| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive narrative marker vayhi {וַיְהִ֕י | wayyə́hî} ‘and it happened’, introducing a past temporal sequence. The Qal participle yoshvim {יֹשְׁבִ֖ים | yôšvîm} ‘sitting’ with the prepositional phrase el ha-shulchan {אֶל־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֑ן | ʾel-haššulḥān} ‘at the table’ establishes the ongoing setting. A second vayhi {וַֽיְהִי֙ | wayyə́hî} shifts the focus to revelation: the construct expression davar Yahweh {דְּבַר־יְהוָ֔ה | dəḇār Yəhōwāh} ‘word of the LORD’ serves as the main subject of prophecy, directed with el ha-navi {אֶל־הַנָּבִ֖יא | ʾel-hannāwîʾ} ‘to the prophet’. The relative clause asher heshibo {אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֱשִׁיבֽוֹ | ʾăšer hĕšîbô} ‘who had caused him to return’ employs the Hiphil perfect to convey causation. English reconstruction mirrors this event-driven sequence, preserving Hebrew word order and verbal nuances while rendering the narrative with clarity and flow. |