| 16. Linguistic Exegesis The narrative begins with the vav-prefixed proper name daniyyel {וְדָ֣נִיֵּ֔אל | wə-ḏā-nī-yyēl} ‘Daniel’, signaling continuity from the prior dream episode. The verb ʿal {עַ֖ל | ʿal} ‘entered’ opens the main clause, followed by the conjunction u {וּ | û} + verb beʿa {בְּעָ֣ה | bə-ʿāh} ‘requested’, directed toward malka {מַלְכָּ֑א | mal-kāʾ} ‘king’ introduced by min {מִן־ | min} ‘from’. A subordinate clause begins with di {דִּ֚י | dî} ‘that’, where zeman {זְמָ֣ן | zə-mān} ‘time’ serves as the object of the imperfect yin-ten-leh {יִנְתֵּ֔ן־לֵ֔הּ | yin-tēn-lēh} ‘would-be-given-to-him’. The noun pishra {פִשְׁרָ֖א | piš-rāʾ} ‘interpretation’ plus the Haphal infinitive la-hachavayah {לְהַֽחֲווָיָ֥ה | lə-ha-ḥă-vā-yāh} ‘to show’ form a purpose clause back to malka {לְמַלְכָּֽא | lə-mal-kāʾ} ‘king’. The shift from perfect to imperfect stems contrasts Daniel’s completed entrance with the anticipated royal concession, while the infinitive construct underlines his intent to reveal the dream’s meaning. |