| 5. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the protasis marked by va’asher {וַאֲשֶׁר֩ | wə·’aš·er} ‘and when/if’, introducing a legal scenario. The verb yavo {יָבֹ֨א | yā·vō‛} ‘he goes’ takes the phrase et-re’eihu {אֶת־רֵעֵ֥הוּ | ’et-rē·’ê·hû} ‘direct-object his neighbor’ as its object in ba-ya’ar {בַיַּעַר֮ | ba·yā·’ar} ‘in the forest’, followed by the purpose infinitive lachtov {לַחְטֹ֣ב | laḥ·ṭōḇ} ‘to chop’ governing etzim {עֵצִים֒ | ’ē·ṣîm} ‘trees’. The Nifal perfect in ve-nidd’cha {וְנִדְּחָ֨ה | wə·nid·ḏā·hā} ‘and is thrust’ describes the unintentional motion of yado {יָד֤וֹ | yā·ḏō} ‘his hand’, leading to another infinitive, lichrot {לִכְרֹ֣ת | liḵ·rōṯ} ‘to fell’ the tree. The clause ve-nashal ha-barzel min-ha-etz {וְנָשַׁ֤ל הַבַּרְזֶל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ | wə·nā·šal ha·bar·zēl min·hā·’ēṣ} ‘and slips off the tree’ uses a Qal perfect to depict the axe head’s detachment, and u-matsa {וּמָצָ֥א | ū·mā·ṣā} ‘and strikes’ conveys the fatal impact on the neighbor. The apodosis is introduced by hu yanus {ה֗וּא יָנ֛וּס | hû yān·ûs} ‘he shall flee’, followed by el-achat he’arim-ha’eleh {אֶל־אַחַ֥ת הֶעָרִים־הָאֵ֖לֶּה | ’el-’aḥ·aṯ hē·’ā·rîm-hā·’ē·lêh} ‘to one of these cities’, concluding with va-chai {וָחָֽי | wā·ḥā·y} ‘and live’. The verse employs a conditional–result structure with purpose infinitives to frame unintentional manslaughter within the asylum provision. |