| 4. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the vav-consecutive wayhi {וַיְהִ֣י | wayhî} ‘and it was’, which introduces a temporal clause marking narrative action. The proper name yeshayahu {יְשַׁעְיָהוּ | Yešaʿyâhû} functions as the subject, and lo-yatsa’ {לֹא־יָצָא | lōʾ-yāṣāʾ} ‘did not go out’ forms a temporal subordinate clause that sets the scene before Isaiah’s departure. The locative ha-’ir {הָעִ֖יר | hā·ʾîr} ‘the city’ and the noun-adjective sequence chatser ha-tikhonah {חָצֵ֣ר הַתִּיכֹ֑ונָה | ḥāṣēr hattîqônâ} ‘middle court’ specify the exact setting. The conjunction u-dvar-Yahweh {וּדְבַר־יְהוָה | û·ḏᵉbār Yᵊhōwâ} ‘and the word of the LORD’ introduces the main clause, with haya {הָיָה | hâyâh} ‘came’ plus the dative elav {אֵלָ֖יו | ʾê·lāyw} ‘to him’ and the infinitive lemor {לֵאמֹֽר | lē·ʾāmôr} ‘to say’ marking reported speech. English fronting of the time clause mirrors the Hebrew emphasis on divine initiative interrupting Isaiah at the moment of departure. |