| 11. Linguistic Exegesis The verse presents a paratactic series of nominal clauses linked by the conjunctive vav. The first clause, khover {וְחֹבֵ֖ר | wə-ḥō-bēr} ‘one who binds’, takes a cognate accusative khaver {חָ֑בֶר | ḥā-ḇer} ‘binding’, emphasizing ongoing magical action. The next clause, ve-shoel ov {וְשֹׁאֵ֥ל אוֹב֙ | wə-šo’ēl ’ōḇ} ‘one who asks a medium’, denotes spirit communication. The standalone ve-yidoni {וְיִדְּעֹנִ֔י | wə-yid-’ō-nî} ‘familiar spirit’ functions as a nominal category. Finally, ve-doresh el ha-metim {וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים | wə-dō-rēš ʾel ham-mē-tîm} ‘one who inquires to the dead’ pairs a participle with a prepositional phrase. The English retains the Hebrew parataxis by using present-tense participial forms and mirrors the construct relationships. The term el is rendered as “to” to reflect its directional force. |