| 31. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-consecutive verb vayyiqqach {וַיִּקַּ֣ח | wayyiqqāḥ} ‘and he took,’ placing eliyahu {אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ | ʾelīyyāhû} as the subject. The dual numeral shtêm esre {שְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ | šəṯêm ʿeśre} ‘twelve’ modifies abanim {אֲבָנִ֔ים | ʾăbānîm} ‘stones’. The construct chain k-mispar {כְּמִסְפַּ֖ר | kə-mispār} ‘according to the number of’ links to shivtei bene-yaakov {שִׁבְטֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֑ב | šivṯê bənê-yaʿăqōḇ} ‘tribes of the sons of Jacob’. The relative clause asher hayah devar-Yahweh elav lemor {אֲשֶׁר֩ הָיָ֨ה דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר | ʾăšer hāyâ dəḇar-Yahweh ʾēlāv lēʾmōr} ‘which was the word of the LORD to him, saying’ introduces the divine naming declaration. The verb yiśrāʾēl yihyeh shemkha {יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִהְיֶ֥ה שְׁמֶֽךָ | yiśrāʾēl yihyeh šə-məkā} ‘Israel shall be your name’ in the imperfect conveys the future sense of renaming. The sequence of constructs and the vav-consecutive structure preserves the temporal and causal progression from symbolic action to divine speech. |