| 2. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs the vav-consecutive construction vayehi {וַיְהִ֥י | wayhî} ‘and it came to pass’ to introduce a new event in biblical historiography. The construct chain devar {דְבַר־ | dəḇar-} ‘word’ with Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yəhōwāh} ‘the LORD’ designates a prophetic oracle. The prepositional phrase elav {אֵלָ֥יו | ʾêlāv} ‘to him’ specifies the recipient, and the infinitive construct lemor {לֵאמֹֽר | lēʾmôr} ‘saying’ functions as a speech-introduction marker. In English, the temporal-consecutive sense is conveyed by “Then,” and the theological emphasis is maintained by foregrounding “the word of the LORD.” |