to the Philistine's head that David is still holding.
The action completes Abner's escort of David before Saul after David returns from the battle.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The verb repeats David as the object of Abner's action after the preceding took him.
The return scene in which Abner escorts David before Saul while David holds the Philistine's head.
It identifies Abner as the one conducting David and Saul as the destination of that personal presentation.
It does not make the head the escorted object, explain Saul's earlier recognition questions, prove compulsion, or define David's royal status.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form repeats verse 54's surface but changes both subject and object, making context-based reference essential.
Consecutive Hifil continuing Abner's object chain. conducts David into Saul's presence. Attached to Abner took him. Governed by David's presentation before Saul. The head remains an object in David's hand, not the referent of him.
Whom does Abner bring before Saul? He brings David, the same person identified by him in the immediately preceding took him clause.
Direct: The Hifil supports brought, and the suffix directly supplies him with David as its contextual referent.
The nearest masculine noun is not automatically a suffix's referent; syntax and discourse control reference. Identical Hebrew surface forms can describe different participant relations in nearby verses. Being brought before a ruler does not by grammar alone state compulsion or honor.
Him refers to the head: Follow Abner's repeated object from took him to brought him before Saul. causative form proves coercion: The grammar presents conducted movement; willingness requires separate evidence. presentation before Saul proves royal advancement: Interpret David's status from the unfolding narrative, not this escort verb.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
1 Samuel 17:57 token 12 is וַיְבִאֵ֖הוּ, H935, parsed Conj-w | V-Hifil-ConsecImperf-3ms | 3ms and aligned with and brought him.
בּוֹא can name coming or entering; this Hifil use portrays Abner bringing David before Saul.
Abner is named with the preceding verb as subject, and David is its suffixed object. The next verb preserves that relation, while before Saul supplies the destination.
After David returns from the combat, Abner presents him to Saul, where Saul asks about his family identity.
The episode belongs to David's developing relationship with Saul and should not be made to settle later questions of kingship from this movement verb.
Follow the repeated pronoun through Abner's two actions so the violent object in David's hand does not confuse participant reference.
Do not make the Hifil prove coercion, promotion, or divine endorsement of every action in the scene.