The Dotted 'Went Out' of Shimei's Plea — 2 Samuel 19:20 (19:19 in English Bibles)
יָצָא
What to look for
In Shimei's groveling apology to David — 'the day my lord the king went out from Jerusalem' — dots mark yatza.
What it is
One of the five dotted words outside the Torah, in the story of David's return after Absalom's revolt.
Why it matters
Shimei had cursed David and thrown stones as the king fled; now he rushes to be first at the river of return. The dotted word sits inside his very careful retelling of that day.
How it has been understood
Readers have heard in the dots a flicker of the narrator's skepticism — Shimei's memory of 'the day the king went out' is smoothed and self-serving, and the marks hover over it like a raised eyebrow. David spares him anyway; the dots let us see what David saw.