| 12. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayedabber {וַיְדַבֵּר | way-ye-ḏē-ber} ‘and he spoke’, introducing direct speech. The interrogative formula eizeh haderk {אֵי־זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ | ʾē-zēh ha-dĕ-rĕkh} ‘which is the way’ poses a spatial question to the sons. In the second clause, vayire’u {וַיִּרְאוּ | way-yir-ʾū} ‘and they saw’ serves as a narrative hinge marking the sons’ action. The marker et {אֶת־ | ʾet} introduces the object haderk, specified by the relative clause asher halakh {אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ | ă-šer hā-lakh} ‘that he went’. The substantive ish haelohim {אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים | ʾîsh hā-ʾĕ-lō-hîm} ‘man of God’ is further defined by asher ba miyehudah {אֲשֶׁר־בָּא מִיהוּדָה | ă-šer bāʾ mi-yĕ-hū-dāh}, situating him as a divine envoy from Judah. Although vayire’u literally means ‘they saw’, it is rendered ‘showed’ and ‘pointed out’ to reflect the communicative function of the sons in indicating the path. |