| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The report opens with vayyomeru {וַיֹּאמְרוּ | way-yō-mer-û} ‘and they said,’ followed by lemor {לֵאמֹר | lē-ʾă-môr} ‘saying,’ which introduces direct discourse. The settlers are portrayed by higlita {הִגְלִיתָ | hig-lî-tā} and vatoshev {וַתּוֹשֶׁב | wat-tō-šehv} ‘you exiled and settled,’ combining perfect and imperfect stems to show completed removal and ongoing residency. Their lack of legal knowledge is framed by lo yadʿu {לֹא יָדְעוּ | lōʾ yā-ḏə-ʿû} ‘they did not know’ and the participle einam yodim {אֵינָם יֹדְעִים | ʾê-nām yō-ḏə-ʿîm} ‘they are not knowing,’ both modifying mishpat Elohei haaretz {מִשְׁפַּט אֱלֹהֵי הָאָרֶץ | miš-pā-ṭ ʾĕ-lō-ḥê hā-ʾā-reṣ} ‘law of the God of the land.’ The vav-consecutive vayeshalachbam {וַיְשַׁלַּח־בָּם | way-šal-lā-ḥ-bām} ‘and he sent among them’ shifts to divine initiative, and the Piel participle memitim {מְמִיתִים | mə-mi-tîm} ‘killing’ emphasizes the ongoing action of the lions. The causal conjunction kaasher {כַּאֲשֶׁר | ka-ʾă-šer} ‘because’ ties the narrative together, highlighting that ignorance of the law prompts divine judgment. |