| 17. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with vehinneh {וְהִנֵּה | wə-hin-nē} ‘and behold’, a conjunction and interjection that signals a dramatic declaration. This is followed by the subject hu {הוּא | hūʾ} ‘he’ and the Qal perfect verb sam {שָׂם | śām} ‘placed’, which introduces the object construct alilot devarim {עֲלִילֹת דְּבָרִים | ʿă-lî-lōṯ də-wā-rîm} ‘accusations of words’. The infinitive lemor {לֵאמֹר | lē-ʾā-môr} ‘saying’ marks the onset of reported speech. In the claim clause, the negation lo-matsati {לֹא־מָצָאתִי | lōʾ mā-ṣā-ʾa-tî} ‘I did not find’ governs the construct phrase lebittekha betulim {לְבִתְּךָ בְּתוּלִים | lə-ḇiṭ-tekhā bə-tû-lîm} ‘to your daughter virginity’. The conjunction veelleh {וְאֵלֶּה | wə-ʾê-leh} ‘and these’ introduces the rejoinder betulei biti {בְּתוּלֵי בִתִּי | bə-tû-lê biṭ-ṭî} ‘tokens of my daughter’s virginity’, which is then ufarshu hasimlah {וּפָרְשׂוּ הַשִּׂמְלָה | ū-pār-ŝû ha-śim-lāh} ‘spread out the garment’ before lifnei ziknei ha’ir {לִפְנֵי זִקְנֵי הָעִיר | lif-nê ziqq-nē ha-ʾîr} ‘the elders of the city’. The sequence of perfect verbs and construct chains frames a legal proceeding: the husband’s assertion is presented, the wife’s evidence is disclosed, and the physical display of the garment before city elders provides judicial verification. |