| 20. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative uses vav consecutive + imperfect verbs vayaʿazōv {וַיַּעֲזֹב | wayyāʿăzōḇ} ‘and he left’ and wayyārāṣ {וַיָּרָץ | wayyārāṣ} ‘and he ran’, indicating successive actions. The phrase ʾet-habbāqār {אֶת־הַבָּקָר | ʾet-ha-bā-qār} ‘the oxen’ highlights Elisha relinquishing his livelihood. The cohortative ʾešqā-nāʾ {אֶשְׁקָה־נָּא | ʾeš-qāʾ-nāʾ} conveys a polite entreaty, and the imperatives lêkh {לֵךְ | lêkh} and šûḇ {שׁוּב | šûḇ}, framed by the interrogative clause mēh-ʿāśîṯî lāḵ {מֶה־עָשִׂיתִי לָךְ | mēh-ʿāśîṯî lāḵ} ‘what have I done to you’, underscore voluntary commitment contrasted with Elijah’s directive. This juxtaposition emphasizes the tension between familial bonds and prophetic calling. |