| 6. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the vav-consecutive verb wayyiṯten {וַיִּתֶּן | wayyiṯ·ten} ‘and he gave’, marking sequential action by the priest. The phrase ha-leḥem ha-qōdeš {הַלֶּחֶם הַקֹּדֶשׁ | ha-le·ḥem ha-qō·deš} ‘the holy bread’ denotes loaves set apart for sacred use. The existential clause ʾên lāhem leḥem {אֵין לָהֶם לֶחֶם | ʾên lā·hem le·ḥem} ‘there was no bread for them’ is followed by the locative ba-māqom ʾaḥer zeh {בַּמָּקוֹם אֲחֵר זֶה | ba-mā·qôm ʾaḥer zeh} ‘in that other place’, specifying lack of provisions. Raq leḥem ha-pānim {רַק לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים | raq le·ḥem ha-pā·nim} ‘except the bread of the presence’ refers to the showbread arranged before the sanctuary. The relative clause ʾašer ne·gār kephil·la·ḥat ha-yom ʾašer hus·sār {אֲשֶׁר נֶגָּר כְּפִלַּחַת הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר הֻסָּר | ʾašer ne·gār kephil·la·ḥat ha-yom ʾašer hus·sār} literally ‘which was removed like a slice of the day which was taken away’ poses a translation challenge. We render this as a purpose clause (‘to put hot bread in its place on the day it was taken away’) to reflect the ritual replacement of showbread with fresh loaves, capturing the idiomatic use of kephil·la·ḥat ha-yom to denote ritual timing and purpose. |