| 18. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative opens with vattomer {וַתֹּ֖אמֶר | vaṯ-ṭōʾmer} ‘and she said,’ introducing direct discourse. The emphatic verb complex dabber yedabberu {דַּבֵּ֨ר יְדַבְּר֤וּ | dabber yedabberû} combines an infinitive absolute with an imperfect to signal customary action. The adverbial phrase barishonah {בָרִאשֹׁנָה֙ | bārîšônâ} frames the temporal setting. A parallel construction leʾemor shaʾol yishʾalu {לֵאמֹ֔ר שָׁאֹ֧ל יְשָׁאֲל֛וּ | lêʾmôr šāʾôl yišʾālu} repeats this pattern for inquiry at beʾavel {בְּאָבֵ֖ל | bəʾāvēl}. The closing veken hetammu {וְכֵ֥ן הֵתַמּוּ | wəkên hêṯammû} uses an adverb plus perfect verb to denote resolution. The English version shifts from the Hebrew verb-subject order to subject-verb-object for clarity. |