| 23. Linguistic Exegesis The verse is a verbless clause: two coordinated names (uverekhyah {וּבֶֽרֶכְיָה֙ | ûvereḵîyāh} and veelqanah {וְאֶלְקָנָ֔ה | wəʾelqānāh}) are followed by the plural participle shoarim {שֹׁעֲרִ֖ים | šōʿărîm} ‘gatekeeping,’ which functions predicatively to state their official duty; English supplies an implied copula (“were/served as”). Although only two individuals are named, the plural participle frames them as members of a recognized group of attendants assigned to guard access. The prepositional phrase laaron {לָאָרֽוֹן | lāʾārôn} ‘for the ark’ uses lamed to mark responsibility/assignment, specifying the object of their watch. |