| 25. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive imperfect vayomer {וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | wayyōmer} ‘and he said’, introducing Elijah’s directive. The proper noun Eliyahu {אֵלִיָּ֜הוּ | ʾĕlîyyāhû} names the speaker, followed by the indirect object li-nevi’ei ha-bāʿal {לִנְבִיאֵי הַבַּעַל | li-nĕvîʾê hab-baʿal} ‘to the prophets of Baal’. Two coordinated imperatives ba-kha-rû {בַּחֲר֨וּ | ba-ḥa-rû} ‘choose’ and wa-ʿă-sū {וַעֲשׂ֣וּ | wa-ʿă-sū} ‘and do’ are modified by the adverb riš-šōnāh {רִאשֹׁנָ֔ה | riš-šōnāh} ‘first’. The conjunction kî {כִּ֥י | kî} ‘because’ plus the nominal clause attem hā-rabbîm {אַתֶּם הָרַבִּים | attem hārabbîm} ‘you are many’ provides causal reasoning. The imperative we-qirʾū {וְקִרְאוּ֙ | we-qirʾū} ‘and call’ with the prepositional phrase be-šēm ʾelōheichem {בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם | be-šēm ʾĕlōhêkem} ‘in the name of your gods’ indicates ritual invocation. The prohibition we-ʾēš lōʾ tasīmu {וְאֵשׁ לֹא תָשִׂימוּ | we-ʾēš lōʾ tasīmu} ‘and fire you shall not put’ forbids ignition, completing the sequence of commands. |