| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The verse employs vav-consecutive forms to convey habitual action, beginning with u-və-gal-lā-ḥō {וּֽבְגַלְּחוֹ֮ | u-və-gal-lā-ḥō} ‘and in his shaving’ which sets a cyclic narrative. The temporal circumstantial phrase miq-qêṣ yā-mîm la-yā-mîm {מִקֵּ֨ץ יָמִים לַיָּמִים֙ | miq-qêṣ yā-mîm la-yā-mîm} ‘from the end of days at intervals’ provides a recurring timeframe. The relative pronoun ʾă-šer {אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾă-šer} ‘which’ introduces a subordinate clause modifying the recurrence, while the causal clause kî-kā-vêḏ ʿā-lāw {כִּֽי־כָבֵד עָלָיו | kî-kā-vêḏ ʿā-lāw} ‘for it was heavy upon him’ explains the motivation. The alternation of Piel imperfect yə-gallê-aḥ {יְגַלֵּ֔חַ | yə-gallê-aḥ} ‘he would shave’, Piel perfect wə-gillā-ḥō {וְגִלְּחוֹ | wə-gillā-ḥō} ‘he shaved it’, and Qal perfect wə-ša-qāl {וְשָׁקַל֙ | wə-ša-qāl} ‘he weighed’ underscores the habitual pattern. Finally, the construct phrase mā-ṭā-yim še-qā-lîm {מָאתַ֥יִם שְׁקָלִ֖ים | mā-ṭā-yim še-qā-lîm} ‘two hundred shekels’ followed by bə-ʾe-ḇen ham-mé-leḵ {בְּאֶ֥בֶן הַמֶּֽלֶךְ | bə-ʾe-ḇen ham-mé-leḵ} ‘by the king’s stone’ completes the quantitative report. |