| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The Hebrew narrative opens with the vav-consecutive vayyišma‘ {וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע | vayyišmaʿ} ‘and he heard,’ marking sequential action. The subject Yəhôwâ {יְהוָ֖ה | Yəhôwâ} ‘LORD’ conveys divine agency, while the construct phrase beqōl eliyahu {בְּק֣וֹל אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ | bəqōl ʾĕlîyyāhû} ‘in the voice of Elijah’ denotes the means of the appeal. The verb vattāššāv {וַתָּשָׁב | vattāššāv} ‘and she returned’ agrees with nepeš {נֶֽפֶשׁ | nepeš} ‘soul,’ specifying restoration of the life-force. The idiomatic phrase ʿal-qirbô {עַל־קִרְבּ֖וֹ | ʿal-qirbô} ‘upon his inward parts’ situates the soul within the boy’s body. Finally, vayyaḥî {וַיֶּֽחִי | vayyaḥî} ‘and he lived’ closes the miraculous event. |