| 9. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayavo’u {וַיָּבֹאוּ | wayyāḇōʾû} ‘and they came’ (vav-consecutive + Qal imperfect), followed by ad gōrên Kidon {עַד־גֹּרֶן כִּידֹן | ʿăd gōrên kîḏōn} ‘until the threshing floor of Kidon’ marking the spatial endpoint. The verb wayyišlāḥ {וַיִּשְׁלַח | wayyišlāḥ} ‘and he reached out’ positions the agent before the purpose clause. The infinitive ləʾeḥōz ʾet-hāʾārōn {לֶאֱחֹז אֶת־הָאָרוֹן | ləʾeḥōz ʾet-hāʾārōn} ‘to seize the ark’ expresses intention, and kî šāməṭû hā-bā-qār {כִּי שָׁמְטוּ הַבָּקָר | kî šāməṭû hā-bā-qār} ‘because the oxen stumbled’ indicates causation. English SVO order preserves clarity while reflecting the Hebrew emphasis on Uzzah’s action. |