| 15. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with the wayyiqtol verb vayiven {וַיִּבֶן | wayyiḇen} ‘and he built’, a narrative perfective that advances the storyline. The verb–subject sequence presents Mosheh {מֹשֶׁה | mōšeh} ‘Moses’ before the object mizbeach {מִזְבֵּחַ | mizbēaḥ} ‘altar’. A second wayyiqtol, vayikra {וַיִּקְרָא | wayyiqrāʾ} ‘and he called’, introduces the naming act via the construct shemo {שְׁמוֹ | šəmô} ‘its name’. The nominal clause Yahweh nissî {יְהוָה | Yə-hō-wāh nissî} ‘the LORD is my banner’ serves both as predicate and formal title, with fronting of Yahweh underscoring divine lordship in the victory context and the suffix on nissî indicating personal possession and commemorative purpose. English renders the wayyiqtol verbs as simple past (“built,” “called”) and makes the Hebrew nominal clause explicit as “The LORD is my banner” to capture its declarative force. |