| 35. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the idiom veish echad {וְאִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֜ד | və-ʼîš ’eḥāḏ} “a certain man,” marking an individual from the prophetic guild. The phrase mibnei hanneviim {מִבְּנֵ֣י הַנְּבִיאִ֗ים | mi-bnê han-nə-vî-ʼîm} “from the sons of the prophets” specifies membership. The verb amar {אָמַ֧ר | āmār} “said” introduces direct speech framed by bidvar Yahweh {בִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה | bid-dā-ḇār Yahweh} “by the word of the LORD,” highlighting divine commission. The Hiphil imperative hakeini na {הַכֵּ֣ינִי נָ֑א | hak-kênî nāʼ} “strike me, please” fuses causative force with polite entreaty. The narrative continues with vayemaen lehakoto {וַיְמָאֵ֥ן לְהַכֹּתֽוֹ | way-yə-mā-ʼên le-hak-tô} “and he refused to strike him,” using a vav consecutive plus infinitive to denote denial. English renders it in subject-verb-object order while preserving the Hebrew emphasis on divine initiative and human response. |