| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The clause opens with vayhi {וֽ͏ַיְהִי֙ | wāyəhî} ‘and it happened,’ a narrative preterite that frames what follows as a noteworthy event. The next unit, beezor haelohim {בֶּעְזֹ֣ר הֽ͏ָאֱלֹהִ֔ים | bəʿēzōr hāʾĕlōhîm} ‘when God helped,’ uses an infinitive-construct-with-bet to create a temporal setting that also implies cause: the sacrificial action occurs in response to divine assistance. The direct object et-haleviim {אֶ֨ת־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם | ʾet-haləwiyyîm} identifies the Levites as the recipients of the help, further specified by the participial modifier nosei {נֹשְׂאֵ֖י | nōśəʾê} ‘bearing,’ which functions adjectivally to describe their ongoing task. The construct chain aron berit-Yahweh {אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֑ה | ʾărôn bərît-yəhwāh} ‘ark of the covenant of the LORD’ grounds the scene in sacred covenantal worship and explains why divine aid is highlighted. The second wayyiqtol, vayizbekhu {וַיִּזְבְּח֥וּ | wayyizbəḥû} ‘and they sacrificed,’ advances the storyline from circumstance to response. The paired numerals shivah-parim ... veshivah eylim {שִׁבְעָֽה־פָרִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֵילִֽים | šivʿāh-pārîm wəšivʿāh ʾêlîm} create balanced coordination that emphasizes a complete, fitting offering. In English, the Hebrew temporal infinitive construction is naturally rendered with “when,” and the participle is expressed as a relative or reduced clause to keep the focus on the Levites’ action while preserving the Hebrew sequencing. |