| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the causal-temporal phrase kol-qovel-denah {כָּל־קֳבֵל דְּנָה | kol-qo-VEIL de-NAH} “therefore, because of this,” linking back to the previous narrative. The maqqef-bound prepositional phrase beh-zimna {בֵּהּ־זִמְנָא | bēh-zimnā} sets the specific “at that time.” The Peal perfect kerivu {קְרִבוּ | ke-ri-VOO} “they approached” takes guvrin kasda’in {גֻּבְרִין כַּשְׂדָּאִין | guv-REEN kas-da-EEN} “Chaldean men” as its subject, specifying both gender and ethnicity. The idiomatic expression vaakhalu kartsehon di yehudaye {וַאֲכַלוּ קַרְצֵיהוֹן דִּי יְהוּדָיֵא | va-a-KHA-loo kar-TSE-hon DI ye-hu-DAH-ye} literally “they devoured their charges that the Jews” conveys “they brought a legal accusation against the Jews.” This construct chain with the relative particle di reflects Aramaic legal narrative style, and the nominal subject–verb order is adapted in English to preserve clarity while maintaining the formal sense. |