| 29. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with uva {וּבָא | ū-vāʾ} ‘and will come’, using the vav-consecutive plus Qal perfect to continue the narrative. The noun phrase ha-levi {הַלֵּוִי | hă-lā-wî} ‘the Levite’ is the subject, followed by the causal clause ki ein-lo chelek wə-nachalāh im-makh {כִּי אֵין־לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִמָּךְ} ‘because there is not to him portion and inheritance with you’, employing the negative existential ein {אֵין} + pronominal suffix lo {לוֹ}. The asyndetic list ve-ha-ger ve-ha-yatom ve-ha-almānā {וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה} ‘and the sojourner and the orphan and the widow’ shares the verb uva. The restrictive relative clause ʾăšer bi-šʿā-re-kha {אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ} ‘who are within your gates’ limits recipients. The results clause ve-ʾaḵ-lû wə-sā-ve-ʿû {וְאָכְלוּ וְשָׂבֵעוּ} ‘and they eat and they become satisfied’ uses consecutive perfects. Lə-ma·ʿān introduces purpose: yə-va-rə-ḵē-kha Yahweh ʾĕ-lo-he-kha {לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ} ‘so that the LORD your God may bless you’. The construct bə-kōl ma·ʿă-sê yā-de-kha ʾăšer ta·ʿa-sē-hû {בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה} ‘in all the work of your hand which you do’ denotes every action. The Hebrew asyndeton and vav-consecutive highlight inclusivity and divine blessing as the narrative goal. |