| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse comprises two coordinated clauses linked by vav-consecutive sequencing. It opens with vĕha-mizbēaḥ {וְהַמִּזְבֵּ֣חַ | wə-hammizbēaḥ} ‘and the altar’, followed by the niphal perfect nīqrāʿ {נִקְרָ֔ע | niqrāʿ} indicating passive divine action. The subsequent wayyišāp̄ēḵ {וַיִּשָּׁפֵ֥ךְ | wayyišāp̄ēḵ} ‘and it was poured out’ introduces haddéšen {הַדֶּשֶׁן | haddéšen} ‘the ashes’ as the subject, with min-hammizbēaḥ {מִן־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ | min-hammizbēaḥ} ‘from the altar’ providing spatial context. The phrase kammōp̄et {כַּמּוֹפֵ֗ת | kamôp̄et} ‘according to the sign’ frames the event as a prophetic fulfillment, and the relative clause ’ăšer nāṯān ’îš hāʼĕlōhîm {אֲשֶׁר נָתַן אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים | ’ăšer nāṯān ’îš hāʼĕlōhîm} ‘which the man of God had given’ attributes its source to a prophetic figure. The final biḏbār Yəhōwāh {בִּדְבַר יְהוָה | biḏbār Yəhōwāh} ‘by the word of the LORD’ situates the authority in divine speech. This structure underscores the supernatural causality and fulfillment of a prophetic sign by divine command. |