Table of Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Acknowledgments -- List of Abbreviations -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Historical Linguistics: Key Issues for Biblical Hebrew -- 3. Textual Criticism: Prelude to Cross-Textual Variable Analysis of Biblical Hebrew -- 4. Cross-Textual Variable Analysis: Theory and Method -- 5. Cross-Textual Variable Analysis: Parallel Passages -- 6. Cross-Textual Variable Analysis: Samuel Manuscripts -- 7. Variationist Analysis: Theory and Method -- 8. Variationist Analysis: Lexical Studies -- 9. Variationist Analysis: Grammatical Studies -- 10. Conclusion -- Appendix 1: Linguistic Variants in Parallel Passages in the Masoretic Text -- Appendix 2: Commentary on Linguistic Variants in MT and Qumran Samuel -- Appendix 3: Some More Not-So-Random Thoughts -- Bibliography -- Index of Modern Authors -- Index of Biblical and Related Texts.