| 3. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the narrative vav consecutive vayehi {וַֽיְהִ֖י | vă-yĕ-ḥî} ‘and it came to pass’, marking a new event. The temporal adverbial ballailah hahu {בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֑וּא | bā-lay-lāh ha-hûʾ} specifies timing. A second vav consecutive in vayehi introduces the main clause where devar-eloḥim {דְּבַר־אֱלֹהִ֔ים | dĕ-var ʾĕ-lō-ḥîm} ‘word of God’ serves as subject. The prepositional phrase el-natan {אֶל־נָתָ֖ן | ʾel-nā-ṯān} identifies the recipient. The infinitive construct lemor {לֵאמֹֽר | lē-ʾā-môr} functions as a discourse marker introducing direct speech. The repetition of vav consecutive underscores continuance of divine initiative across temporal settings, and the English rendering places the temporal clause first to maintain narrative flow. |