| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’, introducing David’s direct speech. David {דָּוִיד | dāwîḏ} addresses Ornan {אֶל־אָרְנָן | ʾel-ʾōrān} with the imperative tenah-li {תְּנָה־לִּי | tənāh-lî}, requesting the threshing-floor plot meqom ha-goren {מְקוֹם הַגֹּרֶן | məqōm ha-gōren}. The vav-consecutive imperfect ve-evneh-bo {וְאֶבְנֶה־בּוֹ | wə-evnē-bô} expresses his intent to build an altar mizbeach {מִזְבֵּחַ | mizbêaḥ} for la-Yahweh {לַיהוָה | la-Yahweh}. The phrase be-kesef male {בְּכֶסֶף מָלֵא | bə-kěsēp mālēʾ} underscores the totality of payment. The second imperative tenehû {תְּנֵהוּ | tənēhû} reinforces the request, and the nifal imperfect ve-te’atzar {וְתֵעָצַר | wəṯēʿāṣar} conveys the intended result of restraining the plague ha-magefa {הַמַּגֵּפָה | hammaggēp̄āh} from upon the people ha-am {הָעָם | hāʿām}. English syntax preserves the Hebrew’s sequence of volition, purpose, and outcome. |