| 28. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative unfolds with vav-consecutive verbs vayigash {וַיִּגַּשׁ | wayyigaš} “and he approached” and vayomer {וַיֹּאמֶר | wayyōmer} “and he said,” signaling direct speech. The designation ish haʾĕlōhîm {אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים | ʾîš hā-ʾĕlōhîm} “man of God” marks a prophetic envoy. The oracle formula kō-ʾāmar yəhōwāh {כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה | kō-ʾāmar yəhōwāh} “thus says the LORD” frames divine pronouncement. The causal yaʿan {יַעַן | yaʿan} “because” introduces rationale leading into the parallel clause ʾăšer āmərû ʾāram ʾĕlōhē hārîm yəhōwāh wĕlō’ ʾĕlōhē ʿămāqîm hûʾ {אֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ אֲרָם אֱלֹהֵי הָרִים יְהוָה וְלֹא־אֱלֹהֵי עֲמָקִים ה֑וּא | ʾăšer āmərû ʾāram ʾĕlōhē hārîm yəhōwāh wĕlō’ ʾĕlōhē ʿămāqîm hûʾ} “because Aram said the LORD is god of the hills but not of the valleys,” employing parallelism to assert God’s universal dominion. The phrase ʾet kôl hehāmōn haggādōl hazzēh bəyāḏeḵā {אֶת־כָּל־הֶהָמוֹן הַגָּדֹל הַזֶּה בְּיָדֶךָ | ʾet kôl hehāmōn haggādōl hazzēh bəyāḏeḵā} “all this great multitude into your hand” uses the accusative marker and construct chains for precision. The vav-consecutive venāttaṯî {וְנָתַתִּי | wenāttaṯî} “and I will give” underscores divine agency, and the perfect wiḏaʿtem kî ʾănî yəhōwāh {וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי־אֲנִי יְהוָה | wiḏaʿtem kî ʾănî yəhōwāh} “and you will know that I am the LORD” conveys assured recognition. The English order preserves Hebrew emphasis on divine action and covenantal revelation. |